Signing up for SAFF

If you have been in my class, you've heard me wax blissful about wool festivals, and SAFF - that's Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair - in particular. If you are a fiber person of any stripe, a knitter, spinner, weaver, felter or all the above, you should absolutely go to at least one in your lifetime, and you will get hooked.

It is THE place to buy your yarns and fiber for the year, because you have nearly 100 vendors to choose from under one roof. And the vendors range from big companies to family farms and mom-and-pops. You can handle, try out and buy cashmere, angora, qiviut and other exotic fibers. There are also animal exhibits and competitions, and you can buy a whole award-winning fleece and pet the animal who recently wore it.

Now is a good time to go to the SAFF site and see what cool classes they will be having this year. The class formats vary from all day workshops to two hour demonstrations at a vendor's table, costing from $10-$60 for most classes. All fiber mediums are represented also. There are 19 felting classes alone! Not even knitting has as many! Felters are LOVED at SAFF!I am looking forward to taking a hat class with Chad Alice Hagan, and she's also teaching some simpler and shorter classes as well.

I usually take my camper van up and stay at an RV place about a mile and a half away, but there are several nice hotels within a mile of where it's held. And Asheville has lots of great B&Bs and inns. Now's the time to reserve, though. It's definitely worth the trip.

It's held at the end of October every year in Asheville, and as an added attraction, the Southern Highlands Craft Show is usually held that weekend too. We are talking pilgrimage to the fiber craft mecca here in the Southeast, just 3 hours from Atlanta. And, it's held during prime leaf season as well. I have gone every year but one since 1999, and I wait with anticipation each year. Here's the basic info from their site:

Friday, October 26th, 9am to 6pm; Saturday, October 27th 9am to 6pm; and Sunday, October 28th, 9am to 4pm. The event is located at the WNC Ag. Center, in Fletcher, NC, across Hwy 280 from the Asheville Regional Airport. (Exit 40 off I-26).

Admission is free on Friday. On Saturday & Sunday the fee will be $2/person for 13 yrs. & older (no charge for 12 yrs. and under). Tickets purchased on Saturday may be reused on Sunday.

We offer free Child Care (for toddlers & older) on Saturday & Sunday in Kids' Alley!
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No, I'm not on their advertising staff! :) I just love to go. See you there!

Hyde Park Class

We had a great time! What wonderful hats came out of that class - celebrated later as the Mad Hatters by their friends and family. I see great things coming from this group! Some of you left before I could get finished hat photos (and finished purse photo, Rosie), so PLEASE send me your snapshots so I can show them off as well. (Also let me know if I've spelled any names incorrectly.)

Here's the link to the class pictures. Class Participants are welcome to copy any of the shots to your computer for your own use. I will upload somw more photos later, including 2 hats I made during the class (one started life as a bowl). Stay tuned.