Asheville Yarn Crawl! and more...

I am lucky enough to live in a community that values art and craft.  So it's no great surprise that this weekend is all about - and this time it's not just me!  There are 2 big fiber events going on this weekend.

First is the yarn crawl? The what?  Well, the independent yarn shops throughout Western North Carolina and even into upstate South Carolina want to make sure that the fiber enthusiasts and artists are well acquainted with all the shops as well as the companies that supply and distribute the yarns and accessories we carry.

So much like a studio tour, there is a self guided itinerary for the exploration of  eleven participating stores, fiber farms, and galleries. Starting in downtown Asheville, there are 3 shops in walking distance of my home!  How cool is that?  The organizers contacted the yarn companies and they are contributing full sized samples of yarns, needles, and other great products that are included in raffle baskets that will be available at every store along the crawl. There is one raffle basket in each store, I should make it to at least 4 shops, possibly more!


Saturday is also the Southern Highland Craft Guild's annual celebration of textile arts at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  They'll have spinning, dyeing, weaving and quilting demonstrations, vendors and hands-on children's activities. There will even be wearable art fashion show. 

I've set myself a budget for the yarn crawl & intend to stick to it, but I do need a few things.  Note to self:  bring yarn to match for Windy City hats!

Testing, testing...

Testing.  Blogger has been tempting me with new design templates every time I log in lately, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  I think I like the new version, but it does seem awfully green!.  I may tweak it a bit in the coming weeks, so don't be alarmed. 

A colleague was in town this week, so I gave her my best tour of Asheville.  It looks a lot like this, except that it was full of people.  Kids were romping in the fountains and pools.  The grownups were on blankets under the trees.  No special occasion - just a hot day in the city.

The workshop that I am teaching is going well.  Good prep and a terrific group of participants - a fine combination.  We will cut them loose tomorrow after presentations and lunch.  I'll do it again with another group in July.

Back to spinning every day.  Since my house is being reassembled (slowly and somewhat thoughtfully) I have carved out a place to spin.  I am much happier if I take some time to slow down and make a bit of yarn.  I'm also back to dyeing yarn.  I was  in the Asheville HomeCrafts the other day and they are happily selling my sock yarns, particularly greens.  So I have recently dyed an olive color and a teal.  I have a purple soaking now for it's second dye bath.  Looking forward to spending a bit of time at the dyepot tonight, both dyeing and planning for future dyeing.

I have knit hardly a stitch this week. Though I am reading sweater patterns so a swatch cannot be very far away. 

Hidden Garden

There is a charming spot that I pass whenever I walk to downtown Asheville (which is to say, fairly frequently).  I live in an urban neighborhood, but there is a bit of open space.  Some of it is non-buildable, mostly because of the landforms that make it difficult, expensive, or just not a very good idea.  In this case, there is a creek in an underground culvert.  But someone in the neighborhood has a bit of a garden on this reclaimed bottom land.

As traffic goes overhead, pedestrians know to look into the ravine below....

Just about a quarter mile north of downtown, look over the guard rail on the left.  You'll see....

Beets, salad greens, squash, watermelons, all nicely mulched.

As well as potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans and lots more.  I've never seen anyone tending the garden, but I so appreciate its charm, beauty and tender care.  Someone loves this hidden garden!

Requisite fiber content:  Yesterday I finished one knit hat and began another.  I also knit a bit on my gull lace hat, but it require some actual concentration, so it was had to do while on a web meeting!

The President's Spring Break

I live in Asheville, NC.  A city of about 70,000, Asheville has long been known as a haven for both art and craft. There are more than 100 Etsy shops, at least 7 local yarn shops - 3 in walking distance to my house.  It is (mostly) gay-friendly, (mostly) progressive and undoubtedly beautiful.  I moved her about 10 years ago, very much by choice.  It's no wonder that President and Michelle Obama chose Asheville for their spring get-away.

Obama chose Asheville to prep for the Nashville debate back in the summer of  '08.  He liked the food (particularly the ribs at '12 Bones'), the warm reception and the ambiance.  I guess he liked the hotel too, because he returned to the Grove Park Inn with its great food, excellent service and wonderful spa. A heck of a view too!  So he brought Michelle with him this time.  and we all got a little bit Obama crazy.


First stop was lunch at 12 Bones.  Can't really blame him.

Then they went hiking.  Just a short leg- stretcher on the Mountains to the Sea Trail.  They didn't go all the way.

By the way, all these pictures are from the local newspaper, the Asheville Citzen-Times.  These plenty more, so check them out.

 
The Tall One played golf while Michelle took advantage of the Spa at the Grove Park Inn.  I hear he shot some hoops too. 


I spent Saturday and Sunday working at the Farmer's Market where a friend has a  handmade gallery, 'Locally Grown.'  Since the Farmer's Market was on the list of  possible stops, I was fully prepared to spin for the Prez.  Sadly we ended up on the cutting room floor.  My guess:  too hard to secure.  All those open doors! 

Now Asheville is no stranger to cool visitors.  I think FDR spent some time here.  So did Zelda Fitzgerald.  Thomas 'You can't go home again' Wolfe grew up here and got away as soon as he could.  But the Obamas did not have to stand in line to see the Biltmore House.  They got a tour of their own.  It was raining, but we needed it.  And since Michelle is a gardener, she probably didn't mind. 

Later they went out to dinner at the Corner Kitchen, a sweet little restaurant in the Biltmore Village area. 

Now when the President comes to your town, there is a tiny bit of inconvenience.  They secure (read 'shut down') the airport.  They shut down the interstates, including bridges oven the intended route.  Cops everywhere.  And they did pick up a guy with a small arsenal handing around the airport.  But since I wasn't stuck in stuck traffic - another reason to have knitting with you at all times - it seems a small price to pay to have the leader of the free world drinking the local brew, eating in some of my favorite restaurants and saying very nice things about my town.

Another good thing was that spending the weekend at the gallery shop was that I got a lot of spinning done.  This is just a sample.  Add many, many yards of plain vanilla, an experimental black yarn and some natural brown.  In this picture you'll see a glittery dark brown, a glittery olive green and a glittery bright pink.  Hmmmm... do we see a trend here?  I have been having some fun with my drum carder and because I bought a mixed pack of angelina a few months back, it seems to want to jump in with everything.

So we are sort of glowing around here, what with out cool guests.  I'll be in his town next.  Maybe I'll get a glimpse of him then!