GGAF

Have no idea how I totally forgot to post about GGAF last year!  For those who don't know, GGAF is the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival and it is absolutely AWESOMENESS!  2012 was no exception!  Met new fiber/yarn people, sold some yarns I miss, and managed to pack and load before the rain hit.  That in itself is a great hit in my book.

Have I every told you....  I love my yarns.  Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that my yarns are better than everyone else's yarn.  What I am saying is that a little bit of me goes into every yarn/fiber dyed and spun, so it is like saying goodbye to a little piece of myself every time I sell one.  That definitely is not a bad thing, especially when my fabulous customers show off the lovelies they made.  It makes my heart warm inside.

This is the long stretch on Johnson Beach and is also where we were married.

My booth behind the rainbow adorned 'Wool Girl'.

Finally had a chance to finish spinning some very lovely hand dyed teeswater locks!

Don't you just love this knit hat!  Traded with a friend, yarn for knitting me this lovely hat using my Glammy yarn.  I seriously think I got the better end of the deal.

Very appropriate colors set up in the booth as the festival was in Florida!

Loved the Teeswater spun locks so much that they had to be shown again:)

Met a few Floridian friend for Pho (pronounced foe).  LOVED the fish sauce too!!!

Another Florida friend gifted me eggs, delicious, home-raised EGGS!  The little yolks come from eggs called and I kid you not.... 'Farters', a very technical term for the very first egg a chicken ever lays...hehehe

Had to show off some spindle spun yarn at the Barnes & Noble Knit Night...  PS, it is every Monday night at the Barnes and Noble by the airport in Pensacola.  Fabulous group of knitters and I LOVE THEM DEARLY!!!

A sand dune shot, just because I could.

Did anyone ever tell you they grow cotton in Florida!?! Well they do and in Alabama too!  This field of cotton was near Floamaton.

And why is there a picture of a room here?  Well, as chance would have it, these were my lodgings for the return trip through Georgia.  It was a darling room and I was a terrible guest... I broke part of the coffee table... Sigh, when will I ever learn!

Taught classes in Georgia on Carding and Core Spinning underneath this gorgeous chandelier.  This is one of those lovely places that one wishes they never had to leave.  Oh, I was so depressed leaving Georgia to go home!

Wonder if this sweet little guy missed me.  Probably not for long...lol

Luckily the fall foliage in it's gloriously colorful autumn splendor will cheer even the glummest of outlooks.

Seriously, I drove through this on the interstate.  Gorgeous no?

GGAF & Pensacola - 2011

 

Now, why don't we back track a little bit to a time before the world changed.....

November 4th-6th was our second showing at the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival.  I love this festival.  Not just because it is in Florida or even my top selling event, but because it is my very last Festival of the year!  And what a better way to end the festival season in Florida with your Floridian knitter friends, the Pensacola Purls who meet on Mondays at the airport Barnes & Noble! Gosh, how I love those gals!  Don't worry, I am definitely planning a return visit if the festival folks let me in again:)

I couldn't keep the art batt bins stocked well enough!

Yarn, yarns and more yarns!

Sock yarns

Bfl Sock

Glammy-licious!

I love when customers bring in finished projects from my fibers.  These are from last years batts and were spun on  a 'Trindle' and then hand knit.  Kudos to Miss Jennifer and awesome fiberista!

Say hello to the needlefelted dolls of Darlene Samuel of Pace Florida.  Is this not the cutest little needle felted guy on the planet or what?  PS..His mane was made from one of my batts!!

Also by Darlene, the cutest little finger puppets ever!  This little guy was done with  my fibers too:)

My little splurge each evening was eating at the 'Fisherman's Corner' which is under the Theodore Baar Bridge in Perdido Key.  It is not a super fancy place, but the fresh caught specials are out of this world!!!  As you can see, after finishing each night, I was lucky to get a little table  where I could knit a little while enjoying one of America's oldest brewed beers, Yuengling. Fabulous combination!!  Wish we had Yuengling in Kentucky!!

Florida Class

Right - O!  It is so time to get back to Blogging!

How about I start it out right with a post about how the classes went in Pensacola ;)

Unfortunately, I was so into each class that I completely forgot to take pictures until the very last beginning wheel class after a few people had left already.  There were two drop spindle classes that were completely full, two beginning spinning wheels also full and one advanced art yarn class not so full, but it did make a fun day of spinning where everyone got to learn all the techniques they wanted to.

Yarnside Gathering

I promise, I am not moving to Pensacola.  But I sure do like to visit there ever chance I can get!  This trip to the Panhandle of Florida will find me at a LYS (Local Yarn Shop) teaching classes.  The shop is Yarnside Gathering and it is located at 3480 Barrancas Ave in Pensacola Florida.


Here is the schedule for those interested.....


February 23rd
Beginning Drop Spinning......

Cost $20  Materials $20 

Details:  Learn to spin your own yarn using an inexpensive drop spindle.  Material fee includes drop spindle and fiber.  

February 24th

Beginning Spinning......

Cost: $30  Materials: varies

Details:  Learn to spin yarn using a spinning wheel.  You will learn fiber prep basics, spinning and plying.  Material fee will vary depending upon amount and type of fiber purchased to use.  You may bring your own wheel or use a demo wheel.

February 26th

Advanced Art Yarn Spinning....

Cost: $40  Materials: See Details.

Details:  For those who know and are comfortable with the basics of spinning a plied yarn.  You will learn the art of constructing Art yarns such as core spun, tail spun, coils, hives, 3-ply navaho and thick-n-thin.  Materials needed:  a spinning wheel, bobbin of pre-spun singles, darning needle, bobbins, fiber, & things you would like to spin into your yarn (beads, fabric, sequins, wool locks, batts, etc).   Fiber will be available for purchase and you are welcome to bring your own.  If you previously took the Beginning Spinning class, please ask instructor;)  Several spinning wheels will be available for use. 

A few of my art yarns as a teaser.....