Fiber and Folk 09 - The Report

It's hard to believe I've been back from the Fiber and Folk Festival for a week. I'm always a bit wiped out when I come back from an all weekend show. So after a few days to recover, take inventory, do paperwork, I'm ready to blog about it.

I absolutely love this show! I love the vendor mix and the folk music. I couldn't believe my good fortune to catch the music of Peter and Lou Barryman. I used to go see them at the Club de Wash (are they still in business?) when I was a student in Madison many moons ago. It brought back old memories and made me feel young, although most of the songs they sang were about growing old. I'm right there with them! Sigh!

My friend Rosa accompanied me on this trip. A shout out to Rosa for her energy, enthusiasm and easy going personality! What can I say about someone who doesn't complain when I insist that I have to drive back to Milwaukee upon arrival in Crystal Lake when I discover that I forgot to pack my display baskets? She is up for sainthood. AND, I must say, that woman is a knitting machine! She knit 5 kits while manning the booth without batting an eye!

Thanks to Rosa helping me, I was able to teach a class on Friday. I had 8 students, and they were all very enthusiastic about the class. They loved the fact that they walked away with a finished bracelet. Here are pictures of their finished work.
I'm very proud of all of them.

These pictures come courtesy of one of my students. They are the only pictures I have from this year's Fiber and Folk because I packed my camera, but the battery was dead and the charger was at home. Memo to self: make check list before packing for shows, include display baskets and charger for the camera.

Fiber and Folk Kick Off

I'm just about set to leave for the Midwest Fiber and Folk Festival in Crystal Lake, IL. The Fair lasts Friday through Sunday, but there is a preview evening for students on Thursday night. I enjoyed this fair last year, but I worked it alone and didn't get to see anything besides my booth and the bathroom. This year I will be taking my friend Rosa with me to help in my booth. I couldn't do it without her because I will be teaching a class on Friday afternoon. I packed lots of additional kits, probably too many, but I can't help myself. I keep buying beads and yarn, and I have to sell it so I can buy more beads and yarn. I'm excited that I have a spot in the gym this year. Last year I was in the tent outside and hot sticky weather with thunderstorms in the afternoon kept the crowds down. Air conditioning is one of those niceties that we tend not to appreciate until its not there. Well, better run. I have 100 or so kits to label before I pack the car.

Welcome Uncle Sam

I finally wrote up the Patriotic Baby Hat pattern that I blogged about in November. It is available through my Etsy shop, here. What, you say it's too late to knit a hat for the 4th? Hah! Get ye to a yarn shop and start knitting! Seriously, it makes a great gift for any American baby when you don't know the gender of the unborn child. Or, especially, for military moms and dads. I really do like this hat. I may need to go back to the computer to work up big kid and adult sizes.

P.S. Thanks to my colleague at work for allowing her daughter to be my model. Desperate for a model, I went to the school Daycare and looked for any awake babies, and she was the only one. Fortunately, her mom agreed that I could use her likeness. Even more fortunately, she is cute as a button!