A sheepish day at the fair

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Well I have had enough fair to last me til next year. Above are some sheepy friends we made while hanging out in the sheep barn. Barb and I were demonstrators in the sheep barn for about half a day. This was my first time demonstrating there and it was alot of fun being there surrounded by all the prize-winning fleeces and hungry sheep. The volume of Baa's got pretty loud around feeding time. Those sheep aren't shy about letting you know they're hungry!

Here are me and Barb in our demonstrating spinning in the sheep barn. they had us behind the rope this year and they should have put a sign on it that said "Please do not feed the spinners" It's hard not to sample all the horribly greasy foods at the fair. Not to mention those Elephant ears...yummm

It was a lot of fun to have people come up and ask questions about what we were doing. It was nice that Barb and I had 2 different types of wheels there. I had brought my little modern Asford Joy and Barb had big old Polly, I had sold her my Kromski Polaniase. I've had it for about a year and had spent some time painting it and fixing it up a little but it's a big wheel and since I already have 4 I decided to part with it. Plus it's staying in the family and I know barb was thrilled with it. It's the biggest that Kromski make and is a replica of a geniune antique with no plastic parts, only wood metal and leather.

It's also a single treadle and I already have an Ashford single traditional.

So I am tickled pink that it is now living with Barb.

After seeing the Draft horse extravaganza I was anxious to try to get to see them up close so I made my way out to the horse barn to pay them a visit and was lucky enough to get to pet one of these huge animals. It was pretty impressive to be petting a creature whose head is 3 feet above your own!

Those guys were solid muscle, each year they have a raffle to give away a Belgian filly and I alway have to buy tickets, yeah my neighbours would just love that, a fifteen hundred pound horse in the backyard. They're just lucky there aren't already some pygmy goats back there..

On Sunday there was the spin in. This is always a fun event. It's a gathering of the snohomish spinning guild and we get to all hang out in this big tent and spend the day spinning and visiting. They always hold a raffle where everyone brings a prize and they draw names and you get to chose your prize. The best thing is to have your name drawn early so you get lots to chose from. As awlays Curt Frickies prizes are well sought after. I was lucky enought to nab his one year and got a hand made wood candlebox. People in the spinng world know how coveted a "Fricke" is. This year I got a pretty basket with some Ramboullex/Targhee mix, a craft mag and some soap.

All in all it was great fun at the fair. Lot's of food fiber and friends.

So now I am getting all geared up for OFF. The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. This will be my 3rd year going and I can't wait. I was able to get a Friday off this year so we will have an extra day to make our way down there.

I am looking forward to seeing old friends Sheila and Michael and hopefully some other friends will be joining us too. In the past we have gone in Barbs trailer but it looks like it is out of commision this year so we may be camping in a tent. There are hotels nearby but it's much more fun to be on the grounds when the partying starts at night. : )

Ok so yes I am down a wheel ( the wheel! hand me the wheel! which one?)

Soooo I don't need another wheel, really, I don't. Do I want another??? Hmmm don't know about that. I hear good things about the Kromski Sonata and I am a kromski Ashford girl. Who knows. I don't think there will be a battle cry of Kromski this year but maybe

"Earnst double pointed glass needles!" instead. *Sigh* decisions, decisions.

Either way I know there will be lots of fiber. No fleeces though, that's the rule for this year. That doesn't include already proscessed fiber or top.

All though I recall setting this rule last year and then somehow at some point spending an hour so so with a lovely Shetland sheepie and bringing home her fleece.

Cthulu wants yarn, and fiber and maybe a wheel