Last Stops on Fiber Trail

Kingfield, Maine  That's Amy Grant on the left.  She and Ron are talking about their respective spinning wheels in her store, adjunct of her Good Karma Farm.  Amy, her spouse and young daughter work together raising alpaca that she spins into roving and yarn.  Amy makes natural ingredient soap in another part of the store.  Rosemary Grapefruit (!)besides a surprising name, smells lovely; also chose Rosamellun and Bay.  Perfumed the car nicely.    Visit Soap Me, for others you can order.

Rachel, our daughter, turned me onto handmade soap.  The idea seemed odd at first and but then...learning something new, once again, from another generation.  Did I mention that Amy was a futures trader in NYC before she met her Maine-native spouse, went on to the rural life?  She liked that adventure as well as this one.                                                                                        Gorham, Maine  Our last stop on the Fiber Trail led to Healther Alden-Flander's small yarn store in its final day in business.  Found some aqua cotton/wool I believe will be acceptable for the coming grandchild.  Ron was intrigued by the cabinet-maker's building on the same property. He introduced himself.  "I'm John Alden," the gentleman replied. "The John Alden?" Ron asked.  Yes, the eleventh generation descendant of the Pilgrim we'd all heard about in grade school.  The one Priscilla advised, "Speak for yourself, John."

The current John Alden, 87 years, was a marine engineer who built this shop 20 years ago when he retired.  The earlier John had been a cooper, maker of barrels, which is what earned him his place on the boat from England.  My first generation American spouse was tickled to meet a man with such a long connection to the beginnings of the country.  He also makes beautiful Shaker-style tables, continues his family's handcraft tradition.