Festival of Folk Arts, Budapest

On the last weekend of August it's the 26th Festival of Folk Arts in Budapest, in the Castle of Buda. During the 4 days, you can find about 800 traditional craftsmen, concerts, workshops, and you have the chance to get to know the handcraft gastronomy. In this year the theme was the "Art of the everyday life", and the old and rare crafts.

I love the feeling of the festival - the people in folk costumes, the live folk music, the scent of the  food being baked... You can try some different technics, for example wool felting, handmade paper- and candle making, basketry, bookbinding... I admire the old women making lace - you can't see this in other places in the everyday life.

The girl, who has made yarn with spinning wheel from painted wool, she was just 9 years old!

And I could try new technics at the festival: I have learned yarn spinning with drop spindle. A few weeks ago I've seen a woman to sit in a Café terrace (in Berlin) with a portion of wool and a spindle, and she has made beautiful yarn with her hands. I was very surprised, because I thought, it's only possible to make yarn with spinning wheel. 

The painted wool, and the spindle in the basket.

At the festival, I have met a kind and very professional woman, who has helped me to take the first steps with the drop spindle. The handspinning is a very old and easy technique, but you need a lot of practice, if you want to make useful yarn. ;) I bought a beautiful, purple-grey handpainted wool, and now I'm starting the exercise. :) I think, I've found a new, amazing hobby!
I will surely write about my new entertainment in the blog. ;)