The long-awaited wool festival was just around the corner. For two days, you could devote the fiber-amorous hobby again. I want to share with you my impressions about the Backnanger Wollfest 2015.
Last year I was there for the first time. And I liked the familiar atmosphere.I met many new people and looked forward to meet them again. Of course it was on my list for this year…
This year I traveled comfortably by train. The four-hour drive through the Black Forest, I shortened with knitting. This time I had a very special project with: my first project with handspun yarn. I am of course doubly proud :-)
When I knitted at the festival, there were people who asked where they can get this yarn. There’s no better compliment to a spinner like this!
Besides the booths there were also alpacas. If you ever have the chance to see those in real, go closer. They make such funny noises!
This year they offered many seatings. One was the spinner’s corner, which was very popular. It was my prefered seating area, as I also like to watch people spinning.
There was a known spinner from America at the festival and held two classes: Abby Franquemont. Her book ‘Respect the Spindle‘ was my first book about spinning.
In the class I took, I learned how to spin more efficiently with the spindle.
Abby’s bubbly personality entertains the students (and everyone else) for hours. We forgot to check the hour, so the official class length was supposed to be three hours. But we chatted for four hours.
One thing I take out of the class is, that you should trust more your feeling than your eyes.
We did following exercise: we spun for three minutes in a normal way (as we used to do) and then we spun blind for the same time period. By the end, we compared the yardage and the quality of the yarn. My blind spinning needs some practise. I struggled with the twist while spinning blind. Maybe its a sign that I’m too much a visual person… :-)
Just like last year, I spent the night at the Hotel Murrtal. On Friday night I joined a group of yarnaholics and we went out for dinner. Also present was Abby and Sheila. But who is Sheila?
I watched Sheila, as she sold a few spindles at the festival on friday. So what, I thought. Until a spinner explained me who she is. She’s Sheila Bosworth – she and her husband make the beautiful Bosworth spindles. These spindles have a special whorl to spin easier and faster.
The next days the spindles were gone. I asked Sheila, if there was one left – well, there was one beauty who catched my eye. So she wounded the stored yarn on it on a separate spindle and handed it over to me. Now, I’m a proud owner of one personal spindle of Sheila. It is made with Zebra wood. As I packed already my stuff, I had to try it immediately. I bought another top roving dyed by Frau Wo aus Po and started to spin with.
My purchases were quite modest: 4 top rovings (Frau Wo aus Po and Filzlaus), one Bosworth and one Leichtlen Turkish spindle and two skeins of Hedgehog Fibres in DK-weight.
And sometimes the fiberlove goes under the skin… You are so Rock’n’Roll, ladies! :-)
After two intense days I sat relaxed on the train. Flashed by this yarn and fiber crazyness I went to bed. The next day – I have to admit – I was back in reality and the real life catched me again. Spending some days with fiber friends feels so good!
See you in 2017! The organisers take next year a break and will be back in 2017.
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