This marked the fourth Annual TemariNY StitchIn here in Poughkeepsie and it was yet another wonderful time and experience. We had 13 people from 12 states of the US and the UK (it would have been 15 but we had two folks needing to cancel out up to the mark due to family situations): Blair (AL), Eric (KY), Diane (VA), Paula (PA), Sue H (MI), Karen (MA), Joan (MA), Harriet (ME), Elsie (NC), Nicole (TN), Terry (MS) and Sarah (UK) joined me here in NY. Martine and Sue C had planned on joining us but needed to remain at their respective homes. Sue C is usually the "committee", arriving early and becoming my arms and legs to get the "grunt" work done ( :>) ) so we did some scrambling, and much thanks to go Blair, Nicole and Sue H for becoming the Assistance Chief Cooks and Bottle Washers.

       Blair was 1st Asst. CCBW by virtue of her early (and first in) arrival on Thursday afternoon - and God bless her within half an hour of her arrival was cleaning house and other assorted thankless jobs. I'm helping out a neighbor for a while by meeting their son's school bus so we had an "honorary" attendee on Thursday and Friday afternoon for an hour or two each day until Brendan's dad got home from work, so Blair, Brendan and I made an ice run to chill down the beverage coolers - and I learned not to turn Blair loose with beer cans and ice picks or you learn new ways to drain beer from their cans. Diane and her hubby Sed (along for the ride but not the StitchIn) arrived Thursday evening and we FINALLY got to meet - Diane has been trying to get here for the last four shots. Blair by then was needing toothpicks to keep her eyeballs open and I sent her to bed... while I waited for Sarah's arrival after her flight from England - she rolled in about midnight. Friday am saw the three of us take a break and go visit Brendan's class at school (events during the year have struck up this neat relationship) to have some share-time; then it was grab the last minute perishables, go home and get supper cooking, set up the house and await the rest of the incomings. Elsie gave us a run for our money since her original flight got canceled, and she left home without phone numbers to let us know that - she got her via the scenic route though it took us a bit to find her. Sue H was the next in from MI; Karen and Joan traveled together from New England; a helpful neighbor rescued Eric from the train; Nicole's and Terry's flights arrived without issue and they nabbed Elsie, arriving in luxury since Terry's rental car had not been ready on time so he got a complimentary upgrade to a Lexus. Harriet rolled in from Maine, Paula from PA - and it was time for the games to begin!

       After a supper buffet of bratwurst, knockwurst and/or roast chicken, potato and cucumber salads and a home-made pie buffet we settled into first getting going on the weekend's project - a Round Robin Stitch. Many folks have been talking about doing a temari this way so it was a great opportunity to give it a go. Each person coming had to send to me ahead of time a wrapped and marked C8 mari, as well as two skeins of #5 pearl cotton. The maris were logged in and labeled so that they would find their original owners at the end, but no one knew who's they were stitching on at any given time. The pearl cotton was sectioned off into skein-length and divvied up into thread kits so everyone had the same range (or limit) of thread to work with. Each stitched one "face" of a C8, signed off on the tag and moved on to another, until each person stitched on 7 temari (that is how it divided out to get them all done). The mission was to put your thinking cap on, come up with as many different designs that could be worked on the face of a C8 AND, do it within the limits of the pearl cotton that had been given to you. Everyone in the beginning was stitching like mad but soon learned that they would be completed in time without problems; once that sunk in, we all had a great time during the evening Friday and during the day Saturday completing the RR Temari. Saturday evening it was unveiled which temari belonged to whom, and they were returned to their rightful owners to take home.

       In the midst of setting up the ground rules for stitching the Round Robin, I was totally surprised by being presented with "Buster" - who really is officially named "Iakari Met Oomari Buster-chan"...    whilst I was paddling around with everyone getting them to send in their mari and pearl cotton they were all busy making Buster: he's an 8 1/2 inch diameter (one of the discussions on TT this winter was how big we could make a temari) temari (the mari was made and divided by Sue H) and then he traveled all over the Eastern Seaboard prior to a secret arrival in Poughkeepsie (to the same neighbor that rescued Eric from the train) with everyone on tap to come to the StitchIn stitching a different section of him. You can meet Buster on his own page - and he really stole the show. I'll cherish him for years to come, and I can't begin to thank everyone enough that made him come to be- but, thank you.

       StitchIn attendees generally get a gift or two of their own - this year found commemorative "boat" tote bags, embroidered with this year's StitchIn dates; much better though was what was inside. NY StitchIn 2005 was extremely fortunate to have received corporate underwriting from Kreinik, Maderia, Rainbow Gallery, 3RdZone Omega Nylon, YLI Threads, Vicki Clatyon Silks and Caron Threads. Each person received threads and fibers worth about $90 retail - so everyone got real eager to start experimenting with new threads and fibers. We offer deep thanks to the companies that donated goods and allowed us to "meet and greet" new threads or be able to find old friends to play with.

       The remainder of Friday evening was devoted to our annual "Show and Tell" - everyone that comes brings samples (or in some cases, all) of the temari they have made, or made during the ensuing year.... and it never ceases to amaze us all. Karen tops the list for the most HUGE one- she was also so inspired to see how big one could be made... and Paula continues to miniaturize (she presented me with Buster's little brother, and it's not a quarter of an inch in diameter). I think Joan wins the prize for the most temari in any one place at one time.....  and Blair arrived with her official NASA Flight Suit from Space Camp - which her chosen name patch of "Temari Queen".  Throughout Show and Tell both Friday night and during the day Saturday we were all amazed and inspired with everyone's creations, interpretations and talent. Eric continues to work though different textures and colors, and is contagious now with others doing their own experimenting. Sarah B.'s Temari Swap ball turned out to be full of texture with a button obi! Sarah also brought along the temari Sarah Robinson had made for Elsbeth, the last temari that Sarah R stitched - it's adorable and beautiful ladybugs. Diane B had county and state fair winning temari... Terry and Elsie are working through traditional patterns, Harriet is moving to larger bases and doing her usual gorgeous stuff on those. Nicole keeps cracking patterns and collecting thread while stitching along they way too.

        Lights out was timely enough to have everyone back and ready for breakfast by 8:30 Saturday morning - hot and cold cereals, bagels and cream cheese, coffee and juice. Show and Tell continued, along with working on the Round Robins (which everyone was beginning to relax a little bit on now that they realized that it was as impossible to get done as it seemed!). Wonderful friends again did the catering run, so lunch and dinner arrived on site in late morning - after whacking up a five-foot submarine sandwich, cole slaw and fresh fruit platters for lunch, it was time to meet and settle in with Mrs. Milly Koh - our most honored guest for the afternoon. Milly is Japanese and in addition to working with her physician husband in his offices, works as a freelance translator and Japanese/English tutor. Milly had agreed to come join us and "walk" us through translating a few patterns from Japanese Temari books - each person that was attending the StitchIn had been told that this would be the "headliner" on the program and was invited to submit a pattern request. Thankfully it worked out that we didn't have to "pick and choose" - three patterns were requested and Milly was delighted to try to help. I'd provided copies to her ahead of time which allowed her to prepare some - it worked out wonderfully. She was so patient and kind - if things were not making sense in context (as often happens when attempting Japanese translations) she just merrily started in again in a little different orientation. It was a great success on the three worked on (and you will see them coming soon to TemariKai) - but even more importantly Milly was just a wonderful, darling person. She eagerly shared some basics of Japanese life and culture with us as well as some basics of the Japanese language. We also were able to learn a few "gems" of general temari information and pattern reading from her which also will soon be summarized into the reference material on TemariKai. As Milly completed translating a requested pattern for us, she was presented with a temari made by the person that had submitted the pattern. A great time was had by all.

       In the midst of working on translations it was time for "tea" - which in this case turned out to be a surprise early birthday celebration for Harriet, who is a four-year alum of the StitchIns and will be turning the ripe young age of 75 this coming June. I think it's safe to say that all of us that have had the joy of meeting and knowing Harriet all wish that as we continue to reach in chronological age, we can do it as Harriet has done. She is wonderful. The "Mayor's Hat" of TemariLand made a re-appearance and the day was proclaimed "Harriet Day in TemariLand" with official proclamation - and sealed with a cake decorated just for her and a champagne toast.

       The remainder of Saturday afternoon allowed us to finish up Show and Tell, and introducing everyone to the Temari Glossary Word Search (amidst much moaning and groaning but still vying hotly for the prize to be won for the most found in the alloted time) - and then move outside to take photos in daylight (along with getting a most interesting yoga demonstration from Harriet and Sarah). Munchies were solved with veggies & dip and cheese & cracker platters....  and before supper believe it or not, the Round Robins were complete and we had the pleasure of reviewing each one, oohing and ahhing about how many different design elements could be concocted to work on a C8 face, and returning them to their original owners. Supper found everyone digging into lasagna, chicken marsala, fresh salad....   and then pie & ice cream along with goodies brought by some attendees. Hungry we were not!

       Right after fortifying ourselves we settled in to watch Joan demonstrate how she learned to combine beads on temari and use them to attach some of the "unique" fibers that are on the knitting market these days - with neat results to keep things in place. Then to everyone's oohs and "duhs' - showed how to set up several colors on a parasol pattern so that the spiral out on each other. That may sound easy - but it takes setting up properly to get it to run smoothly (again, to be added to Temarikai). After that it was time for the Annual Yankee Swap - everyone is asked to bring a wrapped gift having to do with Temari or Temari making - valued at about 10 dollars. The gifts are placed in the center of everyone sitting around them - and with a rather convoluted method of rolling dice for 7's, 11's and doubles as well as passing things around - everyone eventually ends up with a goodie and then you get to unwrap your "prize". There was a great assortment of temari making supplies and things to use to display them - and lots of wrapping paper on the floor! Despite the moans and groans again! the wonderfully anticipated TemariKai Trivia Quiz made its appearance... and I'm in the process of writing a few school principals about how their teachers cheat. Blair, Sarah and Harriet had the most blatant, shameless conspiracy going on and still only managed to come up with about 7 correct answers between them - even knowing that the quiz would be coming. We finally ended up an honest scholar or two along the way - again coming up with a prize for their efforts.

       Everyone also brought a completed temari to play "Guess Who"  - with - each person randomly chose a temari (which had been logged in and brownbagged) - and then when opened, it was up to everyone to guess who had made it. In some cases the "personalities" of the temari gave away their creators - and in other cases, not a clue! It was then time for me to be rendered speechless again...  I hope that the story of Sarah Robinson is not new to anyone by now; and that you know that Sarah R and I had become very close friends thanks to the wonders of email. Well - Sue H had been working behind the scenes for some 8 months it seems to attempt to bring over from Tokyo, from the Women's Society of the Tokyo Union Church, a most exquisite piece of embroidery that Sarah had made for the group upon her leaving and returning to Cyprus. Called "Angel of Love", it is cross-stitched and beaded and beyond verbal description. Sue's goal in bringing to the US was that it be with people that will continue to remember Sarah, as the membership of the WS in Tokyo is by nature quite transient and temporary due to it being mostly all ex-pats on temporary stays in Japan. The Board agreed with Sue's request and it was shipped to her - and then presented to me. It now is in its new home over my bed... and will be forever cherished. Needless to say, Sue and I will be certain that in time it will find it's home with "Little" Sarah - but for now, I will be taking very good care of it.

       Our closing fun was to draw chances for door prizes.... deep appreciation goes to Sophia Books in Vancouver, BC CA, Hand-dyed Fibers by Vicki Clayton, 3RD Zone/Omega Nylon, Sue Cameron, and Maderia Threads - which made it possible for everyone to be able to choose another goodie based on how soon their name was drawn. After that it was time to bid farewell to Paula who had to get back home in time to be on call Sunday morning; the rest of us relaxed a bit and then tucked into bed.

    Sunday morning found Nicole and Sue H taking over brunch duty - and all too soon it was time to be packing up "road food" for people to have lunches enroute home and begin saying goodbyes.....   We'd taken our "class photo" on Saturday. Color kits were exchanged (marked mari and threads to stitch it with - you bring and kit and get a kit to take home, anonymously. Make the temari using ONLY what is in the kit and return it to its "owner" whose name and address are in the bag). Safe travels ensued thankfully and everyone found their way home in due time, safe and sound.

       My deepest appreciation to all that came and made it another wonderful time to be cherished - these times never fail to be the most inspiring, awesome times of sharing, learning, motivating...  and we're all looking forward to next year's already!