Fall Planning

Happy October 1st!  Growing up, Fall always started for me early in September when we went back to school on the Tuesday after Labor Day.  Now I live far enough south that the beginning of school is not accompanied by the leaves changing color or cooler temps.  At this point in my life I think of Fall as starting on October 1st.  That does not jibe with the calendar but it seems reasonable to me.  We have had or are having our first taste of cooler weather about this time.  In fact, this week has been our first totally delightful week of weather since last spring.  It's been cooler and drier and glorious.

It's time to take a look at the fall schedule.  I'm sure we can entice you with some or all of our upcoming events!

Kid 'n Ewe & Lamas, Too is the second full weekend in November in Boerne, TX.  This lovely small town is just northwest of San Antonio and for Nov. 11-13th it plays host to one of our iconic Texas fiber festivals.  There are three buildings at the Kendall County Fairgrounds with 30,000 square feet of space for some pretty spectacular vendors from across Texas and the country.  There are lots of classes to take and plenty of booths to visit that will satisfy your needs for yarn, fiber, tools, finished goods.  If you are a spinner, weaver, felter, knitter, crocheter or just appreciate those skills, this show will give you inspiration.  Check out the website at www.kidnewe.com for a list of vendors and of classes.  I'm sure you'll find something that will spark your interest. 

Contemporary Handweavers of Houston Fall Sale takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Guild House east of downtown Houston.  This is the most amazing collection of beautifully crafted items created by the members of the CHH.  There will be baby blankets, kitchen towels, scarves and shawls, beaded Christmas decorations, baskets, hand spun yarn, hand dyed spinning fiber, wonderful catnip cat toys and so much more.  If it is hand spun, hand painted, hand dyed or hand woven by a member of the CHH, you will find it here. The website at www.weavehouston.org gives you all the details of address and times. Try to get there. I'm always blown away by the stunning work of my fellow spinners and weavers.

Civil War Weekend at Liendo Plantation also takes place on the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Be sure to check your schedule so you can get to the reenactment along with the CHH Fall Sale.  I know it's possible to do because we do it. If you are a reenactor, then you already know all about Liendo Plantation.  If you are new to the area or haven't been introduced to Liendo, please come and check it out.  Walk around the grounds and visit the glorious mansion and both the Southern and Northern camps.  We will be spinning and weaving on the front porch of the mansion or out under the trees. There is Sutler's Row of small shops in their canvas tents, a ladies fashion show and troops marching to and fro.  The battle commences Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm with the North winning on one day and the South on the other.  That's the advantage of holding a reenactment where there was no actual battle.  You get to decide who wins.  Check out the ladies in their hoop skirts and corsets and the gentlemen in their uniforms.  The website at http://liendoplantation.com/liendo/civil-war-weekend/  has all the details along with a history of this weekend.

Roc Day at Sky Loom Weavers will be held on Sunday January 8th, 2017 from 10 am to 4 pm.  For those of you unfamiliar with Roc Day or St. Distaff's Day, it's the day when the women spinners and weavers went back to work after the Christmas holiday.  In the northern European tradition, Roc Day was the day after the feast of Epiphany which makes it January 7th.  The story is that the women had to go back to work on January 7th but the men didn't have to go back to their chores until Plough Monday or the Monday after Epiphany when their plows had been blessed.  That meant that the women were back to work before the men and they, the men, took every opportunity to harass the woman. They would light the flax being spun on fire so the women always had buckets of cold water available to douse the flames and drench the men.  Hilarity ensued.  Because of the way the calendar falls, we don't often get to celebrate Roc Day so close to the actual date of Jan 7th.  

Bring whatever you're working on and come on over.  We will have hot and cold drinks and lunch will be hot soup or a cool salad depending on the weather.  Bring a side to share and be prepared to laugh and talk and enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you at one or all of the fabulous events!