Home Spun Yarn Party

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Wow...once again, I had an absolutely fabulous time at the Home Spun Yarn Party. I just love the fact that it was held at the Savage Mill. This had been a working mill back in the day and all the buildings are named after their original purposes: the Spinning Building, the Old Weave Building, the New Weave Building, the Cotton Shed, the Carding Building, etc. History seems to envelope you as you wander through the various buildings and hallways.

I started my day with a nice brunch at the Rams Head Tavern - just like I did last year. The "Eggs Annapolis" were, once again, absolutely fabulous! They don't bury the crab in breading....you get mostly crab. And the presentation is divine! (I wore the flower in my hair the rest of the day.)

The decor within the tavern was very appropriate - it was reminiscent of a Viking Feast! I LOVED the mural on the wall - isn't it wonderful?

Off to the party.....

It was a rather warm day, so it was a bit stuffy in the room. However, this didn't dampen my spirits! I spent some time at the charity table and crocheted a square for a blanket. A couple of my friends came by for the "Learn to crochet" workshop.....Pamela and Jill (Jill is hiding from the camera.....) Clair was teaching the class...and it looks like everyone succeeded in their mission!

Oh...one of the girls I was knitting with at the charity table had a fabulous purse/tote. Isn't it gorgeous! I just love it. I can't remember what the pattern is...I just remember that it's not a Noni bag. ETA - Thanks Joanie for reminding me of the name/designer of the pattern. It's the Felted Rose Trellis Bag by Nicky Epstein.

The party wasn't as crowded as last year as they let people in by groups - plus, the "deck" was open, so the "overflow" could mingle there. The center of the room remained much more open - plenty of room for the classes and charity projects!

However, the line for the Sanguine Gryphon yarn was VERY long! The Bugga and Skinny Bugga yarns are definitely coveted by many knitters and crocheters! It reminded me of the lines typically seen for "Socks that Rock" at Toni's booth, "The Fold", at Maryland Sheep and Wool!

I kept my purchases in check and bought a few skeins of yarn, a bit of roving, and some soap. Of course, the Sanguine Gryphon represented the majority of my purchases....but I also spent a bit of cash at Shelby's, the Neighborhood Fiber Company, Gnome Garden, and Ewes-ful Fiber Arts. I have to retain some spending power for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival!


Lisa checked out the yarn at Dragonfly. She seemed to enjoy the party, though she didn't make any purchases. She's much better at keeping the spending down than I am. Maryland Sheep and Wool is only about a month away!



Blue Ridge Yarns got in at the last minute and had to scurry to get everything packed up for the party, unloaded, and setup...just in a nick of time! I'm so glad they were able to be there - their yarns and colors are fabulous! Linda was manning the booth with help from Lynn and Sue. (Linda is sooo much fun!)

Across from Blue Ridge Yarns was Sue (Ewes-ful Fiber Arts) with her FABULOUS felted soaps. The scent is wonderful! I had to buy two for myself and one for a friend. The soap is from a named sheep! She also had some awesome alpaca and other yarn...I believe I'll have to purchase some - ever since the party, I've been thinking about the white alpaca. Luscious!

Within the, I also found some fabulous shops. My favorite was the "Noni Studio" where Nora Bellows sells her patterns and has a studio. I FINALLY have met her in person! She's absolutely delightful....and so talented! Of course, I had to buy several of her patterns...and ordered two of her new ones as well. (They should arrive later this week.)


One of the new patterns is this little sheep bag. It's too cute for words! I love anything "sheepie"!





The samples in Nora's shop are absolutely wonderful! All the patterns are displayed as finished products around the perimeter - many in multiple colors and sizes. The myriad of colors and styles definitely inspired me to finish some of my felting projects that have been languishing for a while - the Cascading Fuchsias in particular. The room was absolutely bursting in color! The shop isn't normally open on Sundays, but she opened because of the Home Spun Yarn Party. It was like an "open house" complete with cheese, crackers, wine, grapes, and other munchies.






















And Anise "modeled" the very cheery bouquet of sunflowers. You can't help but smile when you look at these happy flowers!






Nora's sister is in the adjacent studio called "Jul". She has some fabulous metal work (buttons, clasps, handles), leather work (straps), and wooden notions (shawl pins and hand crafted knitting needles). I couldn't decide which shawl pin to purchase, so I bought an entire "family" of them. Left - Rosewood, Mangowood, and Fern. Middle - Rosewood, Mangowood, and Coconut Shell. Right - Rosewood, Mangowood, and Cinnamon Stick My favorite of the three is made with cinnamon...and it smells wonderful!!!

There was another shop that had some fabulous and unique items, the "Out of Africa Boutique". I purchased a flat woven basket in natural and purple - it's awesome! I also found a very nice "project basket" with an attached lid - it's perfect for smaller projects...and I can't possibly misplace the lid as it remains attached when open! The shop is a mother-daughter venture. The daughter is living in Africa and markets their goods here and helps support and build their local economy. It's an awesome little shop.










It was a wonderful day...and I can't wait for next year!