It was my very great pleasure to speak at the annual meeting of the New Hampshire Spinners and Dyers Guild today. Last October I spoke in New Hampshire to the Seacoast Knitters, and the lovely Harriet Bailey arranged for me to do the talk again today for the NHSDG. The meeting was at the Epsom, New Hampshire Fire Station which has a beautiful hall on its second floor. I love New England.I had driven to New Hampshire yesterday (it is a four hour drive so not practical as a one-day trip) and spent the night with my friend Kathleen Kearns (she designed my website and is currently working at M.I.T. I have known Kathleen for twenty years, our daughters are best friends - my daughter did the drawings on Kathleen's website - and our husbands, both painters, are currently painting together in Texas) which was a great treat.
Today was stunning, as only a warm sunny spring day in New England can be after a long snowy winter. We were all euphoric. Harriet Bailey met my car and insisted on helping me carry things in, and as she is a tiny bit older than I we quarreled for a minute over this and then I gave in. She is an inspiration.
The ladies were wonderful.
Judith Bastianelli showed me a Corsican spinning technique, which I am guessing must be thousands of years old. She learned of this method of spinning with well, a twig, then saw it again on the island of Corsica.
Below are Ruth Stevens and Judith Bastianelli in their lovely hand-knits.
I am sorry I didn't get the name of the lady below, but her beautiful sweater is all her own hand-spun! *I have just received her name: Judy Gauthier.
Gorgeous Ashford wheel.
Fran Emory is on the left, and I did not get her friend's name (so sorry!). Look at their wonderful hand-knits! *I have just received her name: Susan Burns.
Below is Fran Emory in a vest she designed and knit based on...
these buttons!
People brought their fiber in lovely baskets.
This is a gorgeous Canadian spinning wheel designed for production spinning, Harriet Bailey informed me.
Beautiful metal foot pedal!
I am back home now and it is 8:30 pm. I stopped at the new Trader Joe's in Portland on the way home and bought coffee, wine, figs and olive oil. Listened to a 1940's Sherlock Holmes radio theater with Basil Rathbone in the car. May watch a little Perry Mason before I turn in. Tomorrow I will work on Macbeth, Tudors, Borgias, Medicis etc for Senior College, and on taxes for the government.-Kathy
4 comments:
Oh my what a great time. I would love to go to New England area some day. There seems to be so much for spinners and knitters as far as events and fairs. There is nothing like that in my area. I have always wanted to try my hand at spinning, unfortunately I cannot take up another hobby right now. Maybe when I retire I can add it to my bucket list :)
What a wonderful time ~ you are so lucky to go to these events!
I love the gray shawl pictured toward the end. It reminds me of the shawl in the new Jane Eyre movie everyone is going crazy for.
Trader Joe's sells the best Greek Olive Oil.
Kathy - fascinated with the Corsican spinning with the twig. Is the twig rolled on the table to put twist in? Shelagh.
Raining sheep, yes, do come!!! New England is the perfect fiber destination. Spinning is another slippery slope. Lovely, calming, addictive.
Mr. P, I will try the Greek olive oil, thanks! Yes, that shawl was especially wonderful. I love those huge enveloping 19th century shawls and am looking forward to the new Jane Eyre.
Vermont Designs, no, the twig was simply hand-turned. Very primitive.
Thank you all for your comments! It was a lovely event.
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