Wildflower 2010

JoJo loves to come on the outings with my spinner friends. So, when I decided to go to Wildflower, I knew she would have to come along. It is Friday afternoon, Liz and I are meeting up with Kay and Maryann and we are at Starbucks. All caffiened up and ready to go to the yarn store. OH, yes, there are vendors selling yarn and fiber at the retreat, but there is a fabulous yarn shop, Rosepath Weaving, in Lindale which just happens to be on the way to the campgrounds in Tyler.

Wilflower Fiber Retreat happens in Tyler each spring. There is a wonderful committee of women who put the retreat on every year for spinners, knitters, crocheters, weavers and just plain ol' artsy people. We arrive on Friday evening, in time for a potluck dinner and to spin to our hearts delight. When we start to fall asleep at our wheels, we finally admit it is time for bed. :)

Then up on Saturday, for more spinning, and some workshop classes.

Cyndi, above, is spinning some of her homegrown alpaca from her ranch. With other friends in the background talking about a project or several projects.

Kay is spinning at her wheel, sorry it is a little hard to see her. Cindy from Jacob's Reward Farm
is actually thinking about spinning, while she talks to Kay.

Off in one of the classrooms, they are preparing for Inkle Loom weaving. You can make belts and straps with this loom. Very cool. They have a local gentlman, who has made all of these great looms.

On Saturday morning I took the opportunity to card a somewhat crazy spinning batt. You cannot really see what it looks like, but there is mohair, wool and firestar(sparkly stuff) in this batt. JoJo thought it was soooo soft, that she wanted to show it to you. The cloth is a lap cloth to use for spinning. Kind of like an apron. It is embroidered with Wildflower Fiber Retreat, 2010.

Ahhhhhh, the lake. Isn't the scenery gorgeous? On Saturday afternoon, the weather was gorgeous too. In the 60's and sunny. I sat out here and knitted on another pair of socks.

Here is Kate, Cindy and Rita.. YES, Cindy actually made it to her wheel and had a chance to spin at the retreat. She actually spun and plied a skein of yarn! Cindy is so busy with her farm and responsibilities there, that she rarely gets a chance to spin. We sure are glad that she came on the retreat, to relax and did just that. It is so rare for us to see Cindy spinning, that all of us were taking the picture. Rita is taking a picture of her too. :)

On Sunday morning, we had a visitor. Ouijan brought her llama, Bandit, to visit us. She talked about raising llama's and working with their fiber. Then Cyndi talked about alpaca's and their fiber. Bandit has a black face, making him really look like a bandit. He weighs in at 278 lbs and is one of Ouijan's smaller llama's.