Tag Archives: MDSW

All the Pretty Colors!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by | Comments Off on All the Pretty Colors!
Last weekend was Maryland Sheep and Wool.  The fiber lovers' version of Woodstock.  But better since it is an annual event!

My plan was to be very controlled.  But the birthday money burning a hole in my pocket (and God help me the bright colors) meant this is what came home with me!


To make the day even better I finally was able to meet up with a couple of friends known only to me via Ravelry!  If you had told me 10 years ago (I originally typed 20 but then realized the internet is really not that old!!) that I would be making such wonderful friends over the internet I would have told you you were crazy.



As if that was not enough, Kristen, second from the right and of Gilead Fiber Farm for whom I made these cups, made an extra trip down to Fredericksburg to hang out and have a dye day!  And until MDSW we had never even met in person.

So dye day.





Kristen, shepherd and dyer extraordinaire....



"Seymour" from Gilead Fiber Farm.  Finn lamb and kid mohair





 My new screen porch turned dye studio!  I was very careful (this time anyway) to keep from dripping dye on the new concrete floor...
The colors are SO much more vibrant then these photos.  But pretty here nonetheless I think.


The above picture and the picture below is a product of the same dye pot.  The wool/mohair blend on the left was a light brown, while the wool/mohair on the right was a natural cream.  Both came from RJ in Oklahoma.






Above and below center is named "Veritek" and is a blend from Gilead.  I think it is coopworth and mohair if I remember correctly.  It was a last minute gift as Kristen left to start her drive north....she left at 2:30 but I was still waiting on my last pot of goodies after dark!



Cormo.

The ironic thing is that I have planned a series of dye workshops for our local fiber guild to be taught by a local University professor for this Summer.

I think I am warmed up and ready!

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And You. Are. There…

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Comments Off on And You. Are. There…

Our video from Maryland Sheep and Wool is here!  It's the next best thing to having you in my pocket that we could come up with.  Big thanks to Emma - photographer, videographer, and video editor extraordinaire...


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The Festival Culminates

Posted on May 7, 2012 by | Comments Off on The Festival Culminates
Day Two at the festival continued the amazing journey into the very center of the fiber world.  In fact, after all the preparation, travel, set up and immersion in this world, we begin to feel like we've been transported to the Planet of the Sheep People.  And we LIKE it.


Julie's spinning here with her Sheep to Shawl team, the Black Sheep.  Their gorgeous shawl was woven with a Jacob sheep warp and a Hog Island sheep weft.  Rare breeds rock.  Their team didn't end up winning, but their shawl brought a lovely auction price.


Between forays into the shopping crowds and the eye-popping vendor wares, Emma took little naps and spinning breaks.  She spindle-spun some excellent Jacob roving, way above her experience level.  Was it the Golding spindle?  Is it her amazing spinning pedigree?  Or is she just an incredible kid?  Answer: #3.


We met Eric, who was rockin' the kilt thing, and was also drop spindling in his hand knit slouch hat.  Dude, go for the gold.


Angie took me up on the challenge of envisioning a fair isle project with the four shades of alpaca yarn I toted from Texas.  I sure hope I get to see the finished project.


On the last day, there's always a little urgency to sweep the fairgrounds to see every vendor in every booth, barn, tent and cranny.  I was freshly aware of how difficult it must be for fiber and yarn vendors to compete - the colors and put ups get more exciting and more beautiful, in order to get the customers' attention and stand out from the crowd.  Just wow. 


The critters know how to get our attention, by being just so irresistible and cute and stuff.  The goats were goaty and sweet...


The angora bunny babies wiggled their noses, and their way into our hearts...


And little week-old lambs... well, good luck passing those by without stopping.


But today was the last day.  And our sweet little Jacob Sheep Conservancy booth (which did really well, by the way, thanks) had to come down, again.


Nineteen minutes after the 5 o'clock bell, the booth was packed up, and my pals were on their varied ways home. 


Where else can you follow a van like this down the road and out onto the highway?  These are our people.

Now Emma and I get one last night of vacation, and then we head back home ourselves.  Our real life is pretty sweet, but this trip to Sheepville has been a treat, again.  Thank you, Maryland!

When we get back to Texas, Emma will take some of the amazing video and photos that we've kept under wraps, and put together a wonderful montage of the weekend, before the freshness is off of the experience.  Stay tuned.

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A Day at the Festival

Posted on May 6, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Day at the Festival
Beautiful morning...  Lanolin in the air...  Promise of shoppers and friends pouring through the fairgrounds gates..


And if you're not prepared for the breadth and depth of fiber amazement beyond those gates, your head is at risk of exploding.


Everywhere you look, the colors just boggle the mind.  There are so many talented fiber artists assembled in one place, that the possibilities and inspiration are almost hard to take in.

 

Quality fiber tools as far as the eye can see, made by people you've heard about and read about for years.


 Of course, the sheepy goodness never ends...


...displayed and trotted out for show.


We ran into a BUNCH of our favorite people, like Susie and the Aunties.  Here we were, catching up on what's going on at Juniper Moon Farm, and Susie shared some fantastic news that knocked me off my feet.  Do pop over to her blog to see for yourself.   Hint: PUPPIES!


And look who dropped by the booth!  Our fellow Gulf Coast Sheep breeder and the Jacob's Reward Farm website designer -- Texan Shaun Jones!  We've never met in person before, so this was really neat.  Shaun had come to the festival to take a shearing course, and will take home some new skills.  We got to swap some husbandry notes on our sheep, and just visit, before he had to head back to the airport for home.


We wore Emma clean to the bone, but she earned her nap - she and I spent the day gathering photos, video, interviews, and check-ins with Very Important People.  We're putting together a Maryland Sheep and Wool video that, I hope, will really give you a sense of being here with us, and getting a taste of some of the most characteristic flavors of this wonderful event.  You may see some folks you recognize...


Oh, and I had crab cakes for supper!  Yay, Maryland!


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The Adventure Begins

Posted on May 5, 2012 by | Comments Off on The Adventure Begins
Another trek to the Mother of All Wool Festivals - it means an airplane ride, very early in the morning.  Who knew there's a 4 o'clock in the AM as well as the PM?  Crazy.


Emma and I took the bumpy plane ride, dozing, snacking on peanuts, and wishing we'd gotten more sleep the night before.  But, it's an ADVENTURE!


There's something comforting about landing at the same airport, riding to the same car rental facility, and driving the same highways to the familiar fairgrounds where all the fun happens.  The sign is new.


And then the familiar sights and sounds (BAAA... BAAA... BAAA) of the sheep sheds and the vendor barns.  Dozens of breeds are displayed, and dozens of sheep stands are occupied by animals getting gussied up for the shows.


The faces...


The fleeces...







Emma was pressed into service right away, helping with the booth set up.  Especially the parts that require climbing.  Amanda helped, too, because even though she's a newlywed, she's one of the youngest people in our booth.


The stuff came together more quickly, and earlier than ever, so we had more time to spend roaming the aisles in the sheep barn.







One of my favorite traditions is the supper they provide for the shepherds and vendors on Friday evening in the show ring.  Cold cuts, dessert, soda and beer.  This is a relaxed time of reconnecting with old friends.  I love that after all these years, I recognize more and more people, who also recognize me.  These are my people.


Emma's having a great time -- she's always such a good sport.  But I think between our early morning and the enlistment into our work force, she's about had it for today.


And yet, even as we left the fairgrounds for our hotel, the work continued behind us, at the sheep beauty shop stations all over the grounds...


...with the sounds of sheep complaints ringing in our ears.

Tomorrow - The People Come.

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Continuing Education

Posted on May 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Continuing Education
More spinning in the LRB tonight with lots of progress made.  Yay for Greta, Eunice and Elizabeth!

Greta - first yarn off the wheel, turned fashion accessory.
Elizabeth - headed home with a new supply of roving...
Eunice - new inspiration to ponder this week...
And progress on getting stuff together to get out of town on Friday.  Thanks to the committee of farm friends who are holding down the fort in my absence.  You know there will be plenty of coverage of all the fun at "the largest fiber festival in the country."  For many, a trip to Mecca.  For me, a fun time to re-connect with old pals, spend time with my daughter, make a little money, scritch somebody else's sheep, and change the scenery a little. 

Sorry about leaving a heat wave behind, but I hear it won't be much cooler on my end of the continent.  Pooh.  Makes it a bit harder to fondle all the wool and yarn we'd like, but you can rest assured, we'll give it all we've got.

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Girl Time

Posted on May 1, 2012 by | Comments Off on Girl Time
We're hunkering down for the next few days here at the farm, making stuff and gearing up for the annual pilgrimage to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival next weekend.  There's one new difference this year:  I get to take my daughter with me.


Em is just recently back from six months of homeschooling with my sister and the cousins in Hawaii, and we're going to take advantage of this ongoing flexible schedule.  Since she won't be missing days from a rigid public school schedule, we're going to take off on perhaps our only chance to do the big wool fest together before she returns to public school again.

She's been my best helper lately out in the pasture, working with the sheep and alpacas, scritching the dogs and herding the chickens.  She has a keen intuition with the animals and we have a great time together.  (OK, I have a great time... she comes along fairly willingly.)

Empty Hay Bunker.  Don't be fooled by that hard-packed junk in the bottom.

Full Hay Bunker.  The difference is clear.

Apparently, after you stuff yourself with hay, you chase it with some tasty dirt clods.

I'm looking forward to showing Emma all the amazing stuff at MDS&W, including more different kinds of sheep than you can imagine, and enough texture and color to choke a horse.  She doesn't think of textile arts as her future, but she knows enough to appreciate it, and she's a great sport when it comes to hanging out with her old mom's friends.

I can't wait.

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