Today, I’m in Prescott, Arizona for the summer Smoki Museum rug auction. I’m tagging the rugs that are candidates for washing or repairs so that potential buyers have some idea of what that would cost should they buy the rug. Although it takes me out of the shop for a couple of days, it is a great opportunity to meet the collectors and potenital clients. OK, I’ll admit it; I can’t resist the opportunity to fondle 300 rugs with nobody else around. I certainly hope that doesn’t get sensationalized in the tabloids, but Lindsay Lohan seems to be getting all of that type of publicity this week.

Since this auction is quite a distance from the Navajo Nation (about 70 miles at the closest), this isn’t an auction attended by a lot of weavers. Emily, Larissa, Laramie and Lavera Blake usually attend and it’s fun to see them. I’ve brought a couple of skeins of Burnham’s yarn dyed with indigo for them to use if they want it.

This is a two day auction, and today’s sales will center on jewelry, baskets and other non-textile art work and the auction won’t start until this evening, so today will be a long day. Although this type of work isn’t my area of specialization, quite a few of the attendees own rugs and I expect to be busy talking and spinning. I’ve got my hip spindles with me and a bag of churro wool that the ladies at Mountain High Fiber Ladies processed last month. The churro wool came from Dragon’s Lair Farm in Connecticut, and I highly recommend them. I found them originally on Ebay and I depend on them and a couple of other breeders for the colored wool that I use to repair rugs. If anyone is interested in a post on the different breeders, let me know and I’ll be glad to oblige. They are all small businesses run by people who are passionate about what they are doing. They are the kind of people who are interested and interesting.

I’ll post pictures from the auction and the rug preview later today or in the morning.

Hagoshii (so long for now)