I Survived NTIF 2010...
Mar. 7th, 2010 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
barely. Rough estimate was 50,000 people thru the gate yesterday, and about 20 - 30,000 today. I talked to at least half of them. :sigh:
I managed 2 3-ply skeins yesterday (Navajo/chain-plied, but still!), and 1 almost full bobbin of lace-weight singles. Oh, and a ball of Pyr-hair straight from the dogs. I taught 1 person to knit, and at least 4 people had an "Ah-Ha!" moment while watching me spin. Pictures will be forthcoming.....not sure when, but they'll be coming. :grin:
I got offers of dog hair (NO thanks! - Except for the Pyrs I spun from - they were immaculate, and very very sweet), free llama (the guy took my card, and will be shipping it to me. We'll see), AND I got commissioned to knit a chullo-style hat for a clan cousin. He ran to Wally-world last night for the yarn; I told him $20 and the yarn would get him a hat. (It's a simple 1. 2 colors, MY style, with ear-flaps. I figure, stripes are easy and quick; the yarn is worsted-weight, and yeah, I'm way under-charging, but he's a Clan Member. So......yeah.)
We got an application to go on the waiting list for another Wolfhound - Zoey is slowing down and showing her age (she's 7 - soon to be 8), and they don't have any rescues right now, so....best to get on the list and wait. They had a lot of dogs for petting, but so far people are hanging onto their big dogs. (This surprised me, but Wolfies are such lovable goofs, it does make sense.)
I noticed a few things: People weren't buying - OR drinking! - as much as in years past. Also, a LOT of people are worried about "the crash". (They don't realize it's HERE). Quite a few people were discussing setting up "commune" type places - I was invited to move to a lot of them, as I could contribute clothing. :rolls eyes: I didn't have the heart - or the prompting - to tell them what's happening......in fact, I was *very* disinclined to discuss it. :sigh: I did what I could - urging people to get goats/chickens/gardens, but I'm not sure anyone really listened.
It's hard to describe the mood...usually it's upbeat, people are merry, happy drunks. This weekend, they......were looking for distraction. Not spending much (from what I could tell, anyway), and...sorta desperate - or that's what I was getting from them.
The bands on our stage were *fantastic*. They were a big draw - but I didn't see people buying CDs. :shrug: (I should say that *we* didn't spend much this year - I spent $70. $30 for a new mug (my friend is a potter and makes lovely Celtic-themed mugs. She makes a beautiful Celtic Sea-horse mainly for me, and I broke my favorite one a few months ago), and $40 for a mug for my co-worker's birthday (hand-thrown, with a Celtic Owl on it. She collects owl stuff, so this is PERFECT.) Usually, we drop $200 - for food/gifts/CDs - but this year we're too tight to do this. (And what I spent? She'll hold the check for me until the 15th. :sigh:)
Stupidest question of the weekend: 10 year old boy "Is that Real?" pointing at my spinning wheel, after watching me spin for a good 10 minutes. :bangs head: 2nd stupidest (and I got this one a BUNCH): "Can you spin straw into gold?" :sigh: (Answer: "No, I'm currently working on spinning steel wool into silver. I'm almost there!")
I know there's a lot I'm forgetting....but I am exhausted. And, we came home to a dead hen...no clue as to why. It was one of our original Buff Orps, but here was no external sign of anything. Herself is down about that....:sigh:
I managed 2 3-ply skeins yesterday (Navajo/chain-plied, but still!), and 1 almost full bobbin of lace-weight singles. Oh, and a ball of Pyr-hair straight from the dogs. I taught 1 person to knit, and at least 4 people had an "Ah-Ha!" moment while watching me spin. Pictures will be forthcoming.....not sure when, but they'll be coming. :grin:
I got offers of dog hair (NO thanks! - Except for the Pyrs I spun from - they were immaculate, and very very sweet), free llama (the guy took my card, and will be shipping it to me. We'll see), AND I got commissioned to knit a chullo-style hat for a clan cousin. He ran to Wally-world last night for the yarn; I told him $20 and the yarn would get him a hat. (It's a simple 1. 2 colors, MY style, with ear-flaps. I figure, stripes are easy and quick; the yarn is worsted-weight, and yeah, I'm way under-charging, but he's a Clan Member. So......yeah.)
We got an application to go on the waiting list for another Wolfhound - Zoey is slowing down and showing her age (she's 7 - soon to be 8), and they don't have any rescues right now, so....best to get on the list and wait. They had a lot of dogs for petting, but so far people are hanging onto their big dogs. (This surprised me, but Wolfies are such lovable goofs, it does make sense.)
I noticed a few things: People weren't buying - OR drinking! - as much as in years past. Also, a LOT of people are worried about "the crash". (They don't realize it's HERE). Quite a few people were discussing setting up "commune" type places - I was invited to move to a lot of them, as I could contribute clothing. :rolls eyes: I didn't have the heart - or the prompting - to tell them what's happening......in fact, I was *very* disinclined to discuss it. :sigh: I did what I could - urging people to get goats/chickens/gardens, but I'm not sure anyone really listened.
It's hard to describe the mood...usually it's upbeat, people are merry, happy drunks. This weekend, they......were looking for distraction. Not spending much (from what I could tell, anyway), and...sorta desperate - or that's what I was getting from them.
The bands on our stage were *fantastic*. They were a big draw - but I didn't see people buying CDs. :shrug: (I should say that *we* didn't spend much this year - I spent $70. $30 for a new mug (my friend is a potter and makes lovely Celtic-themed mugs. She makes a beautiful Celtic Sea-horse mainly for me, and I broke my favorite one a few months ago), and $40 for a mug for my co-worker's birthday (hand-thrown, with a Celtic Owl on it. She collects owl stuff, so this is PERFECT.) Usually, we drop $200 - for food/gifts/CDs - but this year we're too tight to do this. (And what I spent? She'll hold the check for me until the 15th. :sigh:)
Stupidest question of the weekend: 10 year old boy "Is that Real?" pointing at my spinning wheel, after watching me spin for a good 10 minutes. :bangs head: 2nd stupidest (and I got this one a BUNCH): "Can you spin straw into gold?" :sigh: (Answer: "No, I'm currently working on spinning steel wool into silver. I'm almost there!")
I know there's a lot I'm forgetting....but I am exhausted. And, we came home to a dead hen...no clue as to why. It was one of our original Buff Orps, but here was no external sign of anything. Herself is down about that....:sigh: