05/10/2026
My NH Sheep and Wool Fest Haul. There were SO many great vendors to pull inspiration from. And while I actually showed a lot more restraint than expected, despite a pretty unlimited budget (happy mothers day to me!) I left with so much more!
New persepective and Fresh Ideas!
I highly recommend if you are usually a vendor, to just sit one out here and there, and "play tourist".
While I did take pictures of vendors I'd like to revisit fir future projects, this year is mostly going to be a "maker" year for me. I don't plan on returning to shows until this fall. Meaning I will miss Maine Fiber Frolic (Don't worry, Im still volunteering here and there with the Maine Spinners Registry if you'd like a visit!)
Using what I have accumukated to make all the ideas that have been swimming in my head for years, in between moves and home renos. Yarn that has been sitting in my stash. Stuff I havent had time to play with, or got set aside whenever another show would come along. It's easy to get sucked into default mode with offering just the same predictable stuff that sells, and time for creativity suffers.
This year, we also will have the rest of our house renovated, and setting aside the DIY, which means my energy can go toward my own things (despite knowing I'll have the house torn apart, it is such a relief to just play director and not all the roles of a house reno! Contractors are a godsend)
I am glad to have the privilege to be able to take the time to do this and just MAKE! It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time, but always fell into the trap of going to shows because it's expected of me. In retrospect, I think missing Fiber Marketplace due to sickness (April was ROUGH!) actually sort of launched me into finally taking the leap to do this. So this is your PSA that taking a step back is ok to do, and possibly even necessary as a creator!
