When you plan on having a fiber festival the same weekend as a book launch party/book signing, you think “Gee, maybe we should have extra staff.” and “This is gonna be keen!” also “Golly I’m glad we got so many books!”
You never think:
- We have too many people on staff.
- We got too many books.
- This stinks.
Today was full of mayhem and excitement. I have not seen 7:30 AM from the waking up direction in a very long time, and it is just as icky as I remember it. Setting up vendors was pretty thrilling since I got to see all the beautiful stuff that they brought.
Oh, and hey, if any of you are ever worried about what happens to people when yarn shops go out of business (Heaven forfend, saints preserve us, and all that jazz) let me tell you about a man I met today. His name is Russell. He was one of our vendors. He is 85. Yeah, you read that right, EIGHT-EEE-FIVE. He’s been in “the yarn business” as he says for over half a century. (57 years, for those keeping score at home.) Do you know what that means?
He’s been at this since he was 28. Let’s review.
- It was 1951
- Color Television was introduced.
- Milk cost 92 cents.
- Wintston Churchill became Prime Minister of England.
- The International Table Tennis Federation banned Egypt (for refusing to play Israel)
- Swanson introduced beef, chicken, and turkey pot pies.
- The first section of the New Jersey Turnpike opened.
GUYS - THE JERSEY TURNPIKE WAS BRAND-SPANKIN’ NEW!
That yarn in the plastic ziplocs? I’m not sure if it’s discontinued, but I do know this: Donovan remembers weaving with it in college. Now, I don’t mean to reveal Madame’s age but Donovan went to college sometime in the 70’s. This yarn? Still. Freaking. Beautiful. Not soft by any stretch of the imagination, but hot damn would it show stitch work. Donovan swears it’s the best yarn for weaving tapestries, and with it’s crisp texture I
totally believe her. The colours were rich and vibrant without being garish. I almost bought a bag of the stuff, no lie, even though it would’ve been like wearing a scrubbo brush.
I cannot tell a lie. My favourite vendor as far as my own tastes were concerned was Belwether Wool Company. Linda and Lois are two great women who have decided that the world needs 
more wool, and I agree! They have cormo, cormo blends, pygora, wensleydale, yarns, rovings, locks, fleeces, and fiber out the hoohaa AND the yingyang. I mean, good God they’ve got a freakin’ bus full of the stuff! And it’s good stuff.
They were kind enough to offer matchmaking services to me in order to find me a wheel within my budget. I am unsure if this is aggressive customer cultivation, or just plain friendliness, but as long as I get a pretty pretty wheel to spin their pretty pretty stuff, I’m not sure I care about the difference! The
picture of the bus above is all their stuff packed under the canopy after a particularly heavy downpour which preceeded a 10 minute sun break before it began to hail with a vengenance usually exhibited by slighted housewives or vicious attack dogs. Dude, Mother Nature was having a fit.
Anyway, the whole thing was really fun even the part where we had to haul the entire festival - except the bus - inside the shop because of the hail. That was kind of nice too, having the vendors inside. It remindend me of bazaars my mother used to take me to. The book launch was such a hit, I’m really glad we had it catered though. If it had been up to our poor little cafe and its crew to feed 80 people, there would have been Words. You know when somebody comes up to you with that dead-in-the-eye stare and you just know they’ve got Something To Say To You? Yeah. We woulda had those Words.
Congratulations to Larissa and Martin. Their book is called knitalong and is available at fine yarn and book stores. May I just point out that my neighbour/co-worker/good friend Hannah has a pattern on page 119? Yeah, I know that girl. I’ve totally touched fame twice with this book. The authors and a designer. It’s almost like being famous, in a way. I’d like to thank the little people . . . . Sorry. Wrong speech.
Larissa and Martin Brown, Proud Authors & My Friends
4 responses so far ↓
kt // March 16, 2008 at 7:39 am
Oh Yay! It looks like it was a blast! I really wanted to make the drive down for the festivities, but I promise I’ll make time to come just for fun in the the next little while.
Love the looks of the shop and love the blog. Well done you!
Kate Perry // March 17, 2008 at 11:50 am
Hey Roger,
This is Kate from Twisted. If you get a spinning wheel, we should learn to spin together. I have an Ashford Traditional that I found at a thrift store and was too cheap to pass up, but I can’t use it. It just sits in my house and my cat attacks it. Let me know when you get a wheel.
Lois from Bellwether // March 17, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hey, Rodger!
Nice description of the ‘festivities’ and the monsoon event! We had fun meeting all you fiberholics- even if we got rained out this time. I’m happy to say the wool wagon made it home just fine and is now full of yarn laid out everywhere and a heater running full blast to dry it out. Oh well. Guess that should be expected in Oregon in March.
Have a good week- and try to stay dry!
Marissa In Savannah // March 18, 2008 at 11:48 am
It looks like you had a blast, thanks for the details.
And I so want that Belweather.
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