Designer Mary Jane with String Theory creator Karen Grover...they're both in handmade sweaters...Karen's is made with her custom dyed yarn...Mary Jane's Fair Isle sweater pattern is available on her website...it's an original creation

Last Saturday knit designer MJ Mucklestone and I drove over to String Theory (one of Fiber College’s cherished vendors) in Blue Hill for an evening with Clara Parkes (author and creator of Knitter’s Review) and her basket of goodies.

Clara (in the pink sweater shown in The Book of Wool) check's out Tanis' latest yarn (Tanis, the other creative genius of String Theory, dyed the wool and designed her sweater too)

Clara’s newest book, the Book of Wool has been out for only a couple of weeks and praised by everyone who got an advanced copy.  While we drank tea and nibbled on homemade, chocolate dipped toffee we giggled as she told us stories of bringing the book together.  Every pattern and every sheep’s breed has a story…and when you touch the finished products and Clara explains the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the projects, the world of yarn becomes vastly expanded and if it’s possible, more interesting.

If you’re curious to hear others talk about the Book of Wool, check out the Jenny and Nicole’s  November podcast at Stash and Burn.  We live in a wonderful time when we have access to more kinds of fiber than our grandmother’s dreamt of…don’t you want to take advantage?

For a great photo of the projects in the book…click over to Mary Jane’s blog…you can tell she’s a professional layout photographer.

Spinning Peace

It’s still gorgeous here at Searsport Shores home of Fiber College on Penobscot Bay.  I wanted to share photos of yesterday’s spinning hour…the fiber is a 50/50 blend of mohair grown here on the campground mixed with a gray, Maine Island fleece I bought at the Common Ground Fair fleece tent and dyed last month…if you join us next September you may even be able to camp right on this site if you’re lucky

Mohair Locks and gray wool dyed with Pro Chem cool blue and cool red

Carded batts ready to spin

Navajo Plied...ready to knit

The experts tell us that these are the fall colors we’ll be seeing the most of…what do you think?
(click the photo)

We teach, we share and we push each other to experiment…Instructor/Volunteer Faith Garrold was inspired by Co-Director/Instructor Emma Morin’s crazy quilt class…so she made these pillows:

Chair caning to coordinate with your quilt and rug

Chair Caning Instructor Gus Szbronski was so inspired by both Laurie Sims and Christine Fraga-Thornton’s fiber arts (both fantastic instructors) that he tore the bed sheets up, spun them using a power drill and then wove a chair seat with the “yarn”.

At the Common Ground Fair I caught up with Fiber College Instructor/Vendor/Friend  Michelle Delucia of Sunshine Daydream Gardens…check out her latest pigment dyed wools…

Vibrant, natural colors...as bright as Michelle's smile!

Tallying the comments.

This year we asked you for your thoughts, suggestions and feedback…we appreciate that it was overwhelmingly positive and almost everyone said they planned on coming back next year…often with more friends which is absolutely what we were hoping for.  We wanted to know what you thought about the classes, the vendors, the physical set up and where we could improve…the comment sheets were anonymous so we can’t tell you who said what but this is what we heard.

Color Stranding with Mary Jane was Excellent…enthusiastic.  Good techniques and ability to let us play…very helpful.

What Fiber to spin…nice balance of science/math and skill.  Very good at imparting knowledge.

Hand carding~ Finally got it!  Thank you!

Classes in general~ always informative, always fun…this is my 4th year of attendance…thanks!

Vendors were good, might have been nice to see more, really loved the animals.

My son LOVED the woodworking tents

I met fun people and saw new things~learned a lot

The carding class was excellent.  Instructor was friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging.

Would love to come back~great college~affordable~great atmosphere~super fun!

Artist in Residence work was wonderful~ I enjoyed talking to him about the carving…he was very generous with his knowledge

Can’t wait for next year~you do an excellent job!

The museum reception was really appreciated.  Their staff was very gracious and informative.  Tom’s presentation was wonderful!  He was interesting.

I intend to come back next year!  I’ll take advantage of the opportunity to sample new crafts and learn more about crafts I already do…just for the fun!

Bay windows was wonderful! fun, well organized but could have been longer

Entrelac class wasn’t nearly long enough.  Kelly was wonderful but the entrelac knitting was a complicated project and really needed a longer time frame.  She wisely cut the pattern down from a shawl to a scarf and that helped.  Would love to see her do more classes.

Rudy’s spinning classes were very helpful.  He was so knowledgeable and patient.  Lots of good information.

Rush fiber seat weaving with Gus and Ellen was great!

Just enough vendors…had time to browse and enjoyed all that I saw.

Museum reception and talk with Tom Cote was the highlight for me.  I liked it so much that I came back on Sunday just to chat with him more at his booth.

I was particularly grateful for the helpers who drove the golf cars.  I arrived with a chair at the far end of the parking lot.  The driver gave me a ride to the class meeting location.

Parking studs and popcorn made my day!

In short, THANK YOU !!!!!!

I am so empowered by this weekend.  I want to buy a camera and printer to make my own fabric.  I have tons of ideas for quilts that will be quite different.

The lasagna was superb…very thoughtful to have veggie options at every meal.  Having wine and cheese at the museum was just enough to take the edge off.

Where can we improve?

more publicity, bigger pics on website describing the classes

put “open to the public” on the banners and more prominently on the website, wouldn’t have known I could come if I hadn’t read the story in the Midcoast Beacon

Have different classes on weekend~ I would have liked to try spinning but couldn’t due to schedule

Not enough vendors, should have been more fleece, roving etc.

Stamp hands for re-entry

More and varied food vendors

provide map of the grounds

advertise on Ravelry

More demonstrations

This was the first time I went to Fiber College.  It was fun!  I wish I could have stayed on the campground~ could you build some more cabins please?  Or a dorm for a bunch of ladies~

Creative Stitchery would have been improved with a simple diagram printed on the cloth to make it easier to do.  Maybe the instructor could have held up the stretched fabric to actually demo the steps.

Natural dyeing could have been more welcoming with more basic explanations for terms like pre-mordants

Need more vendors with a larger selection of spinning fibers and tools

More basket making classes and advanced  spinning

I only heard about you by chance through a friend.  Spread the word better through the news media, any merchant who sells related products and/or supplies also via art classes and senior citizen centers.

Fabric vendors were missing

Add instructor’s first names to the cream schedule brochure

There were enough vendors.  If you did add, maybe 4-6 more but that’s all. Maybe beads.

More food choices (same vendor) how about some cold food-wraps, salads (quicker to serve than hamburgers and hot dogs) better for you.  More drinks~ ice tea, juice, de-caff coffee…this would be nice for the “day-trippers”

Enjoyed the museum rooms and exhibits, hospitality.  Tom was great.  glad it wasn’t too detailed due to the hour.  Good humor and spirit.

I was expecting more vendors.  I completely agree with your decision to only have vendors that relate to fibers and fiber supplies.  Could you have had more live animals?  That’s always a draw for shoppers and locals to come for the day.

It would have been nice to see some fall decorations around (especially at the registration desk)  Colorful mums, pumpkins, corn stalks, etc.  Mums could have been given to teachers at dessert goodby on Sunday as a thank you.

A fire in the rec hall on Friday night would have been appreciated…to take the dampness out of the air.

Have a coffee and tea station available throughout the day.

Have two registration rates…one for those who just want to take one class and one for those who intend to come for the weekend.

What classes would you like to see next year?

Collage with fabric, fiber & paper

Papermaking

Rag Rugs

Basket Making

Gloria Buntrock’s bobbin lace class…she does a very good job with beginners.  (committee note:  Gloria has taught in the past and was over committed this fall…we’ll ask her again next year)

Have Jackie Fee and Gudrun come back!!!!!

Definitely have Linda Whiting teach a dyeing class

More classes like Fiber Gumbo!

A class on all the different plying techniques taught by Rudy

Please note:  If anyone wrote a specific suggestion for a specific instructor or class for improvement that was lengthy, we passed these along privately through a photo copy of your comment sheet.  If you haven’t sent us your thoughts, we’d still love to hear them and we’ll add them to the tally…e-mail them to create@fibercollege.org

Note to self…next year get photographs of all the people who volunteer their hearts, minds and hands to making Fiber College the wonderful weekend that we all enjoy.  In the meantime, special thanks go out to all of these folks and the many more we may have missed because……..

Thank you

Emma, Jim & Becky, Janice, Dee, Faith & Don, Gary, Mary Ann, Mary Ellen & Ken, Mary Jane, Beth, Bob, Ken, Lorrie, Amy, Patty, Norma, Linda, Susan, Nick, Larry, & Dick

……..Without these wonderful people the College wouldn’t exist…they keep the scheduling straight, the design layouts dynamic, the cars parked in the right spaces, the meals cooked, served and cleaned up, the demonstrations vibrant and interesting, the accounts straight and Astrig calm…here are just a few photos of some of the people who make it all happen:

The Committee

What could be cuter than a bottlefed Alpaca?  Not very much!

photo stolen from www.alpacafarmgirl.com

Geri Gabriel of Lakeside Alpacas is making a special trip to Fiber College with two of her sweetest girls.  Although the farm has become too large to for her and Frank to spend time at shows and fairs, she’s found a way to break away from the herd (hee, hee) so that she can spend a few hours (10:45-3:30) with FC students and visitors.  While she’s here she’d be happy to answer your questions, have you pet these beautiful treasures and show off a bit of merchandise that comes straight from her best fiber animals.  Please make certain to say high when you see her!

If you’re taking Silk Fusion on Saturday, please bring the following materials with you if possible:

Two  2” wide paint brushes
(cheapest natural bristle ones you can find).
One large roll paper towels (very cheapest)
Sharp scissors (that cut fabric well)
12” ruler
Pencil and paper for taking notes
Newspapers (to take home damp sheets  - you’ll  need
something to protect your car)
Rubber gloves (options) – this is a messy process, I recommend
wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands

Old clothes or plastic apron – at the very least wear old clothes
that you don’t care if they get glues and other messy stuff on
them.

Thanks!