Fingerlakes Fiber Festival

My fibery weekend was a terrific success. I was just a bit nervous setting out in the wee hours after three hours sleep, pulling a trailer in pouring rain, passing trucks on the New York Thruway. I am blissfully ignorant of the principles of physics but was still scared to pass all those trucks with that trailer behind me. I pulled into the fairgrounds around 7:30 and managed to pull up to the door of my building without the dreaded backing up. My new space was perfect, I was thrilled to find it in the corner of the Ag barn, a spacious and well lit building which lets a lot of light in. I had all the room I needed for my big sign and racks, along with Martha's gorgeous, gigantic baskets for my fiber. Gosh, I feel right at home out there in western New York. There were lots of farmer women with weathered faces and confident demeanors, unloading their livestock and wares. When the gates opened up the customers poured in. Many of the patrons come from the Rochester area and what a nice bunch of folks who appreciate good wool and fine crafting. I had made a good deal of soap but there was no chance to wrap it. One person moaned and complained but most people bought it without a comment, just ooohs and aaahhs. I sold a dozen shaving blocks, too. Everything I make was validated in some way. I even sold a $100, 10 ounce skein of handspun to a lady from Rochester. She was thrilled and so was I. That sale was enough to keep me spinning for years! A rug hooker/psychologist vendor bought my huge spinning wheel bag to carry around her rug hooking frame and accoutrement. Only sold two other bags but there was a lot of stroking and longing. One lady came back three times, then again with her husband, but he was not impressed. She took my card and walked wistfully away. I wanted to tell her, take it and pay me when you can, but I did that once before and am still waiting (two years later) and I have a lot of mouths to feed! There was a small gathering at the pot luck supper with some long time hard core fiber show veterans. I brought my garden fresh green beans stewed with wine and tomatoes but they were not a hit. My friend, Phylleri's, goat cheese was, along with the blacksmith's lamb stew (not my cup of tea). I listened to their discussions about this show and that show and was disappointed to hear that many of them buy their yarn and dye it instead of raising it themselves. One woman's husband had a stroke and she let go of her angora flock. She buys her mohair yarn from South Africa now. Another woman's husband "got sick of taking care of" her Merino's and she buys her yarn from Henry's Attic instead. It made me realize how special it is to raise one's own fiber, from happy sheep. I don't want to buy wool from a flock that was slaughtered for meat after days on a truck. Yikes! I started telling people who came to look at my roving that it comes from Happy, Well Cared For Sheep. Don't know if that had an effect but they did buy quite a bit.