The Fold

Imagine your own private fiber festival.  Picture your wilder fiber fantasies, then add a wise, calm, knowledgeable, centered guide.

That's The Fold and Toni Neil. 

We park in the driveway.  Toni is in the garage with an armload of skirted fleece.  Her CVM ram has just been shorn for the first time in two years.  The staple length is daunting, the smell intoxicating.  She offers a taste.  "Here, smell this.  Isn't it great?"  And it is.  The fineness of the fibers teases my spinner's eye.

Inside, the shop is cooler.  Eric (the German Shepherd) and Al (the husband) wave hello with tail and hand, respectively.  One fights hard to not look everywhere at once.  There is so much.  Dropspindles, handcards, bags of fleece, bags of roving, shelves full of exotic fibers, a room of yarn.  Blue Moon Fiber Arts dyes more than just STR.  Some of their yarns are humdingers.  Ask Toni about Koi. 

Last year, I spun briefly on a Lendrum Saxony.  This year, I'm looking at travel wheels.  I cannot resist the call of the Lendrum, however, so I sit down and spin for a bit.  It is a smooth, quiet, seamless,  efficient wheel.  I'm trying SO hard not to be a wheel ho.

I spend some time with the Majacraft Little Gem II.  Toni says that the Little Gem I had problems with the driveband leaping off unpredictably.  The problem is solved on the Little Gem II.  I am now totally a wheel ho because I like this one, too.  Toni then forces me (!) to try a regular Lendrum.  I understand why I see this one at spinning gatherings as the most popular portable wheel.

This is not just about playing with wheels.  Toni encourages me to spin the fibers I want to try.  This wall of fleece takes words away.  It encompasses an entire wall, and represents only a small portion of the fiber in the shop.  I try Rambouillet, merino/silk/alpaca, Debouillet, yak, Icelandic, CVM, and more.  It is a banquet of roving, a feast.

Debouillet is an American cross of Delaine-Merino and Rambouillet.  It spins like rambo, but has a longer staple length.  It is SOFT.

I bought it all.  Kathy was smart enough to say, "Yes! Me too!" when I called her.  I was clearly giddy and excited over my find.  Debouillet was on my Life List of fibers to spin.  I didn't think I would ever find it.   (Birdwatchers have Life Lists.  I decided that I would have a fiber Life List.  When you see me buying 2 ounces of this or that weird fiber, that is what I'm doing.  My guidebook is In Sheeps' Clothing.)

Toni is a source of fiber from www.rovings.com.  I have some Polwarth/mohair from last year.  Mr. Etherknitter's cap had half of the yarn (one of the plys) as Rovings Polwarth.  I troll their website regularly, unable to order because I've been unable to narrow down colors and fibers.  I asked Toni what she had.

"Oh!  I just got in four boxes from them.  Shall we open them and see what's there?"

FOUR BOXES?  Oh.  Yes.  Now.  Me.  Ooops.  I tried to act coolly unconcerned and indifferent.   I failed. 

I am surrounded by bags from Rovings, all colors of the rainbow.  For Cassie?  That's a fleece washing sink behind me to the right.  Let the record show I did not buy blue.

Another product unique to me was yarn from Rovings.  All natural colors, there was Polwarth (aran and fingering), Polwarth/silk, cashmere, cashmere/silk, yak, and more.  Several came home with me, including a dark brown/grey fingering Polwarth/silk skein destined to be Swallowtail.

My box of fiber has not yet arrived.  I can't show you what came home with me yet.  I did not buy a wheel.  I bought no STR.  Oh, and by the way?   The maple wheel at the bottom of the picture of the fleece wall is the Lendrum Saxony.  There is a year's waiting list for them now.   It's a temptation, isn't it?

Comments

[--Deb]

Oh my . . . heaven!

[LaurieM]

I don't spin, but seeing you surrouded by bags of colored fleece, I had an image of a pool of potential. Much work, but much potential too. The dreaming pool.

And you look so happy!

[Juno]

Wait, if they Rovings is shipping to tony, that means that maybe my order from them might come in --- had to wait a season to get the blend I wanted.

Cool.

You look so HAPPY.

[Beth S.]

Yes on the 'life list'--I'm the same way. Yes on In Sheep's Clothing. And YES on the Lendrum Saxony! I want one BAD(ly). Ask Marcy. ;-)

What a truly splendid day that must have been!

[Cara]

Was it the dark walnut Lendrum Saxony? It was all I could do not to buy that wheel ON THE SPOT. It's THE wheel for me. I just can't justify it.

Crap. I just re-read your post. I should get off the Robin list and get on the Lendrum list. If only I had the room and really, if only, I had more spinning under my belt.

I loved going out to The Fold. It is absolutely completely worth the trip.

[Catherine]

You're looking a little giddy, sitting there with all that fiber. The sheepy fumes must have been getting to you ;)

[Marcia Cooke]

Damn. I have to go to Chicago. And, yes, I think "ho" says it all! Naah, just jealous and trying to subdue the wheel lust, although I'm entertaining thoughts of the Wee Robin again and am wishing I hadn't given up MY place on that list! For sure my "travel wheel" isn't going to be the Schacht Ladybug, which looks like the illegitimate child of a Matchless and a Babe, and I guess I can scratch the Little Gem, too, huh? As for Rovings, they bring it ALL to SOAR. Just saying.

[margene]

I've never seen a smile so wide! You speak of the Fold as a place we all should go on pilgrimage. I'm starting a Life List now.

[Lucia]

Me 9.

[Carole]

I've had a Life List for birds forever. I never thought of doing one for fiber but it's a fabulous idea. Oh, and next time? Call me too!

[Norma]

What a happy smile!!!

More than anything, I love the name, and all it exudes, of "The Fold."

[Marcy]

I am SO jealous that you got to see Toni in her natural habitat! I've only ever seen her at shows. Woh. Love them fumes, huh? And like Carole, call me, too, next time?

Enabler extraordinaire, that's you. Enabling from Ohio to Mass. That's power!

[Andrea]

I get to go to www.rovings.com in *person* soon! It's just outside Winnipeg (where I live), so a friend and I are going to drive there when she's back from holidays.

[Peeve]

Oh... wow..... *drool*

[Cassie]

Wow. I. am. so. jealous. Cannot speak. (That's notable, in case you've forgotten.)

[Romi]

Wow! It's fiber heaven! ::happy sigh:: :)

[Kim]

Holy.Crap.!! All I can say is that must be what heaven looks like!

I LOVE my Lendrum Saxony.....so smooth. I completely understand the wheel ho thing...heehee!

[Lynn]

Oh my. Oh my oh my. I never believed in heaven, but I think I just started believing in The Fold.

[Kathy]

My mama didn't raise a fool. :-) (You're like Paine Webber, when you call, I listen!)

[elisa]

That smile on your face is just...beatific.

Makes me wonder if I can justify a little stop in Chicago on my way to California. ;)

[Cheryl]

It looks SO COOL! I had no idea the Fold was such a great place!

[Lynne]

Oh man, I'm drooling with fiber envy!

[Lindsay]

All that roving leaves me drooling! Field trip!

[Kellee]

I can't decide if I love it or hate it when you go to Toni's store and then tell us ALL about it. ;)

[Martha]

Laurie, I don't care what anyone says, you're no ho.

[Monica]

There is no acting cool in the face of so. much. fiber.

[Manise]

I listened too! Can't wait to spin it up. Great photo of you in Fiber and Wheel nirvana.

[vanessa]

whell hos are the best kind of hos.

[vanessa]

wheel!

[Anne]

Holy crap! Now THAT is a field trip. :) I cannot wait to see your Pandora's box of goodies.

[Teyani]

Lendrum Saxony has been calling my name as well.
A day with Toni at the Fold?. be stil my heart. It must have been so divine. She's a peach.

[Madame Purl]

So glad you found The Fold. It's only 45 minutes in my back yard and it's wonderful. She had a huge sale on last Sunday - 25% on wheels - 40% on yarn and fibers. It was parking on the lawn only and packed like a sardine tin. I tried the Lendrum Saxony, but my legs are so short I had to contort and twist my back to use it. I ended up with the Lendrum upright. I'm a wheel ho - my third baby.

[Birdsong]

Waa... I am green (and purple, red and yellow) with envy! I don't think you are necessarily a wheel ho, there just might be a better all-round wheel for your nomadic lifestyle. I think this has to happen if we want to spin with other people the way we love to knit with other people. I could either get a traveling wheel soon or wait till I beat mine to s*** loading it in and out of the jeep and bouncing it around. Sounds like a practical forethought to buy one soon.

[JessaLu]

You look so unbelievably happy!! Good for you :o)

Did you buy anything orange? *grin*

[Terry M]

Oh that stuff from Rovings is gorgeous! I saw some at SOAR a couple years ago, but didn't get in line soon enough....
The Lendrum saxony is absolute heaven, btw - I ordered one a couple years ago and it is nice and FAST! I have both Lendrum wheels and love them both! Looks like you had a GREAT time at The Fold! I may have to keep that on my "travel" list.