What happens when you cross all the items off your bucket list??
My daughter and I drove from Omaha to Taos, New Mexico on Friday before the Taos Fiber Festival started on Saturday and Sunday. It was a lovely but LONG drive! We drove through the mountains in New Mexico that reminded me a little of Missoula. They were large, rolling hills with trees that were shorter and much sparser than those in Montana. Instead of grass growing on the bottoms of the hills, there was scrubby bushes that had a beauty all their own. 
Probably easier than brushing the dogs!!!!
We shared the driving and while I was the passenger, I tried something new. I had purchased some dyed alpaca fiber that had not been carded to use in felting projects. Since I don’t own any carders, I looked on the internet to see how much they cost and where to get some. I read that for small bits of fiber, others had used inexpensive dog grooming brushes! I worked on carding some of that fiber on the drive – AND it worked! Now I have felting fiber and my own set of “carders”!
We arrived very late on Friday, so we slept in a little and went to a popular breakfast place called Michael’s Kitchen Restaurant and Bakery on Pueblo Street. They served a delicious breakfast and had many yummy looking pastries! There were cream puffs that my friend Lisa would have died for (probably not as good as Gail’s though….) donuts, apple fritters, THREE kinds of cinnamon rolls, long johns, pies, and more! (ED. NOTE – How come none of that made it back?!?!?!?!!) Afterwards, Dare dropped me off at the Kit Carson Park for the festival!
So, you can do things other than wall-hangings!!!!
I walked onto a large lawn filled with tents, thinking “where do I start?”. So, just turned to the right and started browsing. (ED. NOTE – If you are ever lost in the woods, and try to walk a straight line to get out, you will ultimately walk in a circle based on your dominant hand. For her, being right-handed, she naturally turned to the right!!!) (I keep telling you, I AM mainly left-handed but obviously ambidextrous – and you’re just jealous!) The first tent I walked into was Enchanted Fibers from Bennett, CO. They had beautiful, hand felted garments; vests, shawls of all different lengths and colors. I had never seen anything quite like them.
As I wandered through more and more tents, I began to realize that I was seeing more garments than I had ever seen at a fiber festival before. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of yarn to purchase but the hats, vests, shawls, scarves and even dresses were abundant – and true pieces of art. Another of my favorite tents was Phoenix Fiber Mill an industrial sock mill. They had TONS of different patterned socks but also fun items from felted pouches to yarn garlands to felted bookmarks and mobiles. Phoenix Fiber Mill is a family owned business in southwest Colorado. From a little conversation at the cash register, I discovered the “fun bits” were made by the girls, apparently just for shows because I couldn’t find any of those on their website. Now that I know, I’ll remember to purchase those things when I see them at another show! (ED. NOTE – Great, another excuse for buying!!!!)
About half way around the circle of tents, I had to go sit on a bench in the park to just take a breathe and soak up the talent that I felt surrounded by – it was a beautiful, cool fall day with a brilliant blue sky and I felt a little overwhelmed and so joyful that I have the opportunity to explore and take part in something that I love so much.
After my little rest, I walked over to a pavilion where a sheep shearing demonstration was going on. I have seen sheep shearing before, but it is always fun to watch. I’m sure its stressful for the sheep but they always spring up like they’re happy to have lost the weight of their coats 😊.
MMMmmm, kafta!!!!
I passed by a LONG line of people waiting to order food from the lamb tent and another line waiting for fry dough and smoothies. It sure smelled good but I just can’t make myself eat lamb…. In the middle of the area was a stage where local bands and singers played. Chairs were set up for those who wanted to sit and listen. For me, it was as if I had background music just playing in my life! (The hubs has always told me he thinks it would be cool if we all had our own soundtrack for our lives.)
While it sounds sad, I’m sure several hours was plenty!!!!!
I only stayed several hours Saturday and went back Sunday (one day is NEVER enough at a fiber festival). Saturday afternoon, Dare took me up into the mountains to Ski Valley and a resort she had worked at over the winter. The aspen were changing colors and made beautiful lines up on the mountain in between the evergreens.
Now this is a hands-on demonstration!!!!
When I got back to the festival on Sunday, one of the most amazing things that I saw was in the demonstration tent. I have been knitting socks for about 14 years with double pointed needles but have wanted to learn the magic loop method for quite a while. I am a very visual learner and prefer to be able to watch someone to learn a new technique. So, I has signed up to see the demonstration on the magic loop technique. Unfortunately, there was a mix up and the magic loop demonstrator was not going to be able to attend.
Fortunately, there was a lovely, young woman who was also sitting in the demonstration tent who knew how to knit the magic loop and offered to show those of us who were interested. (I LOVE how nice and friendly most of the knitting community is!) She cast on a small swatch for us and discussed how to manipulate the cable and needles to knit in the round – with one tube or two! Her adorable 10-11 month old son was wearing a pair of pants she had knit with this technique and he was her model as she showed us how to knit the legs of his pants. On another work in progress, a sweater, she showed us how she had joined both sleeves and would be working them at the same time. IT WAS AWESOME!! (ED. NOTE – Sounds like it was worth the price of admission!!!) I think we all felt so appreciative and some of those who had come late to the demonstration tent didn’t even realize she was just a festival-goer and not the “approved” demonstrator 😊. I was able to go back to the hotel that evening and knit my niece’s sweater sleeves using magic loop. (See finished sweater below – I’m hoping for a picture of her wearing soon!)
In the middle of the festival was a Fleece Show tent, a Yarn Competition tent and a Silent Auction tent. Check out some of the top winners:
It was a fun time and Taos is a beautiful and interesting place. Another fiber festival to check off the bucket list!