I took one picture today at Orlando’s Distaff Day! One! (And it was as I was leaving to head to my car and home.) But who wouldn’t wonder & follow a sign like this?

The whole day was fun. Not a minute when I thought, “It’s time to go home” or “Ugh, why’d I offer to demo” or anything like that. I had so much fun mingling with knitters and spinners and weavers and felters of all ages! It was also fun to catch up with some of my “old” knitting friends and meet some new ones.

I arrived at 10am thinking I’d like to catch some great bargains at the “Garage Sale” or find something wonderful that I just can’t live without on the “free table”. While I did see things I liked, I reminded myself of the shopping binge in Mississippi and suppressed the urge! Next on the list was a chat with James the needle felter. This guy is super talented and fun to chat with … loved his sample of felted camel hair – who has a camel?!

I got some fun yarn from the gift swap! I was asked to be the “carrier” of the traditional gag gift (a horribly bright crocheted purse and bikini bottom that has been added on to over the years and now contains a bikini top and some fuzzy flip-flops!) and was glad to present my gift to a (horrified?) recipient of the gag. She was a super good sport! Lots of laughs during the game which was new this year and a lot of fun! (I hope she liked my gift!)

I won a door prize – some yarn from Four Purls Yarn Shop! (And I never win prizes, it was  a happy moment!) The demos were super! Needle Felting, Kumihimo braiding, and my weaving in ends as you go, weaving and more. You can always learn something at Distaff Day! You can also see what everyone’s knitting at the fashion show. This year’s “biggest hit” was a woman who had knit socks to her panties! Yes, I mean it! She started to knit a pair of socks with her left-over bits and pieces of sock yarn and ended with a pair of hand-knit pantyhose … attached ever so carefully to a pair of panties! She was showing them off in their best light, of course, by wearing flip-flops and shorts. Knitters have such great senses of humor!

I loved the “make ‘n’ take” this year, too – a pair of earrings or stitch markers made of tiny fabric squares and beads. Thanks to a really great manicure and gel nail polish, my fingernails are so long that I struggled with tying the last knots but managed after a couple of attempts!

A fun fiber-y day with friends old and new. If you missed it, you’re no doubt sorry today but  don’t worry, there’s always next year!

Gone knitting!