MENU

SVFF on Saturday

Little Turtle wakes us up around 5 in the morning, so for the first time the morning drive to SVFF I wasn’t drifting off to sleep.  The three of us left our house around 5:50 am, and began winding our way through Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley.  We watched the sun bleed through the trees, and fog linger over the fields with the mist thick enough to obscure your view barely six feet into the field.  We wound through farms and orchards, Little Turtle talking and gurgling in the back.  Pulling into the fairgrounds, the air was cool and I pulled on my sweater while we set up.

img_4436

Today I was teaching Helix Knitting, using my Circle Game pattern.  It was such a great group of ladies – interested in learning, willing to try, and determined in the face of mistakes.  I was a little nervous –  not about teaching the class, but having Little Turtle along.  It was my first time teaching in-person since becoming a mama.  Michael was a champ – helping with setup, wrangling Little Turtle, and driving us where we needed to go.

After class we got to visit with a good friend from the Washington, DC area who was taking Patty Z‘s blending class.  I’m so envious!  If I didn’t have a baby, I’d be all over Patty’s classes on spinning cellulose fibers.  Ah, well.  Another time.  Once we wrapped up and said goodbye to our friend, it was for a walk around the fairgrounds, where we could see vendors setting up and preview some of the wares.  The vendors don’t start selling until tomorrow, but it’s fun to see how various vendors have gotten their booth transportation down to a science – slotting in every piece into the back of a car or trailer.

This evening we’ll get a special treat.  The hotel room has a TV, and we’ll watch all the television we don’t at home (since we don’t have at TV).  I’ll work on a pattern that’ll be in Crochet World next year, and we’ll get to bed early.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s Duct Tape Dress Forms, and getting to see a bit more of the festival.

Have you been to any Fiber Festivals this fall?  Are you planning on going to any?

 

Fall is the Season For Fiber Festivals

Last week I was up visiting my parents and sharing Little Turtle with the family.  We had a couple of days that were like the fall of my childhood: cool mornings warming up to afternoons just this side of too warm.  Days where you want your sweater in the morning and shorts in the afternoon.  It was perfect – getting me in the mood for Fall and one of my favorite fall activities: Fiber Festivals!

SVFFThis weekend I’ll be at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival.  I’ll be teaching two classes: Helix Knitting and Duct Tape Dress Forms.  Registration is open until the day of.  I love teaching at SVFF.  It’s an intimate venue run by a great group of volunteers, and I have such a good time.  Catch me on Friday or lunchtime on Saturday.  And keep an eye out – Mr. Turtle and Little Turtle will be wandering the event while I teach!

Yarn Properties: the Low-Down on Plies, Twist, and Fiber

Yarn Properties: the Low-Down on Plies, Twist, and Fiber

The following weekend I’ll be teaching at Fall Fiber Festival & Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials at James Madison’s Montpelier.  Last year I couldn’t teach at the venue because I was attending a wedding, but this year I’ll be back, teaching Yarns 101.  This is the perfect class to pair with a Fiber Festival – it covers what yarns are best for which projects, how fiber, ply and weight affect your final projects.  If yarn substitutions ever stumped you, this is a class to give you good foundational knowledge.  Signups close on Friday, so check out the classes!


 

Later this Fall I’ll be returning to one of my favorite venues, Fibre Space.  If you aren’t able to get to the fiber festivals, I’d love to have you join me in Old Town Alexandria!  Check out the classes I’ll be teaching on October 15th: Intarsia Crash Course, Finishing Essentials and Darn Those Knits!

Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival!

Tomorrow morning I’ll be heading off to the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival – one of my favorite to teach at!  Last year was my first year teaching at the fairgrounds, and I loved every moment of it.  The staff are great; the venue is lovely, and the drive to Berryville is a pleasure.

Last year I was so busy teaching both days that I barely had time to breathe.  This time I’ve got a little more flexibility –  I’m teaching one class on Saturday afternoon, and another Sunday morning.  Mr. Turtle and I talked about going apple picking on the way home.

If you’ve never been to SVFF, it’s a great fiber festival for kids, and a feast for the eyes for stitchers.  Last year Mr. Turtle was fascinated by the sheep dog demos.

I was glad to see some of my favorite vendors.  When you do the fiber festival circuit, various vendors become your friends, and it’s good to see them again and catchup for a few minutes between sales or setting up.  If you go to the festival, go and look up Turtle Made – a company that makes the most clever turkish spindles.  Also check out Dragonfly Fibers – they’ve been the lovely sponsor of a few of my designs!

Meanwhile, I’ll be in the instructor tents doing what I do best, teaching my heart out.  This weekend we’ve got a reprise of a constant favorite, Duct Tape Dress Forms, and also a class on repairing handknits.  If you have a spare moment, keep an eye out for me at lunch, as I grab a quick bite and say hello to as many people as I can!

This Fall: Teaching at Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival

Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival

This will be my second year at this lovely and fun location, located in Central Virginia!  If you’ve never been to this fiber festival, it’s small and personable and has some great vendors, as well as classes.  I’ll be offering:Duct Tape Dress Form

Finishing Knitted Garments
Ooops! Repairing Your Knits
Make a Duct Tape Dress Form
Beginning Knit Repair
Crocheting with Beads

Click through to see more about the classes, as well as signup at the website.  Or just check out my new calendar – it’s a lot more spiffy, and it makes it easier to see classes!