Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Spindle Camp

We began our mornings on the deck of our cabin in PJs with coffee. This is the most unusual fiber event as there is no time call, no place to be, no class start. This particular morning we were fascinated by Hermi's color blending in a rolag, my prior video.

Our main gathering point has been under the canopy of several Easy-Ups. This year we added lights so we could continue past dark and be mosquito targets. Note Barbara on the bottom left reading the restaurant menu from a cell phone with the benefit of her magnifying lenses. We traditionally eat at the resort restaurant one night during our stay. We had grossly high temps and so this area was vacant during the heat of the day.
I borrowed Sara's stool when she was otherwise occupied. I've learned that it's a lot easier to drop-spindle when you're not so close to the ground.
I heard a lot of giggling and went outside to find a couple folks from the cabin above us ripping fabric into strips for rag rugs. The fabric had been snipped at 1.5" intervals, so one took 1,3 and 5 tabs - the other took tabs 2, 4 and 6 and then they ran apart. The result was five strips for rag rugs. I'm not sure what I think. BTW, that's Eleanor, my car.

This is very special gift that Hermi brought me. It's a bar of 60-year-old olive oil soap. She is Swiss. Her father owned a hardware store which he found difficult to stock during the war. After her mother passed away several years ago, she and her family had to get her house in order for sale, which is when Hermi found several boxes of this soap which she assumes was acquired by her father for the store. She's used a couple of bars and says it's fantastic. The rest she is saving but she gifted me with this bar because she knew I would appreciate it. I already have it on display.
Amy's basket of hand spindles. Much to envy here.

4 comments:

Valerie said...

Looks like a fun time! Not only am I drooling over that basket of spindles, but where did they find paper straws?!! I've been looking for them.

Benita said...

60 year old soap? At least you know it has been well cured.

That looks like a fun way to tear strips of fabric - and good exercise, too. It looks like that would take muscled to do.

I am looking with envy at Amy's basket. There are some lovely spindles in there. I wonder, though, even with all of those spindles if she has one she goes to most often.

Your retreat sounds a lot like ours, except ours in indoors in the middle of the winter. The only place we have to be at a certain time is the cafeteria for meals. And, yes, we sit around in our PJ's, too.

Cindie said...

What a great get together to hold every year!

Michelle said...

You look like a kid up on that stool - young and slim! That looks like such a fun and restful time (says she who is running ragged and not sleeping well....).