Bothwell SpinIn 2009

Tasmania looks a lot like California. It's the beginning of Autumn here, the hills are golden grass and eucalyptus. The air is fresh, the weather is pleasant, the coffee and tea is good, the wine is better, and the company is the best.

We are staying here:


My housemate is Di McPherson (on the right here); natural dyer, surface designer:



Di did yeoman's duty demonstrating dyeing all weekend long. Her work is mostly on silk, using some indigo, and lots of exploration of local plants, especially the vast variety of gum trees available in Tasmania:



A very small, dedicated committee puts this event together every other year. Over 200 people attended, there were musicians, fashion shows, contests, spinning ongoing, various entertainments (some of which shall appear in a future post), vendors, food booths, sand sculptures, and an array of activities for all ages. For a committee of 9 people, that is a job and half to coordinate:



There are exhibits of handspun knitting:







Weaving:







Felting:



There were demonstrations of all kinds all weekend:

From preparations for sock dyeing, to spinning, weaving, felting, and dyeing.

There is too much to tell in one post, and more photos to come. Today, Monday, is my day off to do some catch up, prepare for the workshops coming up this week, read the newspapers, do the laundry, and (obviously) sit around in an internet cafe. I am the luckiest of people, thanks to the committee who brought me here.