There has been more travel in my life...boy, am I ever getting tired of Highway 63! If someone could just fold the province of Alberta like one of those old Mad Magazine fold-ins and make the 450 kilometers between me and anywhere disappear, my life would get so much easier! Having said that, I was on the road again last weekend. I took a few days to travel to the Red Deer area and attend the annual Wild Rose Fibres Retreat at Pine Lake Christian Camp. And it was well worth the trip!
The lake and the camp are gorgeous, the weather was terrific, and, while there was a shortage of Shiraz (the camp is dry), the coffee was tasty and plentiful.This year's workshops were on bast fibres and suri alpaca, presented by Chuck Verschagen and Donna Rudd respectively. Lots of great information, and lots of fun playing with fibres that I don't always think to spin with. And in between, there was plenty of good food and lots of great conversation with friends and new friends.
Friday evening was a welcome evening, with snacks and an impromptu spin-in, then Saturday, after a yummy breakfast of quiche, sausages and muffins, we got to work. I had the bast workshop first, and Chuck got right to work demonstrating flax preparation:
Braking...
scutching....
...and hackling flax that he had grown and retted himself. We spent the morning spinning tow flax in a variety of preparations, then after lunch, Chuck showed us how to dress a distaff and spin line.
Though we didn't seem to get the concept of the pointy thing being a distaff cover...
..and we swore they were magicians' hats not dunce caps! After all, we were spinning straw into gold! If that's not magic, I don't know what is!
After a long day of spinning, we all went off to prepare for the Saturday evening banquet, which had a Mexican fiesta theme. Of course there were costumes...
...such as Chuck's muy macho mustachio....
...and Sheepless's equally macho look. Totally el bandito!
I wore a sombrero, which at one point in the evening suddenly produced a fly from underneath it (hence the title of this post--one of the most random and obtuse things I have ever shouted without the influence of alcohol!). There were other sombreros, as well...
...on our lovely hostess, Colleen...
...and Mick. Kathy started the evening in a bandanna (no doubt inspired by Chuck)....
...but finished the evening in a handspun turban secured with her maracas pen.
We were well entertained by the Golden Music Makers, who played a variety of music ranging from standards to polkas....
...which led to much dancing in the back. Marijane, Kathleen, Colleen, Jodi, Kathy and I danced up a storm. There are apparently pictures, and even video, but the threat to put them on Teh Internetz appears, so far, to be an idle one. In any event, there was a lot of fun had by the sombrero crew at the back of the room!
Sunday was a day of spinning suri llama and alpaca. We learned a great deal about the animals and the characteristics of their fleeces. Donna is a camelid judge and fibre sorter, and sure knows her stuff! I spent so much time taking notes and making samples that I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. And Donna had some really neat stuff to take pictures of, including her amazing cloaks and hangings featuring woven-in suri locks.
The weekend was fabulous, and the drive home went smoothly, with a stop in Edmonton for supper with Mom and Brendan, then brunch with Lisa the next day. And plenty of time to ponder and become inspired on the long drive. If I live long enough to make all the things that I have dreamed up on the drive to Fort McMurray, I think I will die around the age of 412. And I still will not have used up my stash by then!
So, back to work. I am carding merino batts for Christmas sweaters, spinning cotton for knitting, a sock yarn, and some bison, and knitting a shrug for Julia and yet another of the ever-present socks. No rest for the wicked!
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