Rows Red

Finally! Beautiful days at Wiawaka.

Whenever I sit down to do a WOOL wrap-up post I find my fingers don’t know quite where to start. This year I think, instead of a day by day, I’ll write about highlights instead.

Amy, beautiful, bawdy broad.

Far Away Friends:
Surely one of the best parts of this year’s event was spending time with my far away friends. Amy visited from Virginia and we spent most of the week together, sharing and laughing. She experienced the beauty of Wiawaka for the first time, and even learned how to spin. We both hope that next year her schedule will allow her to attend. My SOAR friend Vickie also came, to my absolute delight, and not just because she gave me the most thoughtful gift bag as a “hostess” gift. I hope that Vickie and I can hook up again pre-WOOL ’10, she’s the kind of person you want to have in your life much more often than that, but I’ll settle for what time and distance allows!

First Timers:
I was blown away by how many first timers we had this year! Previous guests brought friends, and others decided to take the plunge all on their own. Watching the dynamics play out was interesting. Natural clans sorted themselves out as the hours passed. We had the Jersey gals, the just-getting-starteds, holistic/alternative ladies, and those that defied classification. It was fun to watch as people got to know each other, and learn from their vastly different perspectives.

Flat Out Funny:
I think the pictures speak for themselves, I laughed so hard I almost cried. Also funny? Apparently we are tied with another group of knitters for most recyclables of the 21 and up kind… and yet everyone was well behaved and safe as houses.

Blue Whales bring out your best side.

There was this thing on the WOOL board about coconut bras and it just went so wonderfully wrong from there.

Festival Like Atmosphere:
WOOL attendees really pulled out the stops with both the silent auction (to benefit Wiawaka) and the vending hour. A big thank you to Sairy, Sharon, and everyone else who helped me get the auction ready, and thank you to EVERYONE who donated items and bid so generously! In particular, there was a certain braid of Spincerely Yours in Sandpiper, and Vickie’s fantastic woven “Awesome Gift Basket of Love” that I thought we were going to come to blows over. All told we raised $300 even. Part of the proceeds went to help the Female Veterans program happening later this summer at Wiawaka, and the rest went to fund scholarships and repairs.

Fantastic vendors, happy shoppers.

Vending was out of this world, we had triple the amount of vendors this year as we had in years past. The vendors went all out, many dyeing fiber and yarn just for WOOL, and almost all of them offering fantastic discounts to my guests. I may have just come home with a few items, but it helped that I sold a few items from my stash too. It was just like being at a tiny fiber festival, just without the baby strollers and elbowing people out of the way. I consider that a plus. Maybe next year I should rent a sheep and an alpaca and then we can really feel at home.

Found: Moments of Serenity
Hosting WOOL is always an adventure in management skills. Thank you to everyone who put their best foot forward, rolled with the spirit of adventure, and a focus on friendliness. A very special thank you to Diane who went the extra mile at every turn to make sure I had what I needed, when I needed it, and who did more than her fair share of clean up.

Quiet time as the day ends.

Hard Pink Lemonade and Frabjous Fibers in Rain Forest. Life is good.

I’d like to also thank the weather, which was absolutely lovely until just before we all started to leave. While truly chilly at night and in the morning, it was gorgeous and sunny during the day. I got to spend several hours on the dock, spinning in the sun and finding my moments of Zen.

I'm all warm and fuzzy inside just seeing that.

We are dancing monkeys for the Minnehaha's amusement!

So, there you go… WOOL 2009 is officially over and done with, nothing but memories, photos, sunburns and stash enhancement to remind you of the fun we all had. August 2010 may seem forever and a day away, but time will fly by, as it always does. Thank you to all my guests, no matter how long your stay, for making this year so wonderful. I wouldn’t do it if you weren’t having fun! I loved meeting you all, new friends and old. See you next year!

WOOL 2009

Tags: Friends & Fun, WOOL