Sunday, June 24, 2007

Wrecked in Oregon

These people at the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene,Oregon know how to party. With sheep and spinning wheels. Whoa. I am totally wrecked...but the professor and I have made it to Portland, where we're meeting up with somebody who I used to do freelance design for and I'm friendly with. Actually, the professor is snoring on the hotel room couch. We'll go out in an hour or so. I hope I can stand up by then.

I got to meet Laura A., Angela, Denise, HollyO and daughter O'Ryan (sp?) as well as Jessica, Jenn, Sheila, Barb and a bunch of other Pacific Northwest folk...I remember your names but don't know about all your blogs, sorry! (this includes Janel of Spindlicity and the Blue Moon folk, who are just lovely and have great kids, too!)

This is the first festival I've ever been at where everyone stays the whole time. Most festivals, the shepherds and the vendors are there the whole time, and the attendees shop, go to classes, and then leave. At Black Sheep, whoa, everyone stays. They spin together. They knit. They hang out. They drink large amounts in the RV parking lot! (it was the spinning group that I met at 11:30 AM on Friday who had already killed a whole bottle of white wine--that made a real impression!) It was a little like the parking lot at a Grateful Dead concert, and I hear next year will be an even bigger party.

Now I know why you folks in the PNW boast about your fiber events. I mean, I don't want to compare one festival with another, so I won't, but I'm just going to say: your wool show, judged by the amazing Judith MacKenzie McCuin, was the best I'd ever seen anywhere. Wow. The worst fleeces were outstanding. Spotlessly clean. Amazing colors. Like Miss Universe for wool, I'm telling you. It was all I could do not to buy one. No, it was all I could do not to lay one on the floor and roll myself in it just like Harry or Sally might. Those dogs have the right idea. I'm telling you.

new loot: one turkish spindle, gotland wool roving, a black sheep tank top, 3 skeins of Blue Moon sock yarn, 5 skeins of alpaca yarn. (heck, it was on sale. I couldn't help it.) 5 fiber events down. at least 5 to go. 9+ hours of airtravel tomorrow, plus the 70 miles home from the airport... Oy.

5 Comments:

Blogger Romi said...

Welcome back!!! It sounds like a wonderful time. I'm envious. Green, actually. :)

June 24, 2007 at 10:44 PM  
Blogger Peggy said...

Sounds like a great time!!!! And it sounds like you came back with lots of goodies.

June 25, 2007 at 8:38 AM  
Blogger vanessa said...

miss universe for wool!
oh i wish i could draw- i'm thinking of a sheep with a huge blue miss wool oregon sash :-)

June 25, 2007 at 8:58 AM  
Blogger Donna D said...

Sounds like I need to get to Oregon for this event next year! I'm leaving for my 9+ hours of planes, trains, and automobiles in the morning. May have a day or two without internet access. Hope all of your technical difficulties have miraculously worked themselves out while you were drinking wine and spinning.

P.S. got the book and made Dom read it because he is Willie! Thanks.

June 26, 2007 at 2:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was at the Black Sheep Gathering! I should have known you would be there. Not that I know you in person. It's nice to know that the event is a popular one, because this is my first time to attend the event too. And I live here in Eugene, imagine that! You know, there's going to be another similar event in September in Canby (near Portland).

June 29, 2007 at 9:20 PM  

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