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First, I wish to thank everyone who stopped in our booth at SOAR. Wow, what an incredible experience….I cannot do justice….I am not good with words….
The SOAR marketplace was crazy, CRAZY! We were thrilled to meet two of our overseas customers: Sarah from England, and Ingrid from Sweden. The Sunriver resort was gorgeous (as was our suite!). A person could get used to that gas fireplace with a remote clicker!
Ok — that’s a glimpse into the glam side of things……but even as I remember all the fun we had, the response to folks as I encouraged them to feel a little Pygora fiber…..there is the tough/sad side of this business as well….especially if like us, you raise your fiber animals. That was a poor SOAR report - because I am distracted…….
This is the first weekend in over a month in which I had nothing planned. Nothing! I was all set to be lazy and knit/spin as much as I felt like. Then I went down to the barn to feed Saturday morning. Chipster was laying down and not interested in the morning feeding activity…uh oh. This is NOTGOOD. Goats who are not interested in eating are ill, very ill.
So I spent yesterday with Chip, taking his temperature several times, feeding him little goodies like blackberry leaves (which gladly he ate). Yet I knew he was ill, his temp was low….so after a PenG injection yesterday morning, and a B injection last night….he seems a little worse this am - not interested in any food. So as I’m typing this, I am waiting for the vet to call me back. Animals bring such a richness to our lives - I can appreciate that. However, when they’re this ill, and I’ve nothing left in my pathetic arsenal (and even Susan’s more formidable arsenal), I wonder if I can stand losing one of my little goaties. I know on one level I can. Yet, I grit my teeth against reality - I know I cannot keep them forever…..
We are vending at SOAR in a couple of weeks! SOAR = SpinOff Autumn Retreat. This is an international venue that moves about the country - this year it’s in Sunriver, OR. And did I mention we’re vending there this year???
I remember the first couple of fiber venues we attended as vendors - it was nerve wracking! You place all your work out for sale - is a bit like exposing your heart to the world (ok, maybe not quite THAT big, but a vulnerable place, anyhow). That was several years ago and we’re now old hats at vending.
Vending at SOAR? This is big. Very big for us. We’ve been carding our brains out…getting ready. This has helped rebuild our inventory as well as distract my mind. Yet it’s now getting close, very close, and becoming more of a reality. I am getting nervous….jittery-tummy nervous. Ack! It’s like starting all over, with very-big-name-people-present!
If you’re attending SOAR, please stop by and say hi! Am hoping the tummy-jitters go away soon!!
Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival (OFFF) is just around the corner! Needless to say, we’re both carding like a couple of mad women…..building our inventory to withstand both OFFF this weekend and SOAR at the end of October.
Look for our booth: Rainbow Yarns Northwest ~ we’re on the porch again this year. If you’re interested in our two metallics: “Gail’s Gold” or “Copper Canyon”, get there early. The gold is almost gone already (presold) and the copper never seems to last very long……….
For those of you who’ve been waiting for our new laceweight yarn - some of it is FINALLY ready!
Colors: Rhododendron (red), Cedarbark, and Evergreen.
Will update the website with photos within this coming week. The Cedarbark is the color of the scarf that Myrna Stahman created in the Luxury Skeins book.
It truly is a small world! I received an email from my brother-in-law & sister last week. While at the family reunion, they went house shopping. I’ve got to tell you - Orofino, Idaho (where my family came from) is a very small, rural town (pop. 3070). It would be considered fairly remote by some folk’s standards (not by Idaho standards - but, heh, this IS Idaho we’re talking about). I got a good laugh from this email - and it truly made me smile! Am copying it here for your reading pleasure….
Hi Terry,
Don’t know if Michele told you how famous you are. We were up in Orofino, looking at my dream home out in the woods. The lady who owned the place was chatting with Michele, and mentioned she wanted to have some goats. We’d noticed a spinning wheel in the house and a loom out in the shop earlier. Michele got to telling her about your goats, and your spinning, dyeing, etc. When we told her who you were, she asked, “does she advertise in Spin-Off magazine? And wasn’t there an article…?” We said “yes” and she waxed enthusiastic about your products for a while.
Your reputation precedes you. It didn’t get us an instant discount on the house, though.
How cool is that?
Terry
As we headed south towards Eugene, OR last Thursday, we were nervous about the show this year. This tough economy has hit everyone and we were concerned how it would affect sales.
Once we arrived we were pleased to see an overflow of vendors and attendance was good. Sales were what we’d hoped for (thankgoodness!). However, it was interesting in that we saw way more cash and less checks. It seemed most people came with a budget and for the most part stuck with it.
We want to say a big THANK YOU for those who purchased our products! Ok, even the nice lady who bought fiber right off my Lendrum. Oh ya, that was funny…..I’d made some rich, golden batts of 50% Pygora and 50% silk. Heavenly! Ahhh, I’ll spin this at BSG! Well, I did get to spin a tiny bit of it, maybe .2 oz or something like that. We had immediately sold the other two packages earlier that morning when a customer came in and REALLY wanted that color and would not take ‘no’ for an answer. She was good. She very nicely pointed out that I’d barely spun any of it……
Ok, so she totally scored some gorgeous fiber and I was left to find something else to spin! And…..my friend Gail has pre-ordered a couple packages. Hmmmm….maybe I should make a few extra bags for the website???
I continue to be amazed at how customers react to color!
Happy Spinning! (oh I did take a couple of photos….but haven’t downloaded/uploaded them yet)
Terry
Sounds a bit like the Rawhide theme, doesn’t it? I’ve been carding like a madwoman the past couple of days - getting ready for The Black Sheep Gathering next weekend in Eugene. I enjoy doing this show - and getting to chat with fiber friends and fellow vendors that we only get to see a couple of times a year.
And since Bonnie and Jodi are doing the Black Sheep Bingo party again this year - I’m playing as a square just like last year. I really enjoyed meeting all the bingo players - what a great way to meet new people (FIBER people!).
Susan and I will head down south next Thursday - I hear the weather is going to be great - not too hot like the past couple of years. There’s nothing worse than setting up a booth in the heat. Ugh.
I was all set to take Galina’s Orenburg lace knitting class this year…..but they didn’t offer it! There is the Orenburg spinning class, but I really wanted the lace class (pout!). Sigh….maybe next year.
Back to my carder…..
Terry