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Mama, wife, knitter, blogger, spinner, wannabe something or other. That's enough, right?

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Stash Enhancement Saturday: Spinning at Retzlaff Winery

Happy Saturday! 

In my continuing effort to be transparent with my fibery purchases, it's time for another installment of my Stash Enhancement Saturday.

I recently took my spinning wheel to Retzlaff Winery, in Livermore, CA, for their annual event: Spinning at the Winery. It took place on 19 May and this was their 21st year. Yes, I realize that was two weeks ago. Still recent in my mind :)

The event ran from 10am-4pm and included vendors, a raffle, and, of course, wine & food.

I heard about the event originally from Jasmin & Gigi of the Knitmore Girls podcast but another knitter brought it up at knit night a few weeks ago and I had said I was considering going....and lo, I was able to go. With Husband having been out of town most of the week prior, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to go or not. But, something in the heavens worked out correctly because I was able to go.

Anyway, I loaded up my car with a few things including Viktor (my Majacraft Pioneer spinning wheel) and my EEW Mini (my mini electric spinning wheel), as well as a couple of pre-bagged fibers to spin while I was there, and I was off. I wasn't sure if I was going to know anyone, and really, I didn't know anyone. I mean, there were some people I recognized but I didn't really know anyone.

With that said, I did find a lovely group to spin alongside. After my initial peruse through the marketplace (and my second pass, in which things were purchased - see below), I set up Viktor in an open area in the sun. Of course I was alone and there were groups forming here and there but I just set up shop. Nearby, the ladies that had run Purlesence Yarns were set up with a couple more friends of theirs and asked if I wanted to join them. So, that's where I wound up.

But, enough about all that......onto the fibery goodness!

For a fibery event, I didn't buy a ton of fiber. Don't misunderstand me; fiber came home and I bought it but I didn't buy a lot.



These two 4 oz braids came from Pan's Garden Yarns. They are both an overdye on black & white merino. The top is a rainbow and jumped at me first. The bottom one was purchased right before I left. I saw it earlier and left it, making the decision to buy it if it was still available at the end of the day. So, they came home with me.

The next booth was Black Diamond Alpacas (aka Black Diamond Creations), and while they were not selling spinning fiber, they were selling yarn....some of which came home with me.





The black gradient and the gold are both DK weight. The gradient is about 625 yds (125 yds each) and the gold is about 250 yds. I am imagining a shawl of some sort but I'm not sure yet.





I also picked up these two skeins of fingering weight, approximately 250 yds each. I think they're going to be fingerless mitts for me but we'll see how things go. They're not going to be socks; that much I know.

Further around the marketplace, I came across Ewe and Me 2 Ranch. She didn't have a lot (in fact, most of them didn't have a ton) but these four balls of fluff popped out at me.





They are both Romney & bamboo blends (the natural is the Romney and the blue color is the bamboo). The balls are about an ounce each so I think I'm going to spin two balls onto one bobbin and the other two balls onto another bobbin and then ply them together. I think. I'm not 100% committed to that yet.

Lastly, I purchased this from Dreamy Goat Design Studio:


It's going to require a bit of pre-drafting and TLC before I spin it but the colors were calling to me, telling me to bring it home...plus, I've never spun Targhee before. So, there's that.

In addition to the photos above, I also bought a t-shirt from the 20th annual Spinning at Retzlaff Winery (which was 2017) - it's tye-dyed and lovely. I don't have photos of that, however. I also bought this:


It is a wooden yarn bowl. I have a ceramic one, which is on a shelf in my bedroom, away from my destructive children. This one is a bit more hearty, being wood and all. I expected to pay a good amount of money for a hand-turned wooden bowl.



I turned it over to find that the bowl is made of ash and that it was expensive: $15

It took me a few moments to realize that the bowl was, in fact, $15 and not $51, as my mind was insisting because, seriously, $15 for a hand-turned wooden yarn bowl just did not sound right in my head.

But it was just $15.

I also participated in the raffle by buying tickets. And I won something. Well, two somethings as part of the same lot.


Color in Spinning by Deb Menz, because I need another book in my life.




It came with a zippered tote that actually fits over my arm, which is wonderful. It may become my new favorite bag. We'll see. It's a bit too large for everyday toting around but when I have to haul things, I think it's going to be my go-to :)

Oh, I also bought a bottle of Rosé, which was consumed in its entirety the following day. Oops.


In addition to the haul from Spinning at the Winery, I also had a couple other things come in....but they're all for existing or planned projects.

I picked up two more cakes for the granny square blanket I'm working on. I also picked up three skeins from Slipped Stitch Studio, three different colorways, in colors I already have, to finish a sweater I've not even started yet. Make sense? Good. And then I picked up two skeins of sock yarn to finish my FrankenSocks and I found someone willing to sell me a skein of a discontinued yarn to finish a hat for Little Man. No photos because I'm kind of lazy for those. But I have them in my stash.

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend :)

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great day all around....glad you were able to go

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  2. I like the first two; it's so neat how the fiber is dyed and how transforms into something a little different when spun.

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  3. Oh my! I wish I had known about this! I have never spun; however would love to learn. But, I do love yarn and wine...or wine and yarn...or yarn and wine...whatever. I love them both :) And it was so close to me too!

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