2012 Fiber Retreat Trip and Recap
Jun. 19th, 2012 01:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ianukWhen last I wrote I was getting ready to head to Cali for the Griffin Dyeworks Fiber and Dye Retreat.
Wednesday
I had a packed day from work to the gym to dinner with the family and then off to the officer's meeting and then errands. I walked in the door at 10pm and then had to start packing. Oof. I got my clothes etc packed and my project bags done but I left everything else until the morning. In the morning we got up about normal time. While mel was in the shower I finished up Book #11. Love The Eyre Affair and loved the world that Jasper Fforde has created. Alternate histories for the win!
Thursday
We got packed an on the road after breakfast at Joe's about 9am or so. Our drive out was uneventful. We stopped for lunch at the Courtesy Coffee Shop in Blythe. Old style diner that hasn't been updated since it opened but good food and nice wait staff. We got to our hotel about 615pm and were happy to stop moving. Benton managed to have a good time crawling all over the hotel room, climbing the furniture and jumping and landing on the bed. (Mel is teaching him bad habits..lol) We cleaned up a bit and then headed to BJ's brewery for dinner and had a nice time there. I made a quick stop at Target for some cold medicine for mel. He was feeling poorly by the time we arrive at the hotel. We got back and got the boy to bed...though he wasn't too happy about bed time and mel took cold medicine and we all settled down for sleep. Well, mel and I had not counted on the fact that he had had some ibuprofen, two strong beers and then the cold medicine to basically put him in a shivering state since his blood was so thin. Poor guy. He was pretty miserable in the morning and none of us slept well at all.
Friday
We had breakfast and the headed up to the site for the retreat. We got unpacked and unloaded at our cabin and then had a nice time greeting everyone and meeting the new folks. We managed to get the boy down for a nap and mel napped too. I took a class on how to use fiber tool (cards, combs and drum carders) and I found that really, really useful and helpful. Benton woke up in the afternoon and we had a nice time running around the site in between classes and dinner. Mel was feeling better after a nap and he attended a class on dyeing I think. The evening was spent chatting with folks and I bought in on a "Spin the mystery to yarn" fundraiser. Basically you got a box of various fibers and you had to spin yarn out of it. I used my newly acquired skills to make a huge batt out of the mohair, sparkle and odd fibers and then carded up the cotton and the silk to make a bunch of fun pieces to spin. I got the wool all spun up on Friday night and I guess I was pretty comical since I was dropping my drop spindle and messing things up fairly often due to being tired.
Friday night was pretty awful for sleep. Benton did not want to go to bed, did finally go to bed and then woke up screaming while we came to bed. I ended up staying up with him for quite a while and finally had it and just put him down. I know he's teething some on his lower molars and he was pretty miserable. Mel slept fitfully too and that means I was awake more than I was asleep for quite a bit of it.
Saturday
Saturday we got up and had breakfast and then I managed to get the weird stuff spun up and then everything plied into yarn while Benton played in the out door pack n play. He had a good time and I had a good time and then we wandered a bit before I got him down for a good nap. Mel was playing in the dye pots of taking a class on blending fibers for spinning. Later in the afternoon I took a class on galvanically etching copper. After dinner and the boy went to bed even after an extra afternoon nap I sat and spun more and hung out with people having a few drinks and just chatting. It was a nice. I really enjoy that about the retreat the dozens of spinners making thread and yarn late into the night. I also started spinning the stuff I had dyed last year with easter egg dyes and its turning out really, really nice.
The nice thing about Saturday night was that Benton slept the entire night all of the way through and woke up cute and giggly. We both slept way better as well.
Here is a close up of my the yarn I made:
Sunday
Sunday AM I took a class on folding copper for decorative elements (also taught by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cavalaxis and got a cool idea for something if I'm ever queen.
Then started the mad scramble to get everything packed and ready for the trip home. Unlike previous years we were not done before lunch and I was keeping Benton up and awake until we got in the car. We finally got on the road after quick showers at 130pm. Mel had worked hard to clean and move stuff around for the retreat staff and was an all around awesome guy for the dye stuff as well...it was just a lot to do and a very limited time to do it.
Our travels back were okay. We again stopped (this time for dinner) in Blythe and had a nice time there. We almost got into an accident with a lady in a big black hummer+trailer which had us reeling. She pulled into our lane not realizing we were passing her and then kept coming even though we were honking and swerving. Mel did a great job driving and keeping things under control but it was very, very scary. We got home about 1015pm and still had to bathe a very dirty Benton. Bathing a toddler who basically woke up from sleeping is not fun but he was clean and snuggled up and back to bed pretty quickly. We got into the showers after that and both wound down reading for a bit.
I started #12 Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine and slept really well in my own bed. We had a slow time getting ready on Monday AM and work was kinda dragging for me and then I got a moother of a headache later in the afternoon. I left work a bit early and then headed home to sleep it off. Mel was awesome and made dinner so when I got up we had dinner and then I headed to Ari's for scribble by way of Micheals. Had a nice night at scribble and then home to read a bit and head to bed.
Mel is feeling better and Benton still is a bit snotty and coughing from his cold last week but I'm glad they are both on the mend. Benton is such a trooper with traveling.
Oh, on the neato kid things front. While at dinner he walked over to the booth next to us and played with a plant. He did not like the feel of the plant (a philodenderon I think) and he shied away from it pretty quickly. While we were eating he pointed to the decorative lettuce on mel's plate so we gave him some to try. He felt it and then immediately turned to look at the plant he had touched before and then looked at the lettuce in his hands and then put it on the table. He made the connection to a green thing growing and then watching him brain mull that over was awesome.
So, to end, here are my pictures from the weekend:
Retreat Photos
From Monday Scribble
Wednesday
I had a packed day from work to the gym to dinner with the family and then off to the officer's meeting and then errands. I walked in the door at 10pm and then had to start packing. Oof. I got my clothes etc packed and my project bags done but I left everything else until the morning. In the morning we got up about normal time. While mel was in the shower I finished up Book #11. Love The Eyre Affair and loved the world that Jasper Fforde has created. Alternate histories for the win!
Thursday
We got packed an on the road after breakfast at Joe's about 9am or so. Our drive out was uneventful. We stopped for lunch at the Courtesy Coffee Shop in Blythe. Old style diner that hasn't been updated since it opened but good food and nice wait staff. We got to our hotel about 615pm and were happy to stop moving. Benton managed to have a good time crawling all over the hotel room, climbing the furniture and jumping and landing on the bed. (Mel is teaching him bad habits..lol) We cleaned up a bit and then headed to BJ's brewery for dinner and had a nice time there. I made a quick stop at Target for some cold medicine for mel. He was feeling poorly by the time we arrive at the hotel. We got back and got the boy to bed...though he wasn't too happy about bed time and mel took cold medicine and we all settled down for sleep. Well, mel and I had not counted on the fact that he had had some ibuprofen, two strong beers and then the cold medicine to basically put him in a shivering state since his blood was so thin. Poor guy. He was pretty miserable in the morning and none of us slept well at all.
Friday
We had breakfast and the headed up to the site for the retreat. We got unpacked and unloaded at our cabin and then had a nice time greeting everyone and meeting the new folks. We managed to get the boy down for a nap and mel napped too. I took a class on how to use fiber tool (cards, combs and drum carders) and I found that really, really useful and helpful. Benton woke up in the afternoon and we had a nice time running around the site in between classes and dinner. Mel was feeling better after a nap and he attended a class on dyeing I think. The evening was spent chatting with folks and I bought in on a "Spin the mystery to yarn" fundraiser. Basically you got a box of various fibers and you had to spin yarn out of it. I used my newly acquired skills to make a huge batt out of the mohair, sparkle and odd fibers and then carded up the cotton and the silk to make a bunch of fun pieces to spin. I got the wool all spun up on Friday night and I guess I was pretty comical since I was dropping my drop spindle and messing things up fairly often due to being tired.
Friday night was pretty awful for sleep. Benton did not want to go to bed, did finally go to bed and then woke up screaming while we came to bed. I ended up staying up with him for quite a while and finally had it and just put him down. I know he's teething some on his lower molars and he was pretty miserable. Mel slept fitfully too and that means I was awake more than I was asleep for quite a bit of it.
Saturday
Saturday we got up and had breakfast and then I managed to get the weird stuff spun up and then everything plied into yarn while Benton played in the out door pack n play. He had a good time and I had a good time and then we wandered a bit before I got him down for a good nap. Mel was playing in the dye pots of taking a class on blending fibers for spinning. Later in the afternoon I took a class on galvanically etching copper. After dinner and the boy went to bed even after an extra afternoon nap I sat and spun more and hung out with people having a few drinks and just chatting. It was a nice. I really enjoy that about the retreat the dozens of spinners making thread and yarn late into the night. I also started spinning the stuff I had dyed last year with easter egg dyes and its turning out really, really nice.
The nice thing about Saturday night was that Benton slept the entire night all of the way through and woke up cute and giggly. We both slept way better as well.
Here is a close up of my the yarn I made:
Sunday
Sunday AM I took a class on folding copper for decorative elements (also taught by
cavalaxis and got a cool idea for something if I'm ever queen. Then started the mad scramble to get everything packed and ready for the trip home. Unlike previous years we were not done before lunch and I was keeping Benton up and awake until we got in the car. We finally got on the road after quick showers at 130pm. Mel had worked hard to clean and move stuff around for the retreat staff and was an all around awesome guy for the dye stuff as well...it was just a lot to do and a very limited time to do it.
Our travels back were okay. We again stopped (this time for dinner) in Blythe and had a nice time there. We almost got into an accident with a lady in a big black hummer+trailer which had us reeling. She pulled into our lane not realizing we were passing her and then kept coming even though we were honking and swerving. Mel did a great job driving and keeping things under control but it was very, very scary. We got home about 1015pm and still had to bathe a very dirty Benton. Bathing a toddler who basically woke up from sleeping is not fun but he was clean and snuggled up and back to bed pretty quickly. We got into the showers after that and both wound down reading for a bit.
I started #12 Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine and slept really well in my own bed. We had a slow time getting ready on Monday AM and work was kinda dragging for me and then I got a moother of a headache later in the afternoon. I left work a bit early and then headed home to sleep it off. Mel was awesome and made dinner so when I got up we had dinner and then I headed to Ari's for scribble by way of Micheals. Had a nice night at scribble and then home to read a bit and head to bed.
Mel is feeling better and Benton still is a bit snotty and coughing from his cold last week but I'm glad they are both on the mend. Benton is such a trooper with traveling.
Oh, on the neato kid things front. While at dinner he walked over to the booth next to us and played with a plant. He did not like the feel of the plant (a philodenderon I think) and he shied away from it pretty quickly. While we were eating he pointed to the decorative lettuce on mel's plate so we gave him some to try. He felt it and then immediately turned to look at the plant he had touched before and then looked at the lettuce in his hands and then put it on the table. He made the connection to a green thing growing and then watching him brain mull that over was awesome.
So, to end, here are my pictures from the weekend:
Retreat Photos
From Monday Scribble
