Tour de Fleece

Wow. You can spin along with the Tour de France racers…just spin wool instead!

I found out about this from my friend Lynne, who has her own spinning wheel (the envy of my daughter who wants one — please, oh, please, oh, please??? — for her birthday or Christmas). (Please?) Lynne spins, sews, felts, and everything. My daughter loves playdates with Lynne’s daughter.

I’m not a spinner, but my nine-year-old daughter is. She has a spindle and will just spin away while listening to an audiobook or music. It amazes me that she can get into it so much. I looooove wool, but I am definitely a felter. (A felter who is happy to use her daughter’s 100% wool yarn in her work!)

There is a flicker group with pictures for the Tour de Fleece — and there are already nearly 2,000 photos posted!

Wish there was a correlating Tour de Felt (or Tour de Fibre), but I understand the whole relationship of spinning wheels and bikes. There is even a way to use a bicycle wheel to make a spinning wheel! Perhaps my daughter will want to build her own spinning wheel… This one looks pretty awesome!

Wow. Maybe I would spin if I had a wheel this cool.

So, I won’t be doing this particular tour — too busy doing the puppet tour! BUT, I will be spinning my own wheels as I work on puppet mechanism designs for the new show…coming soon to a venue near you!

Stage Fright

My youngest daughter had a dance “show” today — it wasn’t really a recital.  Just “sort of” a recital. She’s been taking a combination dance/gymnastics class for a year and loves it. Loves it! I wish she could do it every day. She is such a kinetic child –  always in motion. Doing flips off the couch, climbing all over everything, turning the world into her balance beam. Getting her to sit at the table and eat a meal is a major undertaking. She’s the type who does best if she can take a bite and then do a lap around the table before taking the next one. Yes, it’s tiring, but it’s just who she is.

Today at her dance recital was the stillest I’ve ever seen her. Apparently, putting tap shoes on and sticking her in front of a bunch of people is the way to get her to be still.

I “get” stage fright. I mean, I understand it. It doesn’t happen so much anymore, but I’ve had it.  I instantly recognized it in her. She stopped, closed-up, twisted her ankle ever-so-slightly, and stuck her tongue out. Then after a while she did her kitty-cat imitation that always comes out when she is uncomfortable and doesn’t know how to respond. She stuck out her “claws,” too.

She often reverts to “cat” when nervous. A few months ago, we attended a homeschooler’s conference in Richmond. One of the fun things they do on Friday night is host an ice cream social and talent show. It was a blast! Our oldest daughter played the violin. (Our oldest daughter, in fact, spends an inordinate amount of time each year planning out all the possible things she could do at this talent show!) After watching her big sister on stage, our youngest decided that she wanted to do it, too. I wasn’t sure how this would fly, but we gave it a try. She told me she wanted to do the “ABC’s” or “Twinkle Twinkle.”

We made some arrangements and next thing you know, there she is. Up on stage. She started to sing, “A,B,C…” and got quiet. I think because she could hear herself over the speakers. She was quiet for a moment, then out came her kitty claws…and she proceeded to “Meow” her way through the rest of the “ABC’s.” It was fabulous and uber-cute. It’s important to know a second language — hers is “cat.”

The world is her balance beam!

After her dance today, we hugged her, kissed her, and praised her bravery for being up front with the other girls. When we came home, she proudly told her grandma that “Mommy and Daddy came out and watched me dance!” It’s true. We did. And we were very, very proud.

A Saturday in Richmond

I don’t know how it got to be June. It’s highly mysterious. People tell me that happens when you have children — that time just moves more quickly. I think it might be a bit of that combined with the building of the new puppet show.

It was an amazing day in the fair land of Richmond. Truly amazing and so full of fun! I’m not sure where to begin…farmer’s market? Breakfast? Wool? Wedding? I guess chronological makes the most sense.

I love the Forest Hill Farmer’s Market in Richmond. It’s busy and bustling and today I was flying solo. No children. Just me (with my husband at home with the children, cleaning the house — it doesn’t get better than that!). I was able to look at the booths and talk to people, not just chase my children and make sure they didn’t grab/break/damage something as I frantically gathered veggies from our CSA. (OK, I still frantically gathered vegetables, but only because the supply of Tuscan kale was dangerously low!)

As I wandered into the market, I notice some wool yarn and someone spinning in a booth…and roving! OK. I know not everyone is a wool fanatic and that most people do not understand my current fascination (or obsession?) with felting and working with wool fibers. But, there it was: wool from a breed of sheep that I don’t know yet. Ahhhhh…..

More wool!

Cotswold. And Cotswold/Suffolk Cross. I’ll let you know how it felts up after I take it down to the studio. (Note to self: make sure you have the business checkbook with you next time you go to market.) I’m very excited to have another local source for wool.

So the wool, the wonderful produce from Victory Farms, fabulous bread from Norwood Cottage, and raspberries from Agriberry! Wow. It was a bit of a splurge going all out so early in the morning on Saturday, but we had company coming for brunch! We had some puppet friends coming through town. This is always a treat — and we were able to provide them with a fabulous breakfast of mostly local goodies.

On the menu: French toast with maple syrup, red and black raspberries, vanilla yogurt, sausage patties, and walnuts. Yes, Sam had the coffee flowing — let’s not forget that.

Coming through town we had Bob Nathanson and Elise Handleman of Puppets-to-Go. Joining them was the illustrious Terry Snyder. We sadly missed his wife Lynda who wasn’t feeling well as well as the Hudert clan (aka Applause Unlimited), who were off at King’s Dominion for the day.

Terry, Elise, and Bob

We had a great time hanging out, eating, and chatting. We truly love it when we can visit with other puppeteers…somehow it makes us feel, well, normal. (So, puppeteers out there, if you are coming through Richmond, give us a holler!)

After breakfast we got all gussied up for a wedding celebration at Richmond Friends’ Meeting for Brooke and Nick. It was lovely and reminded us of our own wedding day in 1997. (Why does 1997 seem like a really, really long time ago?) But it was wonderful and our girls enjoyed getting dressed up in twirly dresses and feeling fancy schmancy. (They also enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries at the reception.)

All in all, today was a fabulous Saturday. You almost didn’t even notice that it was excruciatingly humid and hot outside! Now our only dilemna for the evening is that the night is young…and the drive-in has Shrek. To go or not to go? That is the question…