Three on a Match

Tomorrow I start a series of three teaching trips in quick succession. I’m delighted to be teaching so much, yet I’m a bit nervous about keeping up with the planning, organizing, travelling, and being “on”.

First, from L.A. to L.A. I leave Lake Ann, Michigan to fly to Los Angeles, California. The Greater Los Angeles SpinningGuild  is hosting me, April 25-28. I’ve got four workshops and one lecture. This guild has both wheel spinners and spindle spinners. It’s unusual for me to have a “mixed” group. On occasion, I’ll get one spindle spinner in one of my workshops, or I’ll have someone with an electric spinner. I look forward to sharing some of my ideas with spindlers.

My workshops there include: Creating the Yarn You Want, Blending Colors at the Wheel, Spinning With Silk Hankies, and Spinning & Knitting Goat Fibers. So, we’ll be playing with all kinds of yummy fibers.

And my lecture is The Value of Process. I first gave this lecture a few years back in Duluth. So, I’m updating it and thinking about process anew.

I then head to Minnesota. I’ll be driving through the Upper Peninsula, and I’m hoping to stop at Fiddle Knoll Farm on my way. They raise Romeldale/CVM and Romney sheep. I wonder if I’ll be leaving their farm with a fleece (or two)….  I’m then driving to Duluth to visit my friend, Judy McL. We will be stopping by the farm of Marie Glaesemann so that I can pick up eight fleeces that I’ve already reserved. Woowee!

This trip continues as I head to Lake Elmo, for Shepherd’s Harvest. I teach on Saturday and Sunday, May 11 & 12: Spinning Super Stretchy Wools, Diversity of Wool, and Mechanics of Your Wheel. It’s very easy to get excited about these classes. I’m especially looking forward to Diversity of Wool. I just recently taught this half-day workshop at Midwest Masters. I really should rename this workshop, The Amazing Diversity of Wool. It’s specifically geared to knitters, and I’ve lately been gathering many, many breed-specific millspun yarns to share in this workshop. Participants will get over a dozen samples to take home to knit.

It’ll take me nearly two days to drive home from there. Then I have just a few days to prepare for my trip to Pickford, Michigan (in the U.P.) where I will be teaching at Spring Fiber Fling, May 17-19. This is a delightful weekend retreat for fiber fans. It’s sponsored by the Country Spinners & Bridge Shuttlers  guild. I’ll be teaching one knitting workshop, Seams to Be, and one spinning workshop, Mohair Locks Rock! I’m already planning on taking advantage of the vendors who’ll be there. I predict my future will contain some linen yarn, new knitting needles, notecards, and Corriedale fleece & yarn.

I need to pack. Then unpack. Then pack again. Etc., etc., etc.