Convergence!

After two months of waiting, and wondering, "Will I be able to go to Convergence??", I finally got the answer....YES!! We left BRIGHT and early Friday morning...around 7:30 actually. Six of us headed down in two cars. We must have arrived sometime right around 9am opening. By the time we parked, found the convention center, bought our tickets, it was open.

I have to say, this was one of the most wonderful days I've had in a while. Convergence is the Handweavers Guild of America convention. It occurs once every two years, and moves around the country. This year it was in TAMPA!! There were many amazing classes in weaving, spinning, knitting, etc, offered throughout the entire week. For those of us who couldn't swing the rather high tuitions, there was a day admission price for vendors and the exhibit hall.

I had decided long before arriving there that there were two things I was interested in... books for some of my new hobbies, and fiber for spinning on the great wheel. I'll say right now, I was highly successful in BOTH goals!

One of the first booths I found was Braiding with Margo, a woman from California who carries extensive Kumihimo supplies and references, as well as many related crafts. I picked up this great braiding book, as well as a foam braiding board, pre-strung for a Laramie braid. The black board here is the braid I started Monday night at the local SCA meeting.

I started working the Laramie braid when we left Tampa Friday evening. I finished it Saturday afternoon while sitting out with a friend at her booth for a craft sale. Here's the board and completed braid!
The other book that I picked up at Tampa is this Tablet Weaving book by Peter Collingwood. I'm THRILLED with this book! It has a great survey of ancient Tablet Weaving finds, both extant textiles as well as a variety of tablets and looms.

Also for the tablet weaving, I picked up several cones of weaving cotton as well.

With the new braiding and weaving obsessions covered, it was time to move on to the existing obsession - spinning! I had already decided that for the Great wheel, I really wanted a nice, loosely prepared, natural fiber. I found the Illinois Green Pastures Fiber Cooperative, through their distributor, Esther's Place. I had heard about the co-op previously, and been given flyers and brochures, but wool is one of those things that you just need to SEE and FEEL in order to find the right one. I could have taken ONE OF EVERYTHING from Esther's Place. I did find restraint somewhere or another...here are two bumps of Icelandic Wool (Moorit & Black/Silver), a bump of Romney (Mint), one of Shetland & Lincoln (Copper), a hand dyed braid of Montadale top (blue, purple, green), and two batts of fluffy light roving (shades of blue - with a bit of angelina)! Oh, did I mention my sheepy? It's a felted sheep cache with lavender in the middle. I'm taking him to work to be our office mascot...and so there'll ALWAYS be wool around for me to pet! ALL of these preps are very loose and fluffy, and I can't WAIT to spin them on the Great! Incidentally, I've put them all up on Ravelry with better individual pictures.

And, for my final purchase/challenge, I bought a pound of raw Merino fleece. Just look at that lovely crimp and detail!