Pioneer Day was awesome. Melody and I participated. We had a small canopy that we set up, and us with our two wheels, a rug for our feet, and a small table behind us with displays of fibers, spun yarns, and of course the recently completed Grape Arbor Shawl in handspun Colonial Teal Top.
We were there as demo only, did not have anything for sale. We did have a few of Melody's lovely baskets as part of our display. Coincidentally, we were placed right next to the basket weaver. We didn't really keep a count, but we had a large number of people come out. Sometimes it was one or two, sometimes it was 8 or 10 people all crowded around us. We explained the nature of the wools, talked about carpet wools vs garment wools, the differences in our wheels - my DT Lendrum, Melody's ST Traditional Kromski, what you can make from the yarn, the mechanics of how a wheel works, the "history" - ie drop spindles. Sometimes we tag teamed the conversations, other times we had so many people that each of us was carrying on a separate conversation with a separate group of people!
One of the re-enactors who came by early in the day was looking for information on Bobbin Lace. She wanted to learn how. We referred her to the Central Florida Fair. Half an hour later a woman came by, and was talking about how she used to spin up North, but doesn't now, would love to find a spinning group in the Spring Hill area, and pretty much just does Bobbin Lace at this point... M and I both perked up immediately at that, sending her off in search of the re-enactor. When I made my tour of the event a little later on, I heard that they had gotten together and exchanged info, and that the Bobbin Lace person was going to teach the re-enactor how to do it! She wants to have a bobbin lace project that she can display and work on at events.
We met a number of other people as well, looking for spinners or knitters in the Spring Hill/Brooksville area. I referred several people to the Hurricane Knitters list, so I'm hoping that they'll all show up at the same time and be able to connect up with each other. I know there are a couple of other people in that area, but I don't think there are actually any groups out there. Hopefully if they find a half dozen people who all want to knit and spin, one of them will be able to do some simple "organization" and find a library conference room or something to get together in. I suggested B&N and was quickly told that there aren't any.
It would be great it there was a group formed, then next year when we go, we could direct people to their local group! Ok, it's true, Interguild Liaison is the perfect title for me...I just can't help trying to get fiber people together with other fiber people!!
