Rows Red

Thanks honey!

The day started like this.

And part of the day it looked like this.

Seeing as how the clouds were looming on the horizon, and given the way fate is fickle, Steve and I went straight to the gazebo and set up there. Why cart everything over later? Considering it rained on and off all afternoon, boy was I glad that I reserved the giant gazebo ahead of time. Go me! I think I’m going to do all my park events like that from here on out, to be honest. The floor of the gazebo is smooth and well kept, there’s electricity and lighting in there, and even a couple of picnic tables to set up the rest of our stuff. It’s really convenient, and no one needs to use a drop cloth to keep their wheels clean.

Everyone really appreciated the gazebo.

There were less attendees than last year, but what we lacked in numbers we more than made up for in how much fun we had. I was thrilled with how many folks drove quite a distance to attend, and I thank them for the extra effort! I laughed so hard my face hurt, Diane apparently got a wild hair and was sassing Jess, which is kinda like poking a cat with a stick. My mom told the tale of how my dad got his butt burned by an iron. Lesson learned, don’t piss off a hot, pregnant woman. Risa talked tech-head with Steve and Ian, it sounded like a foreign delegation for a while there. 

To my right.

Working my way to the left.

Coming around to the left.

And wow, our newbies were all kinds of awesome, new knitter and spinner Maeghan spinning away with her new custom exotic wood spindle and new spinner Wendy finishing up the roving that came with her wheel… “I’ll ply it when I get home”, she said. How far they’ve come! I didn’t teach either of them (well, a little bit with Wendy) but it makes me so excited and proud to see them having fun and thriving in the craft.

Maeghan, going for broke on her new custom spindle.

The highlight of the event was Don Rooney, classic car detailer, and now spinning wheel tattoo artist. Jess worked it out so that Don, who attends the same car shows she does, would come out and spend a while tarting up our wheels. He’s local, we had money, what’s not to love? Turns out all but three of the wheels in attendance had a little somethin’ done up. Some people brought photos or sketches, others used the vast power of The Internets to give Don his reference point. Harriet’s was done straight from verbal description. Everyone was tickled pink with their wheel tats, and I’m going to see if I can get a day-pass so we can have Don come to Wiawaka and give other WOOL attendees the same opportunity. Jess says we can always just smuggle him in wearing a dress.

Don Rooney

Tools of the trade.

Painting a cauldron of transformation on my wheel, Circe.

My wheel tat!

Clockwise, starting top left: Diane, Jess, Harriet, Risa.

I’ll try and fix the photos when I have more time.

Thanks to everyone!

Again, thank you to everyone who braved uncertain weather to attend the Stitch & Spin, I appreciate it more than I can say! Next year I’m going to have it coincide with World Wide Knit in Public Day and I’ve already predrafted a publicity kit to send out to local yarn stores. Now, who can we sacrifice to the weather gods so we can have even just one dry summer Stitch & Spin?

Tags: events