Loot

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As promised a week ago, here is some of the loot from my recent foray into western North Carolina, purchased either at SAFF, at the John C. Campbell Folk School craft shop, or somewhere in Asheville:

superwash wool from Brooks Farm's booth at SAFF
(as soft as merino!)
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2 oz. cashmere roving
from The Trading Post's booth @ SAFF
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bottom whorl drop spindle earrings
from Susan's Fiber Shop booth at SAFF
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various books & DVDs
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"Least Ones" - tiny carved animals
from Folk School craft shop
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lovely turned little wooden bowl
from Folk School craft shop
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lapel pin for my friend D. (^ about actual size)
from Folk School craft shop
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guitar earrings for me (^larger than actual size)
from Folk School craft shop
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ceramic teapot whistle - front & back
from Folk School craft shop

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wooden tops - static & spinning
from Folk School craft shop
(Margaret -- pick out your prize!)
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Malabrigo & Koigu purchased at Yarn Paradise in Asheville
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pattern book purchased at Yarn Paradise
specifically for ^this cute pattern
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I also picked up a few cards and postcards from various places, including Yarn Circle down in Murphy, the Folk School craft shop, and from Biltmore's gift shop, but for the life of me, I can't find them right now, so, please just imagine some pretty scenic postcards. :-)

Since I've been home, I've been hotly pursuing some lovely, elusive drop spindles on the internet, and finally made some choices which should arrive sometime this week, I hope. I'll show those here, when they arrive.

An easier choice to make was the purchase of this lovely pencil roving from Crown Mountain Farm which just arrived on Friday, and which I'm itching to try:

colorways (L-R): "As Above So Below", "Plane of Bliss"
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And here's something I didn't realize I already owned, until just the other day:

spinning chair
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I purchased that chair at a neighborhood antique store about five years ago, just because I liked its unique look and thought it would go well in my house, which has a sort of log cabin feel with its pine floors & cabinets, (seen above), pine wainscoting, pine interior doors and, in two rooms, pine & beam ceilings. When I bought the chair, I didn't know the chair's original purpose, or why it had such a funny back.

But sometime in the past week I saw a picture on the internet of a spinning chair, and it all clicked. I said to myself -- "I have one of those!" I'd purchased it back before I'd learned how to knit, back before I had the slightest interest in fiber play of any kind. Interesting, don't you think? It's actually not the real deal, I don't think -- doesn't seem sturdy enough for that. I think it's just a cheap decorative item, but I still like it.

Now I just need a wheel to go with it! But I feel no hurry to leap into such a momentous and expensive purchase. I plan on taking my sweet time and enjoying the process of test-driving wheels at as many places as I can get to over the next year.

And here at home, I need to clear a space for such an item, to make room for another new hobby in my house and in my life. I'm not as bad as that woman on Oprah this week who'd hoarded 75 tons and three tractor-trailer loads full of crap inside her 3,000 sq.ft. house, but I do, (ahem), need to do some purging and organizing (see: missing postcards, above).

So, for now, I will happily make yarn on a drop spindle. :-)

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