New Hampshire Sheep, Wool & Water

New England is sodden and miserable, and after three days of rain, I didn't know what my prospects for the Sheep and Wool festival could be.  I had thought Saturday might be too wild weather-wise to drive up on the sodden highways with visibility at a minimum, but when the forecast gale-force winds failed to materialize, I thought a run up was worth it, if only to connect with friends and fiber neighbors. I dug out the galoshes because I know from pastyears, the fairgrounds can get pretty boat-worthy.  Woolybuns Chris said that she slept in her car Friday night and on Saturday morning, she woke up in the middle of a lake.  Check out  Dave and Sean blogs for perfect pictures of what the fairgrounds in Hopkington looked like yesterday.

I saw many blogging pals, some new faces for blog names, and many non-blogging pals; favorite LYS buddies Pat and Dena; tons of NETA gals, like Sheryl and Linda, Mary and Kat, Sherry (of course) and Bert to name a few.  I have only two pictures on my camera from the day: one of That Laurie, with me and Lisa Lloyd both wearing our versions of Lisa's Flyingdales pattern; and one of Laurie vogueing in her latest handspun hand-dyed triumph. Yep, you read that right: all handspun, all dyed by hand. And yes, that's Blogless Sharon in the background at the Fox Fire Fibre booth.  It was that kind of day: everywhere I looked, someone I knew.   I put the camera back in my bag and never found it again because I was so wet within the first hour that I dared not touch it. 

I did have a purchasing event at Vermont Wheel.  While I was chatting with Cate and JoVe and well -- the rest of who was there at that moment is a blur because my peripheral vision shut down. Wendy? Kellee?  I only had eyes for the last of Pat Russo's Canadian production wheel across the aisle.  I was mumbling, I think, so intently was I staring at it over Cate's shoulder.  She turned around to follow my gaze, smiled and simply said "If you spin on it, you're done for," which seemed less a prophesy than a warning.  And then when I didn't move, she said "At least try it."   I was intimidated but predisposed, having waited for months with Juno for her wheel to be finished, and feeling more and more like my little Jensen is wonderful but a tool meant for travel and small runs of fiber rather than the making of enough yarn for a sweater.  The wheel sung once I managed to get the momentum going in the right direction, and yarn piled onto the whirling bobbin.  I was instantly giddy.  I will leave it to Cate to share the photographic evidence, if she wants.  It may have been the fastest sale of a wheel in history.  Pat Russo kept saying that he thought I was kidding when I said that I'd take it home if I could.  I may have said this after only two minutes.  I'm not sure. Should I say here that today, Cate is my best friend in the whole world?

I think the purchase may have broken the psychic dam--as it were--because after I bought the wheel, it got a little crazy, the weather aside.  Carole successfully stuffed five pounds of fleece into a modestly sized boat tote -- all the while invoking Cassie's name -- an act which must have opened a worm hole into another dimension, because after that fiber kept disappearing everytime she got near it.  And Cate herself added a little book-sized gem to her wheel collection.

There was a blogger margarita convention in Concord, which you will have to look elsewhere for, because once I marshalled enough plastic bags to protect the mahogany of my new wheel for the dash to the car, I was so drenched that I worried I might rust stiff like the tin woodsman.  The drive home was pretty hairy; I saw three cars off the road.  I know it's crazy love, this wool thing of mine.  But I made it home safe, the wheel is already one full bobbin into our love affair, and a hot shower quickly undid a day's worth of bone chill.
Oh, and I finished a pair of socks.  Not bad for one weekend, hm?

Comments

[Manise]

Hi Julia- so nice meeting you in person despite the deluge, puddles and canoe worthy sojourn there and back. Congratulations on your new wheel- sorry I missed being a witness to the acquisition of it. Very nice socks.

[Kathy]

Perfect recap. Enjoy the new wheel!

[Norma]

I'm still breathing rather heavily about Laurie's sweater. It is a most astonishingly beautiful work of art. The dyeing is so full of depth, the yarn is sooooo beautiful, as is the design. She is really something, isn't she?!

Someone should have been there with canoe rentals, though.

[Rachel H]

And the picture of your new wheel is where??

[JessaLu]

I was going to go but chickened out because of the weather :o(

Glad to hear/see you had a good time :o)

[Martha]

Wheel pictures, please. We all understand the light is bad. We can't wait for good light. Thank you!

[Emma.]

Wheel ? What wheel ?
Wish i'd been there to see you fall under it's spell. And to meet you,of course. Laurie is a master of many crafts. A most beautiful sweater. I am in awe.

[The Feminist Mafia]

How did we miss one another? I was even there for Cate's "book-sized gem" acquisition. Hmmmm... another time.

[vanessa]

hope you post a photo of your new wheel!

[Cheryl]

I have a good photo of you spinning on the new wheel, I'm about to post it now...

[Carole]

Congrats on the wheel purchase, she's beautiful and has gone to a good home! I figured you were too wet to join us for dinner. We should have helped you get the wheel to the car - sorry 'bout that.

[mamacate]

Tee. So glad you're not feeling buyers remorse. Though how could you, really? If mine's a gem yours is a masterpiece. And there's nothing like a gorgeous fast wheel to get a spinner's heart humming. My jealousy was just barely overcome by my excitement for you. Barely.

[Lee Ann]

Mahogany??? Canadian wheel????

Oh. My.

You fell too. I am so doomed.

[Beth S.]

New wheel? Mahogany? Sounds like a first-rate belated birthday present. :-) I'm so glad you indulged!

Hope your house is dry.

[Kellee]

So we were chatting about your purchase Saturday night (because that's what we do), and it amused me to know that everyone who saw the 'sold to Julia' note on the wheel? Knew immediately it was you. Oh sure, they realized that it could be anyone, that there are plenty of Julias in the world, but they just somehow 'knew' that it was your wheel. I think that says something. Something vaugely cosmic.

[susan]

Good for you!
And we want photos of the new family member.

[claudia]

Wheel picture? Please?

[Laurie]

Good to hear that which I didn't have a chance to witness.

I didn't think fast enough to get a picture of That Laurie's sweater..you marched into the breech and kept going.