highlights

i've been home for a day now and am leaving again tomorrow morning for a few days of visiting with "the little family' in st. john's. then home to settle in for the winter. while it's all still fresh, i wanted to share a few of my highlights of my trip to toronto for the one of a kind show.

1. grayona tourist home. although i have friends and family in toronto, i choose to stay at grayona tourist home on king st. west. it is close to where the exhibition takes place. i can walk in the morning (a 45 min. walk), so can get some exercise before the 11 hours each day at the show. it has a private kitchen and bath so i can make my own breakfast and prepare a lunch and come home after the show and cook a hot meal. from the windows i look out over lake ontario. feels like home.i took this photo the first morning of brenda's elegant head forms that she let me use at the show to display my scarflettes. the sun pouring through the lace.

2. on the first evening i met with family (i have a brother and sister living in toronto). we went to "pan's" for dinner - a greek restaurant on the danforth. wonderful food. lively music and the sweetest belly dancer. i love the ethnic mix in toronto (newfoundland tends to be mostly anglo). at the show i loved hearing stories of spindle spinning in malta and portugal...

3. there is alot of "stuff" in toronto. everywhere. very exciting and stimulating but ultimately exhausting.

4. meeting my customers. most of my selling is online (etsy) so i don't get to see who is buying my work. on the first friday, this young woman bought a skein of yarn from me. 3 days later she returned to show me what she had made from it. a crocheted cowl - tightly crocheted so she could also use it to wrap up in her hair. she brought her mother along and they each bought another skein. nothing like face to face...

5. the other vendors. i always feel that these craft fairs must be like being on a cruise ship (with alot more work!) you become very good friends over the course of the show with the vendors in your "neighbourhood". you take care of one another. watch each other's booths for pee breaks. bring each other food and water. make trades of products. look forward to re-uniting at other shows. dawn who makes jewellery in burlington bought a shawl scarf from me. doesn't she look radiant?

6. and finally, after a successful show, brenda and i allowed ourselves a few treats. a little shopping. and at the airport on the way home - a shoeshine (something i've always wanted to do...)