On Saturday, July 19th the guild hosted their 4th annual Spin In at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. This was my second year attending, and I was excited to see all the new additions to the day that the guild incorporated. As usual we invited our local sister guilds. When I spoke to members of the Elmendorph Guild it was agreed that we seemed to have more spinners in attendance than last year, an amazing feat considering that the weather was disgustingly hot and humid. The occasional cool breeze coming through the pavilion helped some, but it really was quite sticky. It’s a good thing the refreshments included cold drinks, we needed them!
One of the best things about the Spin In, for me, is that I try to sit next to someone I don’t know very well so that I can get to know them a little better. This year I sat next to Hans, sans Phil, and chatted the day away. It seemed that everywhere I looked I saw a new face, it was nice to get friendly with the sister guild members.
New this year was a silent auction, the idea for which grew out of a discussion early this spring about ways to raise money for the guild. Guild members were encouraged to bring items from their stash, in good repair, and offer them up for sale. All proceeds went to the guild, and while some items went very cheaply, there was some fierce bidding going on. That ball winder was quite the item to have! Everything from vintage yarn to spinning and knitting tools, roving to washed fleeces was up for grabs. I bid on, and won, the most gorgeous copper Angelina that will become part of my mother s wedding-vow-renewal shawl. The brown Romney fleece I snagged won’t go to waste either. I’m not sure how much money was raised but we had a grand time. Thanks goes to the lovely ladies from the visiting guild for bringing their departed member’s magazine stash. They offered her magazines to us for free, so that her stash would live on in her absence. We all thoroughly appreciated the chance to go stash-diving and many of us enriched our collections of knitting and spinning magazines. Thank you again!
The Spin In is a very special event. It’s where we come together as a fiber family and share a few hours doing what we love, together. I hope that the guild continues this event for many years to come. You can see the full photo album for this event by clicking on the Album tab at the top of the website.
