Romsey Show

So here are some very very very funky chickens!!! Now do you see why I think they are so cool?????

The show was great. We all had a great time...AND our group won first prize for our booth. Shoshanna did such a fabulous job getting it all together. She recognized me as I walked in and made me feel at home at once, introducing me to everyone and letting me display my pitiful attempts at spinning. One of the ladies taught me a different way of handling my Blue Face Leiscester wool when I spin that I liked...everyone has to find out their own way of doing it...and I had a great time sitting next to Sue nattering away about doughnuts (which obviously the show knew I was coming so they marked them on the map of the grounds!) and playing with the bits she kept breaking off with her attempts at spinning. Nothing ever goes to waste! She went to town beautifully when no one was around...but as soon as someone wanted to see what she was doing....bang....it would break. Typical isn't it!!! She was such a sport and at the end of the day we both said it was too bad we live so far away from each other!

People were really interested in my needle felting. One lady could hardly keep her hands off of it and I think if I had, had an extra kit she would have bought it. I think I might do that next time actually, sell it for cost, but it is a lot of fun and people are interested in it. The kids were great. The ladies had a great interactive table, where the kids (and adults) could make braid and felt beads. Both are sooooo easy to explain, and very timely. We had a group of teenage girls that sat out in front of the tent and busily worked away. They were great advertising for us! The little boys and girls were the most fun. We had a lad of about 10 or 11 that was soooo enthusiastic. He tried EVERYTHING, except my needlefelting. But he did the braiding, made lots of felt balls and had a go at the loom that was there. He must have made 6 in of fabric on the loom. He was so great and everyone was so kind to him. I hope that he keeps up his interest and does succumb to the football hooligan thinking that "boys can't craft". I wanted to personally pick him up for the taster day we are having next week so that I could be sure that he got the chance to come!


Well anyway, here is a pic of our booth and me having a go at needle felting. I made the yellow and blue "flower" on my shirt. Actually, people were really interested in it and I think I'll put a back on it and wear it with my blue jean jacket. The blue in the middle are the little bits and piece off of Sue's spinning and the blue on the picture I'm working on is the same. The PVC pipe you see sticking up above the date is Sue's wheel. And the head you see on the other side is Helen who spins beautifully and was kind enough to bring me home!


I think the thing I found out the most, other then the fact that everyone there was very inspiring...I love to teach. I loved showing the kids and adults how to make the braids and the felt balls. I'm going to talk to the local craft shop up by the university and offer to show the kids how to do those very simple projects and see what happens. The older ladies were especially interested in the braids, because it was something they could do even if they had arthritis. Contrary to what people think...you can do a lot with braid!