Stitch On! Line.: 2nd Annual Maritime Fibre Arts Retreat

What a wonderful time! I expected a wonderful weekend - and often end up disappointed when I have built my expectations up too high. This was not the case with this weekend - despite having exceedingly high expectations the retreat managed to exceed them by a mile. I met many wonderful people and had the opportunity to learn more about some fiber arts that I have only had fleeting glimpses at previously.

Tanya, Catherine, Steph and I decided to take the Friday off to start our event a day early. We took a bit ;-) of a detour to stop at Gaspereau Valley Fibres and it was well worth the extra driving. We started with a bit of a visit with animal friends.

We then entered a heavenly shop. It was difficult to decide what to pay attention to first. But barely 3 feet into the shop, my attention was captivated by the only purchase I made in this wonderful little shop - some Handmaiden Lace Silk:

That does not mean this shop did not have many other temptations!

Prior to this stop, we met with Steph's friend Liz and had a delicious lunch at Wolfville's Port Pub. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for wonderful lunching experience.

We then continued on our way to Oak Island Resort in Mahone Bay which is where the retreat was being held.

We spent the evening spinning, knitting and meeting new people in the common area of the retreat. We also had a peek at the door prizes that were being closely guarded.

After breakfast on Saturday morning, our team of 4 ventured on another expedition to downtown Mahone Bay - where we found many wonderful shops. Our first and longest stop was at Have a Yarn. And did we ever! None of us left this place empty handed. Our biggest problem was resisting the temptation to buy everything in sight. My most favorite find (amongst many others that I brought home with me) is the Fleece Artist MO and Curly Locks that were just meant to be togheter.

We also stopped at Encompassing Designs Rug Hooking shop and Suttles and Seawinds. We celebrated our many purchases by having lunch at The Cheesecake "Cheesecack" Gallery and Bistro. Wonderful food, cheesecake and eye candy (art pieces). Sitting near the fireplace helped us warm up from the gusty winds that had chilled us while walking from shop to shop.

I came home with lots of new items for my stash.

One of my most favorite finds at the retreat itself is the 100% Cotton Two Scarf Warp kit from The Weaver's Palette the which I warped onto my loom on Monday evening (the day after getting back from the retreat). I have not yet had a chance to actually start weaving, but am looking forward to soon. This kit makes warping a fun experience. The painful parts have all been done for you. Janet Dawson of The Weaver's Palette gave very clear instructions on how to use the kit. I really enjoyed meeting her and sharing conversations about our pastimes.