Roc Day at the Market

This Saturday, January 8, from 10 AM to 4 PM, the Wayne and Holmes Counties Fiber Arts Guild will host their annual Roc Day celebration at Local Roots.

According to Susan Sivey, guild secretary, Roc Day has a long and rich history:

Many fiber guilds celebrate “Roc Day” on the first Saturday after New Year’s. In earlier times, the holiday was called St. Distaff’s Day and was celebrated on January 7, the day after the Feast of Epiphany, which ends the twelve days of Christmas. St. Distaff is a made-up saint. A distaff is the device used by spinners to hold the flax that was spun into linen.

Roc or Rock from Roc Day comes from the word “rocken” which meant distaff. Spinners or “spinsters” took the twelve days of Christmas off from their spinning duties and had a party the day before returning to work.

The Fiber Arts Guild has lined up a handful of exciting classes for this year's Roc Day:

--needle-felted slippers
--beginning knitting
--basic drop spindling
--felted soaps

In addition, local fiber producer Morning Star Farm will offer a yarn "tasting" at 3:30. Fiber enthusiasts will have the chance to examine and test new yarns from Morning Star.

For more information on Roc Day, check out the January Local Roots newsletter.