The Aftermath

Before I start on my purchases, I must relay a truly disgusting story. As soon as we entered the arena, we headed for the restrooms. It does not matter that we had already stopped twice before during the drive. It's morning. We are women. We drank coffee.

I head to the only open stall where there is a huge lake of water? on the floor. I shut the door, turned around, and Michelle (being a crab and always seeking water) falls to the floor when my fanny pack comes undone and then proceeds to land on Michelle to really soak it in. This is every horror story my mother warned me about.

It's not a total loss. I am in a bathroom, after all. I have soap and water and Catherine was prepared with Purell to slather on Michelle. Here she is taking a bath when we got home.......and just hanging around for the rest of the day.
This was the first of the two things I went to SAFF to purchase. It's VIP Fiber's Control Card. It's a yarn gauge PLUS if you want to spin a certain weight of yarn and know how many plies you want, it will tell you how thick to spin. I know this is all I need to now spin perfectly.

:-)

Perhaps this angelina will set off the fall coloured wool I dyed five or six years ago and entice me to spin it.... finally.
This is Politically Incorrect - One Night Stand Fiber Batts in the colourway "Winston". I see they sell on Etsy.
This is the only wool I purchased to spin. Even though it's only 4.1 oz., I know I can spin this fine enough and ply with a thread for lace weight. I can see this as a shawl or stole...maybe with some beads.

This is the one other item I went to SAFF for - the yarn bowl by Knit Witch.

I love the colour and the balls will be under control.
This was my final and unexpected purchase at the show, but I had to have them since I can not stop making and buying bags and totes. (see bottom) These are the straps for the multi-pocketed bag and wonderfully coloured leather leaves for embellishment on another bag as yet to be determined.

This bag was after the show at Earthfare in Knoxville. $25! Way cheaper than anyplace else I've seen. This will fit behind my seat and carry all those things I need but can't fit in my purse! Baby is protecting it.

I told you I can not resist a good tote.

SAFF

It's the first day of the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair and we are headed for Asheville, NC! We met at 5:30 and got to ride in Martha's Infinity. It's actually her husband's, but by association...hers for the trip. Marvelous car with all sorts of bells and whistles.Three hours later (four because we crossed a time zone), we are dropping off fleeces at Zeilinger's.
I've sent wool to Zeilinger's since I started spinning in Virginia ten years ago. They were located at the end of the vendor barn.
While the girls were busy, I got a sneak peak down the barn. This is side one.
This is side two. Every year there are more and more vendors.
Inside the arena. There are about four times the number of vendors from the first show I went to in 2002.
Martha, Peggy, and Catherine shopping at Delly's Delight Farm.
What a great cape!
Catherine is the only one tall enough to pull it off.
It's time for lunch!
Michelle met a dragon fly at The Sanguine Gryphon. They quickly became best buds.
At Politically Incorrect - Michelle had a fiber moment.
I appeased her by buying one (1) 4.1 ounce batt of scrumptious merino with a touch of glitz. Then she threw herself on the addi clicks but I held firm. We do not need another set of needles!
But we did find this bag we both liked and have to make. I bought black handles to make it with and the pattern is on the way. Now we must decide on the colours we want. They must match Michelle and not show dirt as we travel.
This was my last stop of the show. After a "short" drive to Knoxville, a good dinner at the Bonefish Grill, shopping at Earthfare for some good butter and Greek yogurt....we were on our way home. I day trip is so much better on the budget, especially when you already have everything you really need.

Tomorrow - an in depth discussion of purchases. :-)

Common Ground Fair part deux

We finished lunch and are walking, walking...

There were too many booths to visit them all and I didn't take in the barns, etc. But hand made furniture always fascinates me.
Rachel picked up some wood roasted coffee. I had a coffee roaster to roast coffee over an open fire. I wonder what I did with it?
There is nothing like sausages and jerky.
Knit Christmas stockings.
You can learn about solar power. We saw plenty of places in Maine using solar power. It seems to me that it would work well in Tennessee.
I don't know what he was doing stripping the branches off sticks, but he looked charming doing it.
These pictures are for my spinning friends.





These yarns are by Good Karma Farm.
Then there was sea glass. I LOVE finding sea glass...no matter where it is.
She decided on Tide Line as the name of her shop when she found all the letters in the name in one day of beach combing.
Here is a cooper hard at work.

Rachel said she has never seen pie cones anywhere other than the Common Ground Fair.

Bruce got his.
Fortunately, we got a ride back to the car via wagons pulled by tractors. That was good, because I was ready to make a lean-to and live there rather than walk any more!

This was an excellent fair and I'm glad we went. I don't know if the men had enough to keep them occupied, but Rachel and I certainly did.

Common Ground Country Fair

The Common Ground Country Fair is put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. That's a mouthful, eh? It's all about sustainable living. Bruce wanted info on solar energy and I knew some wool vendors would be there, but I didn't expect all I found!

The first fiber booth I went into was French Hill Farm where I found these unusual and marvelous spindles by Tom Forrester. I know this is not such a good shot but I had to have some evidence of how neat they are.
Then there was yarn.
The Tyler Farm booth.
Rachel picked out this skein of yarn for a winter scarf from the Oasis Farm Fiber Mill.
They have wonderful balls of fiber to spin...
as well as the spun yarn. I'm saving their address. I might need some more later. :-)
I thought this farm had a very clever name.
Then there was more yarn.
I found the Enchanted Knoll Farm.

These are her 2 oz. batts. Marvelous blends.
Rachel picked out this luscious colour made from wool, silk, recycled sari silk, bamboo, and sparkles. It reminded her of verdigris copper. I'm definitely saving this link, too!
This is the Farm Witch herself. Super nice woman!! It turned out that we both recognized each other's name from the Ravelry.
This entire tent is made from felted wool. You can see that it is still in progress.
Rachel checking out the scarves at Midsummer Nights Meadow Farm.
It was time for lunch and we found someone with a Roast Beef Sundae! We had to have one.
Real girls need meat! We couldn't decide so we got one of each a split - a steak burger/fries (homemade) and the roast beef sundae.
We had never tasted such GOOD meat! Delicious...and organic, too!
While we were eating lunch, a lobster rickshaw went by. Only in Maine!
The rest of the day will have to wait until tomorrow....