Score!

Today I biked in the misty rain to my favorite tweedehands winkel. And look what I found for €30!


I have always professed to being disinterested in spinning at this point in my fiber exploration, but I think the universe is speaking to me on this one. It even came with this spool of handspun.


From looking around online I found that it is an upright wheel, and I found a photo of a very similar one that called it a Schippertje, which means "little skipper". It does look quite nautical. I also saw it described as a French style wheel or a boudoir wheel. I am fully in love.

I spent a few hours this evening trying to figure it out myself, and even managed to get a little bit of overspun and overly chunky yarn, but I am definitely looking forward to getting better at it. I'm in shock that I found it so perfectly. It literally dropped in my lap.

Thank you, fiber Goddess.

Field Trip Fun

This Saturday, a whole bunch of us Amsterdammers took the train to Zwolle to visit the Handwerk Beurs. It's basically a convention for crafting, if that helps to clarify.

I wasn't expecting much since all the reviews I heard gave it low marks for knitting/fiber related arts. Despite its reviews, I was pleasantly surprised. While other people concentrated on getting hard-to-find items, hot new trendy yarns, or something they hadn't tried before, I really just wanted sock yarn. Here's my modest haul:


We had a blast on the train to and from, and I think that was really the root of the good times. The yarn/fiber stands there were mostly webshops around the country, so it's not anything you couldn't get through the mail, and the entry fee might as well have been your postage. Still, it's nice to touch the fibers, sit and knit with the hens, and share our passion for knitting. Honestly, I think the ooh-ing and aah-ing over other other peoples yarn/projects (and having it reciprocated) is a considerable part of the fun.

Alex made banana bread and date-nut-whiskey bread for the train, and Andy is always good for diverting conversation :).

Here's my Penelope Craft partner, Dagmar at the knitting table. Isn't she cute!


All in all, it was really fun.