This time last week, I was in a spinning workshop in Sarasota, with the incomparable Jayce Boggs. It was mind-boggling. I had fun. I met great women. I ate great food. I slept on a couch. I heard great stories. I learned great stuff from a great teacher. I swapped my yarn for glass and money and strawberry mice and all sorts of cool stuff. I’m ready to move to Sarasota for good.

Upon my arrival, I was mesmerized by the pile of fiber on the pool table. EVERYONE was mesmerized by the pile on the pool table. I still think one of us needed to jump naked into the middle of it and one of the others to document the event. I would have been happy to perform either role. Nobody took me up on the offer. Next year.

I set up my Ashford Traditional in a sea of Babes, Lendrums, one Ladybug and a few other wheels I couldn’t name, and then went off to hang out with Surrogate Daughter Number Two in her dorm and meet her pals. She graduates this month, and this was the last chance we’d have to do that. I ended up in a deep conversation with her and her roommates about (in order of flow): The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Across the Universe, Thomas Wolfe, Hunter Thompson, the Hell’s Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the movie), Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail (the book), Richard Nixon, Nixon Youth, and ending at Karl Rove/the Bush election/Republican machine. It was at that point that MizShoes determined that perhaps she was not the most apt teacher of modern American history, having a leftist skew to her POV.

The next morning, the room was filled with spinners of all ages. Only one gender, though.

We learned all sorts of art yarn techniques, and had a wonderful weekend doing it. For the full set of photos, go to my Insubordiknit Workshop album on Flickr.