Friday's Fave Spinning

I’m writing this Friday’s Fave Five from a gorgeous restored Victorian mansion somewhere outside Philadelphia.  And therein lies the bulk of my five highlights of the week.  Shall we begin?

1.  I headed off this week for a 3-day spinning retreat headed up by the fun and very knowledgeable owner of The Spinning Loft in Howell, Michigan.  Since it was to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, I decided to roll into town Thursday evening and just stay an extra night at the Bed and Breakfast that is hosting the event.  I am SO directionally challenged.  I was supposed to take an exit that apparently was immediately after another exit off the turnpike.  Well, I missed it and after a long drive away from Philly, as I was approaching New Jersey (luckily I recognized landmarks from when we recently drove to New Jersey for a wedding), I decided I’d better call the Commander and ask him to check on Google maps for me.  You see, I had forgotten to bring the GPS and just had the written directions.  Sure enough, he informed me that I was way beyond my exit and needed to turn around and go back almost to where I had exited the turnpike.  Happily, it was a beautiful day and the rush hour traffic hadn’t gotten too bad yet so I made it eventually to our B & B.

2.  The Bed and Breakfast…..ah, what a wonderful old house.  It’s called Shearer Elegance and is run by our instructor’s mom.  The woodwork in this place is incredible.  Here are some shots of my room.  Incredible.  And I’m happy to report that there isn’t a ghost in sight.

3.  There are spinning wheels of all shapes and sizes and makers here.  For a spinner, this is a real treat.  Some of these wheels I’ve only seen in magazines so to be able to see them up close and personal is great.  It’s fun to hear the other spinners explain why they chose their wheels and what they like and dislike about them and to actually have the chance to really look the wheels over.

4.  I was a tad intimidated by heading out to meet spinners who I didn't know who already knew each other but everyone has been great.  Here we are practicing drop spindling out on the patio on a beautiful afternoon.  What has been especially wonderful has been that they are all eager to share their knowledge.  Fiber people are some of the most generous people with their talents that I know.

5,  So today we've been learning how to spin different short-hair wool breeds.  Since I'm just learning how to spin on the Schacht Double drive Matchless, this is a great chance for me to really learn, especially from Beth, owner of The Spinning Loft, who is such a good teacher (and a hoot to boot).  Here's Queen Beth holding court this morning before class.

To read what others are writing for their Friday Fave Fives, visit Susanne's site at Living to Tell the Story.  Now, I'd better get back to my spinning.