We had a healthy high-fiber experience, a glorious autumn day in the Adirondacks!
Not this kind of fiber, silly!
by Richard Cocks
This kind!
The Southern Adirondacks Fiber Festival took place this weekend and was a gathering of wool-loving, fiber-lusting hands at home.
The focus was on all things wool, for all wool fanatics.
Lots of sheep:
And other wool-bearing animals:
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- Llamas
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- Angora bunnies
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- Cashmere Goats
Dogs that keep the sheep under control:
Shearing, provided by Jim McRae, professional shepherd. He owns the dogs, too!
Before and after shot
Traditional felted shearing shoes
The shearer’s grandson is cranking, to provide power for the shears
The sheep looks comfortable
Getting close
Cotswold sheep–she kept her topknot
What do love most about fiber?
Fleece?
Roving?
Yarn?
To spin it?
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- Spinning with a drop spindle
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- Spinning on a wheel
Or my favorite spinning technique!
The folks at woolambia.com, creating lovely yarn . . .
on a husband-designed and created combination exercise bike and spinning wheel!
She says she can spin all day!
For weavers, knitters, felters, crocheters, rug hookers . . . for us all. So much wool, so much pretty, so very many loving hands!
Fabulous rug hooking from thepaisleystudio.com!
It was a fall festival, after all!
Rag rugs
Dish towels–yippee!
A woolly guy, crafted of wool
Another woolly guy
The obligatory yarn-bombed bike
Felting demo
Flaunting his fibers!
Weaving on rigid heddle loom
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my sort of day out.
You would’ve loved it! And the weather was beyond perfect!
Wow, what gorgeous fiber! Looks like it was a great event! I just want to reach through the photos and caress each skein and color. I’m intrigued by shearing shoes, what the story is on those. And being a dog lover, the dog events would have been great to watch too. Thanks for sharing.
You would’ve loved this (although I bet you’ve been too similar festivals yourself)! What the shearer said about his shoes: First, they are completely flat, with no heels. His back takes a beating in all ways, and the flat shoes help. Second, they are felted wool and breathe and keep his feet warm, even if he sweats and they get damp. Third, there was something about the upturned toe–it can cradle the sheep’s shoulder and the sheep will stay put without being held? The sheep he was shearing hadn’t gotten that part of the memo!
Oh, I’ve had a very similar weekend at the Masham Sheep Fair. Extraordinary sheep: check. Sheepdogs at work: check. Sheepshearing demo: check. Er…. yarn? Not so much. Oh dear.
No yarn?! Bummer! I have to say, I enjoyed the sheep and dogs as much as the yarn but the yarn does seem to be a sort of obvious addition to a sheep fair . . .
I think there might have been some in the town hall, but we ran out of time…….
wonderful pictures, hope you did some shopping? made me want to sit and spin all day.
Do you know, we did not buy a thing?! We have so much stuff on hand already and I think we were a little overwhelmed. I can just see you on one of those spinning wheel/exercise bike combos! I think that was my favorite thing at the whole festival!
Looks like a wonderful day!
Those multi-color scarves are amazing! And I really need to convert my exer-cycle to a spinning wheel. That feature might motivate me!
I wish you could’ve seen the spinning wheel/bike in person–it was sheer genius! The woman said it was much easier on her back than spinning at a wheel.
Oh my, I would have flipped! What a wonderful day you must have had.
It was awesome, indeed! Your kids would’ve loved it, too–all the animals and sounds and smells!
Great pictures! My town has hosted a sheep-shearing festival on the common every May for many years. My kids loved it.
The little kids who were watching the shearing were enthralled!
Thanks for the virtual tour, brilliant photos 🙂
Thank you–kind of easy to take pictures of such cool stuff!
I like both types of fiber…. I absolutely LOVE the sheep!
Aren’t they the cutest? The breed is Cotswold and I loved their dreadlocks!
Wow, I have to find one of those fiber days in my area. I love all of it 🙂
I bet there is one near you–it seems to be a very popular fall activity where I am–there’s one in Vermont this weekend and another BIG one downstate in NY in a couple of weeks.
Fun day! I was at Maine’s Common Ground Fair – saw dogs and sheep and bunnies and goats and all things fibery as well – so much fun this time of year.
That Common Ground Fair sounds great–another blogger I follow was writing about it as well!
it is great! I’ll be curious to find that blog, I’ll go search for it now!
It’s Fernwood Nurseries–https://wordpress.com/read/post/id/36304305/2841 She hasn’t written anything since the fair happened, though.
I’ll check it out, thanks!
My goodness – the colour in the first yarn photo just about blew my socks right off my feet! Right there we see one major difference between us: Lovely sheep and other fibre bearing animals very nice, quite interesting , has potential, dyed fibre in bright colours and KAPOW!! Fabuloous 🙂
Yes, that is a difference between us–I am completely drawn to the UNdyed fibers–I love those natural variations and shades. Not that I’d say no to the brights but the neutrals are much more my aesthetic. Isn’t it fun how different we can be, yet so much the same?
I am in lust with those yarns. What luscious colors.
The whole place was total eye candy. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest–I didn’t buy a single thing!
Leave it to you to come up with a clever way to get more fiber into our diet!
😀
Just trying to keep you healthy, Eric! It’s good to see you back!
Wonderful images, it’s great to see the transition from animal fleece to yarn.
Yes–I love the whole “sheep to shawl” process and it was honored in its entirety here!
What a great day and beautiful animals and yarns and crafts! But I have to ask…is that poor sheep going south for the winter or will it get a coat to wear? It being late September….
They talked about that! People were worried! She will be fine–these Cotswold-breed sheep need to be sheared a couple of times year, he said, and her owner was standing right there while the shearing was happening. I have no doubt the sheep was going home to a snug barn.
I figured I couldn’t be the only concerned person! She looked quite blasé about the shearing!
Well that festival was certainly up your alley! Don’t you just love all those wool bearing animals? Looks like you had nice weather, too.
The white chocolate bark arrived just before dinner…I’m going to have a piece for dessert. It’s so nice to have something to look forward to.
It was a perfect day–so much to see and so wonderful to be out enjoying autumn. I hope the bark lived up to your expectations!
Oh, the bark exceeded my expectations….it’s so good!
The sheep look like they are sporting dreadlocks . 🙂 what a great way to enjoy a day!! Loved the little glimpse into your day.
Dreadlocks–that’s what I thought, too! The sheep’s owner wouldn’t let the shearer touch that topknot!
Makes my mouth water! A similar fiber fair will be held in Asheville on Halloween weekend and I am looking forward to going. Such a creative rush.
We’re off to Singapore and Bali on Friday, which will be another creative rush. I can hardly wait!
;-D
Singapore!? Bali!!? How wonderful! Maybe you’ll need to start blogging again, to tell us about the trip!
Wow, Kerry. What fantastic photos – And I’m totally in love with the sheep head on the wall. That’s incredibly clever. (And of course, the dreadlocks. Good heavens, how funky!)
There was a lot of clever, and funky, and drop-dead gorgeous to be seen! And this was a comparatively small festival–I can’t even imagine navigating a large one!
What a fun day! Seeing all the animals would have been my favorite part 🙂
It was mine, too–and the people who owned and loved the animals–all very fun.
That would be like going to an outdoor candy store. Wow. And, those sheep are the cutest. By the way, we have an Angora bunny named, Herbert Menninger. Love that little guy. 🙂
You have an angora bunny?! Oh, that sounds like fun–do you spin his wool?