Wine and Wool?

Yesterday, I visited Sandhill Creek Winery's annual, modestly sized fiber festival -- one day only, maybe a dozen vendors.  It's a wonderful spot -- close enough to Jackson, Michigan, to be near a grocery store and espresso shop, but far enough away to be well and truly in the wilds of rural Michigan.  At the very end of this photograph, you can see the start of the festival -- the driveway is VERY narrow, the booths drawn along in a medieval string until you get to the winery's wonderful tasting rooms. 

Before I was done, I should say in advance, I had found more truly fresh, engaging wool than I sometimes find at some of the big, better established and better-known shows.  There are reasons for this:  The brand new people often choose to show their work first at small shows, where table costs are relatively low.  So -- in search of new blood, I go to such places, and find WONDERFUL yarns and buttons -- it's SOOOOO exciting.  The great find for this trip was Cakewalk Yarns (see the next posting). 

....and here are some of the vines and scattered picnic tables that make things so pleasant:

I visited with Ann Ryan of Color Bug Yarns at long last.  We have been missing one another for quite some time.  She is a Detroiter -- I want her to come to the studio with her yarns, which are unusual and quite beautiful (colorways that are surprising and deftly painted, particularly in fingering weight), but she has two kids, ages 3 and 5, and both parents told me that I do NOT want the kids in the studio at this stage in their development.   Too bad.   Maybe later.  In the meantime, I bought a boatload of her yarns in a wide array of colors.  Here's Ann from the back, standing behind her booth.  I know.  An odd photograph.  But -- I couldn't find her later when I could have shot her booth from the front!

....and then, of course, there was Riin Gill (Happy Fuzzy Yarns) -- Riin of the delightful purple-y hair and stunning yarns, woven pieces, roving, and so on.  I bought only a handful of her skeins and then some gorgeous green-toned rovings for our spinners.  But -- it was great to see her, and, right next door, also to see Barb Lambrecht (Winding Creek Wool), from whom I secured lovely sheepy-y pendants and glass buttons.  Barb is the one who does NOT have purple hair.  The third photograph shows the back side of Barb's booth with its cool baskets -- Riin's booth off to the right.

The new find for the day was this gorgeous woman -- the owner of Cakewalk Yarns.  She makes truly delectable sock yarns with speckles in two dyeing stages, and at a reasonable price -- has only been doing it for six months or so.  What a gifted person!  But Blogspot won't let me download more photos, so on to the next entry.  Two can play this game!!!!!!!!!!!!   I've got a Ph.D., and Blogspot does NOT.     smiling...........  svb