4th Annual Arkansas Fiber Arts Extravaganza

Sitting high atop Mt. Magazine in the cold breeze, I found myself awash with bliss and joy as I spun happy memories with my fiber friends.

That is how I would describe my weekend in one sentence. An absolute pleasurable 2 days away from the world, just to celebrate the fibers and all the ways we play with them. It all started for me on Wednesday. I had driven to meet my friends in Tulsa, so that we could make our way toward Arkansas together on Thursday. We shopped and talked all while crammed into a SUV stuffed to the gills with yarns, fibers, fleeces, and spinning wheels.

Don't believe me, here's my seat. .

 
We went out to eat at local restaurants and visited Stringtown in Ft Smith, AR that my friend Elizabeth owns. Her shop is amazing with everything you could possibly want when it comes to fiber. I petted many skeins before continuing onto our hotel. 

  At the Lodge, I happily found my spot and unloaded all my batts, yarns, and other sundry items. It's always a game to figure out how to set up my booth. I never seem to do the same thing twice. Mainly because the space I usually get is different each time. I abhor being confined to a 10x10 space with no elbow room as many fairs do. Not Arkansas though, all their booths were nicely set out with ample space to wander, admire, and sometimes gawk for a couple of minutes (Did you see that silk fiber that was as big as a blanket at Spinning Straw into Gold?!)

 It was the first year that they had opened up vending on Friday night, and while it was fatiguing to drive in and set up before 6, the evening was delightfully busy. The atmosphere was calm, yet enthused. I had the best time chatting with everyone, long-time festival attendees and new alike. There was something around every corner: square knitting needles to try out, spinning wheels to test drive, yarns to molest, and fibers you could dig up to your elbows in. It was a dream!

Saturday quickly started early in the day and didn't calm down a bit. It was never overly crowded, and I always had someone to talk to. At one point, I took a break to wander the halls to find knitters, spinners, crocheters lining the halls and camped out in every available chair both inside and out. How can you not smile when your surrounded with such a stunning view?

I could go on and on about how wonderful this festival is, but as you may have heard already, experiencing is so, so much better. I plan to attend next year as it travels to Hot Springs, AR with more goodies. I hope to see you all in 2011!