Happy St. Distaff's Day!

Yesterday we celebrated St. Distaff's Day, homage to a non-existent Saint, but in reality a day to mark the return to spinning after the Christmas holidays. About 150 members of Northwest Regional Spinners' Association and friends gathered in Mountlake Terrace, Washington for the day. Our car was filled with four occupants, four wheels, and all necessary supplies, and we drove from Bellingham, a little more than an hour north of Mountlake Terrace.

In Old England, St. Distaff's Day was celebrated a few days before the return of the ploughmen to their work, so it was typical of the fellows to gather & harass the spinners by setting fire to their flax. Then, of course, the spinners would retaliate by hurling buckets of water to put out the fire & drench the ploughmen. I am happy to report that there were no ploughmen there yesterday. Of the few gentlemen in attendance, all were cordial fellow spinners, or in related or compatible industry. (Thank you, Gentlemen!) We all had a wonderful time, enjoyed the bond of friendship & scents of fiber and luscious soaps, and nibbled from the generous table of cookies & other tasty treats.


My dear friend, Janice, who has been spinning for a little over a year, had an impromptu lesson spinning silk/merino on a Drudik wheel (be still my heart). Is he still maintaining his list and producing wheels? I hope so, because I truly think she needs one.

We, of course, filled the car with goodies to bring home. Janice & I could not resist splitting a Cotswold fleece, from the nuns on Shaw Island in the San Juans. It is soaking right now and I can't begin to describe how lustrous the locks look. Then, of course, there were countless colorful dyed rovings which made their way home as well. Not to mention the natural ones which are yet to be dyed. Way too much fun, as is always had in the company of kindred spirits.