What A Trip!!.....installment #2

On Tuesday Michael, Autumn and I loaded up the van and headed off to Tacoma, WA for the Madrona Winter Retreat.
Autumn rode all the way there in her "nest" (cat carrier) .....All was well with the world......except that I am coming down with a cold, right after almost recovering from the cold/flu that I had on my way home from TNNA....Lovely!! Ah, well, all I had to do was sneeze, knit and stare out the window....Oh, yes and blow my nose!!

Autumn was a trooper the whole trip. She stayed in the van during the day (we went out to feed her and give her pets) & she kept us mightily entertained at night doing her "evil eel" impersonation under the bed clothes.....she's now an official traveling kitty!!


This show is the best that we have attended, in many ways for a long time!! It was well organized, easy in and out (very important for a vendor), easy set-up!! Suzanne (the coordinator) was available and concerned, coming around each day to see how everything was going....WOW, what a concept!!
The hotel was very nice, had a great place to eat (reasonable prices and gignormous amounts..Michael and I split lunch each day) & a Starbucks in the foyer....what's not to like?

The people came to shop. This lovely lady won the BIG prize....a felted bag with all of the teachers signatures on it...she was quite happy and filled it with purchases from the show.

The teachers were awesome:

Karen Alfke • Janine Bajus • Anne Berk • Pat Bruner • Evelyn A. Clark • Fiona Ellis • Darla Fanton
Helen Hamann • Susanna Hansson • Daniel Herrera • Jill Laski • Ginger Luters • Anita Luvera Mayer
Betsy McCarthy • Judith MacKenzie McCuin • Sally Melville • Stephanie Pearl-McPhee • Leigh Radford
Carol H. Rhoades • Carol Robinson • Paula Shull • Kristin Spurkland • Jean Wong • Myra Wood
Made me wish that I could have taken some classes....perhaps next year

Good friends came to visit and take classes.....Canadians, Floridians and Minnesotians...as well as the Washington crew. It was great to come together at this event!!


We had a lovely dinner with friends a block away from the show....the table was so long that you could only guess where it ended. Our lovely and talented friend Angela (Angel that she is) organized it all! Thanks A!!
Since we joined the fiber community we have been blessed with many new friends...and I am most grateful!!

There was a flurry of activity around the Marketplace and although there were only 24 of us....it was an awesome display!!
Lucky us to be right next to our friend Karen from Two Swan Yarn

Karen is a lovely lady and a great neighbor....not to mention..very talented!!

Janel of Chameleon Colorworks was there with her great yarns, spindles and rovings....always a joy to see..... (oh yeah, shes' also the "captain" of Spindlicity). She was kind enough to lend me one of her super cool drop spindles to use during the show.....I HAD to give it up to a nice lady that instantly fell in love with it!! My pleasure!!

Janine Bajus stopped by our booth. She's an very sweet woman and, needless to say amazing talent!! Look at what she is wearing.....not in my wildest dreams....WOW!! I would have bowed down at her feet, if my knees would have let me.
I settled for a lovely conversation!!

Believe me I could go on and on about the experience that was Madrona Winter Retreat....but I think that's enough for now at least.
I already miss ALL of it wonderful friends and patrons... and I look forward to another great time next year!! Hope you can make it as well!!