I Almost Didn't Go to Ursalmus!

I totally almost didn't go to Ursalmus this year! I have gone for the last two years to demonstrate hand spinning but after a mad week and rush attempting to finish a pair of boots I was feeling exhausted and not in the mood to be cold (the first year they couldn't figure out how to turn the heaters on). But something inside me told me I would be kicking myself later when I wasn't so tired for not going so I drug myself out of bed, dug out my SCA clothes and packed up my faithful friend, the spinning wheel.

And man did I spin! ( I was sitting next to the heater...uuummmmm......) I spun the last of my Alpaca that Walter had bought me two years ago for my 29th birthday and plyed it together. So now with a little soak in soapy water and a rinse I will have fluffy, soft goodness to knit with!

Not only did I get to demonstrate hand spinning all weekend and wow the public coming in for the renaissance faire but there was another gal Aloise who was demonstrating Flax and how it is processed for spinning! I just about peed myself! I had been wanting to learn how to make linen and now was my chance. She was so informative and impressed that I was impressed that she gave me a thread winder from the 1930's. Crafted by strongly relgious Russian settlers in Vancouver BC she had obtained it from a museam dedicated to this group of amazing linen producers when the museum was closing do to lack of interest. She also gave me a handful of processed flax so I could try my hand at spinning it. It was too cool! And amazingly I had no problem spinning it. It gave me the confidence to try other materials. Look out!

This is Aloise's grandson breaking up Flax seed in a Flax breaker built in 1830.

Besides getting to meet Aloise I also got to meet another gentleman Alanus who makes turnshoe boots and I got to show him my latest masterpieces. I think he was impressed and I got some really great tips from him.
I had the pleasure of sitting next to this gentleman for the whole weekend. Very friendly we talked about my wheel and I watched him play and teach the board games he had on his table. They sounded like a lot of fun. (huh, I guess I never got his name...)

In the end because my first request (via email) to be a demonstrator was missed I was not counted as a demonstrator even though I was the only spinner people could see as they walked around the booths. The other spinners and knitters were hidden by two vendors and didn't make any attempt to get people interested. Sadly this meant I was not recognized in the SCA Court and I didn't get a gift. The thread winder totally counts as a gift in my book! It made me think though that I wouldn't mind being acknowledged by the Court and Barony of Aquaterra for spinning. To do this, however, I will have to think what I can do to make myself noticed. So far all that I have done is spin 400 yards of white wool for the war chest for Banner War last year. Granted that wasn't an easy or quick thing to do but one thing does not make an AOA (Award of Arms). So I'll have to work up to it but I did meet quite a few new people including royalty who were pleased to meet me and quite a few of them remembered me already. That was pretty cool. I'm really glad I went to Ursalmus.