The true meaning of Samhain

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

Finishing up projects

The Tavern Spinner's & Weaver's Guild is getting off to a good start.

We have been meeting regularly now for several months. And we just completed a series of beginner spinning lessons. Next month we are going to have a lesson on crocheting socks from Bonnie. I'm looking forward to that one because I can crochet much faster than I can knit and I really get bogged down knitting socks.

We are planning a small fund raiser in December at the Golden Christmas Event at the Hughlett Inn Rices Tavern. It will be held on December 6 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Our table will be outside near the Blacksmith Shop.

We are waiting, none too patiently, for word on space at the soon to be "old" high school after the kids move to the new high school. I'm hoping we get the old home ec room but we might have to take a small classroom near the shop until we can get something that suits our needs better.

Anyway, money raised at the Christmas Sale will go to support the Guild. We are also going to try and put together a way to support our local Red Cross and the Tavern. Haven't got all the details on this yet...

But I've made several items I'm going to donate including fingerless mitts, a scarf, several little stuffed bunnies, and a couple of coffee cup cozies. I also have some skeins of hand spun yarn I'm going to put up for sale. If I have time, I will make a few needle felted Santas, some tiny socks for ornaments and put together a few kits for do-it-yourselfers.

Ideas from the Festival

I took my camera. I really did. I just never took it out of my bag...

In any case the Fall Fiber Festival at Montpelier was just wonderful and I came home with a billion ideas rolling around in my head. Bonnie, one of my guild mates, came with me

I saw some really neat felt items including wall hangings that were basically fiber pictures. I saw some really cute felted purses. There were felted rugs and felted mitts and felted hats as well. I saw only one felted face and it was rather small... but I do have an idea. I'm wondering (and will only find out for sure when I try it) if I could make a felt purse or bag and felt a 3-D face onto it? Or a hat? How about a cup cozy with a felted design?

I know I'm going to make a few sets of felted mug rugs for sale at our Guild Holiday Sale. I will also give one of the "face" ideas a go as well.

In addition to the many felting ideas, I also came home with a skein of pretty plum-colored cotton that I'm going to make into a market bag (got the pattern on line). If it works well and doesn't drive me bonkers, I'll come back and make the link live so others can find it.

So what did I buy? Pictures to come...

Sun colored silk (this stuff is amazing!)
A bag of fleece that I'm going to split with Bonnie.
Some pretty sparkle fiber for blending
A warping board
The Plum cotton yarn
A neat wooden double-pointed needle holder
Some White Sage for my hubby
Other stuff I can't remember

I ate a yummy sausage sandwich and sweet potato fries.

What I did not get this year was roving. Not sure why. I think my brain wants to make believe I'm going to take the fiber I have and make my own. Reality is, that's exactly what I have to do.

I think I need to get real with myself and get off the computer (or limit my time much more) and spend way more time over the next several months working on my projects.

In any case, I MUST clean up my messy house. We have a lots of company coming at the end of the month and you cannot move for the stuff scattered everywhere.

Sure to be a classic hit

If you knit and you haven't seen this yet, you have to check it out. Watch out, though, if you listen too often, your loved ones might think your interest in "cheatin' songs" is a bit concerning...