Heading for Tazewell

Orange Blossom Special, wool hand spun yarn

It has been a busy winter here at Greenberry House, and I've been spinning hard trying to get ready for the new season.  A highlight of the year for me is Sheep Shearing Days at Thistle Cove Farm, which is coming up on Saturday, April 4, this year.  We'll be heading out early on Saturday morning with the spinning wheel and some lovely hand spun yarns from my wheel, as well as from Thistle Cove Farm and Wild Iris Wool.  I'm excited about starting the festival season in Tazewell with the Lost Arts Guild!

Greenberry House Yarns on Consignment

Traveling Yarn

I haven't done any consignment in years, because it's hard to produce enough yarn to have for this shop and for doing shows. But a young lady contacted me from a shop in Winston-Salem, which is in an area where 80% of the people that come to Meadows of Dan live. So I thought it would be a good idea to support a new business and get my name out more in the city by sending some yarn to her. The shop is called Nonpareil at 3560 Vest Mill Road, Suite 6, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Greenberry House News

Just wanted to drop a note here that things are going well with the new season! I've been very busy updating my web site and am planning to be a vendor at Sedalia Fiber Festival on May 24 at Big Island, Virginia. Come out if you're in the area.

Demonstrations at Welcome Center

Sue Shelor of Mountain Meadow Crafts

Two Lost Arts Guild members traveled to one of the Virginia Welcome Centers to take part in promoting their county by demonstating their crafts to travelers. Below are excerpts from the press release:

On Thursday, April 17, 2008, a group of Patrick County tourism professionals traveled to the I-77 Virginia Welcome Center at Lambsburg to promote their businesses and Patrick County. Among those involved in this event were four Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) members, the Executive Director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce and five members of the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Trust, Inc. Also involved were members of the business community that included retail establishments and bed-and-breakfast inns.

Leslie Shelor of Greenberry House

Patrick County's artisan community was also well-represented during the event. Charlotte Gardner, TAC president, represented Bull Mountain Arts with a display of artisans' work and with a quilting demonstration. Sue Shelor, of Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market, demonstrated gourd art and gave out brochures about her business, corn maze and festivals through the season. She also promoted the Crooked Road by giving out free demo CDs and brochures. Leslie Shelor, TAC member and owner of Greenberry House, dressed in period costume and demonstrated hand spinning to appreciative travelers and gave out Patrick County brochures and business cards.

Over 900 travelers and visitors to Virginia were greeted by the Patrick County group. Travelers from as far away as Quebec, Canada, Ohio, and Indiana, many of them frequent visitors to Virginia, were impressed with the presentations made by the Patrick Countians. One woman commented, "Of course we'll visit Patrick County! You are all so friendly!" Others left with stacks of brochures given out by the group and asked many questions about the events, businesses and scenic attractions available in the county. The tourism professionals that took advantage of this opportunity felt that their time was well-spent and that many of the people that they talked with would be visiting Patrick County in the future.

The Virginia Welcome Centers are operated by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and offer free demonstration opportunities to Virginia organizations and businesses. For more information visit http://www.vatc.org/.

Spring at Greenberry House

Greenberry House, Meadows of Dan, Virginia

At long last the sun is out and we're looking forward to a busy, busy season up here on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan. This morning a local farmer got me out of bed with "two bags full" of glorious carded Coopworth sheep's wool. I'll be dyeing and putting that out on the shelves soon. I've enjoyed the winter, although I don't know how the time flew by so fast, but I'm looking forward to fiber-filled days here at the shop!

Members of the Lost Arts Guild are going to be busy this weekend at Sheep Shearing Day, which I wish I didn't have to miss! This will be the first in several years I haven't been able to attend, and I regret not getting the chance to plunge my hands deep in fresh, wonderful wool. I'm hoping for sunny skies over Tazewell.

Next Thursday I'm heading to the Lambsburg Visitor's Center with several other Patrick County businesses, including Lost Arts Guild member Sue Shelor. We'll be talking about all the wonderful things there are to do in our little county and I'll be demonstrating how to spin some glorious roving made from the angora of my rabbits and some wonderful Corriedale sheep's wool. My shop specializes in hand spun, hand dyed yarns from Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee spinners and farmers, along with roving and raw fiber for hand spinners.