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Friday, October 21, 2016
Woodstock Fleece Festival
Last Saturday we drove down to Woodstock with friends to check out the Woodstock Fleece Festival. It's a mecca for weavers, spinners, knitters and other crafty types, as well as a few avant garde quilters who are moving beyond traditional quilting into fibre art. Mrs. F.G. fits that last group and she came home inspired to try more new and different techniques. There were several groups of animals, as well as just about any supplies and tools you might need for pursuing your fibre art interests.
A couple of different farms had Alpacas there, Alpaca wool being prized for knitting. Take a close look at their faces so you can compare them to the Llama below.
There were two or three Llamas, including this 17 year old male, who was trained as a pack animal. You can't ride a Llama because of the way their spine is built, but they can carry packs slung over their back. And they too have prized wool for knitting, but a head that is quite different from that of an Alpaca.
The sheep seemed like an afterthought to me - almost as if sheep wool was rather passe in the fibre art world. Getting pictures of any of the animals was challenging, as they were all in a barn that was very dark and poorly lit.
And with sheep, you might be interested in sheepdogs. I believe this is a Great Pyrenees, a great sheep guard-dog.
As well as the animals there were tools, from tiny puncture needles to spinning wheels and looms. This is a rather modern looking spinning wheel. And the man using it was presumably invading this field traditionally dominated by women.
An interesting small loom being demonstrated.
And wool - did I mention this was a fleece festival? There were all stages of wool, from still on the sheep through bags and bags of rovings all the way to brightly dyed woolen threads. Of course, it was the bright colours that attracted me. To be honest, the vendor area was so crowded and busy that I found it very distracting, so you have to take this photo as representative of a lot of different vendors of lotsa different stuff!
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Love the llamas and Alpacas especially although all the animals are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWool, a beautiful wheel, alpacas, they always look like they are smiling, what a grand place to visit. I can see some new projects from Mrs F.G. coming soon.
ReplyDeleteI learned much from this post. My grandmother used to card her own wool and spin her own thread but way before I came along.
ReplyDeleteI love rocks. I'm glad you enjoyed the knowledge of the ground I live on. We have a mix of sandstone and limestone with a few odds mixed in so I think we are more in Boston range of mountains than the map indicates. We often find artifacts from the first settlers thousands of years old if I identified them correctly.
Thanks.
Oh, I love alpacas! Thanks for a delightful post.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like you had a fun day, very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThose pretty faces all make me smile. And the comma ears of the llama are so distinctive. 17 years old? I wonder how old they get. And that pretty yarn in the last picture really calls to me. :-)
ReplyDeletei would have really enjoyed this. we had a similar festival in upstate new york this past weekend. all my knitting buddies went but i would not have been able to walk it. they took me in spirit!! mrs. f.g. has good taste, looks and sounds like a fun day!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, what a fun event. I love the alpacas, llamas and the cute dog. Great photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun place to visit. I used to have Fiber goats and loved it.
ReplyDeleteMB
The animals are cute, but it would be the demonstrations of the spinning wheels and looms that would draw my attention. I am not artistic or crafty, but I admire those who are.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week-end!
I once had an alpaca coat, and it was exceptionally soft and warm. I would love to watch the weaving demonstrations. I'm not very crafty, so I'm mesmerized by people who are.
ReplyDeleteThe critters are quite adorable- though I understand llamas can have quite an attitude!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos . Looks like a fun day . Amazing how they weave all that lovely wool . We have a few Alpaca farms down this way to . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteOh I would have loved to walk around at this fair.
ReplyDeleteI get llamas and alpaca mixed up and I think Farmer Bill may have alpacas instead of llamas like I thought.
Will have to ask him when I next see him.
I loved that rack of all the colorful yarn!!
I bought some knitting wool recently. It is 45% BFL and 55% silk. BFL? Black Faced Leicester!
ReplyDeleteI gather that these days serious knitters need to know what breed of sheep their wool comes from. It's nearly as complicated as buying artisan made cheese. The thickness of the wool is "fat lace/skinny sock" and the colour I bought, which is a rich dark red, is called Marsala. Actually I think it's more complicated than cheese. Maybe wine?
Nice photos. Obviously Mrs FG had a good day out - I hope you did too?
I would have enjoyed seeing the animals, and I am like you in that large crowds make me a tad nervous..I get clostrophobia? really bad sometimes. Love the colorful yarn.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely festival! We have lots of weavers around here!
ReplyDeleteWhat cute animals! Especially the llamas.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet the Mrs. FG was in fiber heaven.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have visited this fleece mecca! I've knit with alpaca before and it's wonderfully lightweight and incredibly warm. Great Canadian winter stuff. Alpacas also have my vote on the cute factor over llamas. Poor sheep to be regarded as passe. Thanks for the one and only colourful shot of all that yarn :)
ReplyDeleteWendy
Gorgeous critters! I love the colourful yarns.
ReplyDelete