World Sheep and Fiber Arts Festival This Weekend

Come join us this weekend at the World Sheep and Fiber Arts Festival in Bethel, MO. Click on the link to view a schedule which includes such events as Mutton Busting, Fiber Arts Competition, Sheep to Shawl Competition and even a Spin-In after the booths close up shop on Saturday. Mr. Yarn Geek and I had a lovely time last year and expect the same this year. The festival will go on, rain or shine, all weekend.

I've been busy dyeing up scads of fiber in the secret lair, in fact I've been so busy poor Mr. Yarn Geek hasn't had a decent home-cooked meal all week. There would be no place to eat it anyway because our kitchen table runneth over, so to speak.

On the left you can see our brand spankin' new custom blend of combed top. It is 75% Superwash Blue Faced Leicester, 12.5% Nylon and 12.5% Cashmere. Yes, real Cashmere, not the fake stuff. It feels divine, and the best part is, you won't have to baby it. If that isn't awesome, I don't know what is. Another new thing for us are the Mulberry Silk Hankies, which I have started to dye to match our existing colorways. All this and more could be yours at the festival. We look forward to seeing you all there!

We Were (Almost) Blown Away!

Last weekend we vended at the Chaplin Creek Fiber Fair and survived our first brush with inclement weather in our tent vending lives. Saturday was pleasant enough, slightly hot, but breezy. Around 2pm the organizers came around with word we might be on the receiving end of a storm. “It might miss us.” was the terminology I think. Anyway, Mr. Yarn Geek went out to get some more substantial tent pegs just in case. By 2:30 we had word, “Uhm, there might be hail”. Nice…

By the time Mr. Yarn Geek got back, the winds had kicked up and I had moved all our displays to the middle of the tent in preparations to drop the top down over them. I had him move our trailer around to the side of the tent to serve as a wind block. He started driving in tent pegs. 3 pegs and 5 minutes later it started raining and 2 minutes later he was holding on to the top of our tent to keep it from blowing away as I frantically threw everything I could into totes. Buckets of rain, thunder, lightening, gale force winds and lots of shouting and naughty words happened next and kept up for the next 10 minutes. We were soaked, but most of our fiber was saved. Only things shredded were one of our tent sides (a 5 inch rip) and my dignity when my skirt got so heavy with rain it was threatening to fall off and I decided to just step out of it. (Good thing I wore those shorts under it.) Uhm, no pictures of that for you all, heh.

The family next to us was not as lucky as we were. Fluffington Farms had to dry out just about everything laying out on her tables. We were so busy trying to secure our tent, we didn’t even see when the roof of their tent blew off. (That explained a lot of the shouting over there.) Thankfully, everything in her huge hutch was pretty much untouched by all forces watery. The rain only lasted about half an hour, so we decided to return after drying off and dinner to check on everything. The tent really needed drying out, so it just got opened up for a few hours. Jordan (the Fluffington Farms mastermind) made impromptu drying racks out of some of our grid panels, and some crates we found in the garden. I had just bought 2 small box fans, and they came in rather handy with the drying. By morning, most of her fibers were tolerably non-moist.

Sunday was the most gorgeous day one could hope for. Clear skies, breezy without being windy and most importantly, not muggy. Also, we found out where the organizers were hiding the homemade pie. Pie makes everything all better.

Speaking of pie, I made a (Mostly) No Bake Lemon Cream Pie with a pint of blueberries mixed in last Tuesday. It was delicious.

Help! I Can't Stop Carding & $50 Playsilk Giveaway

A few weeks ago I got a great deal on a used Fancy Kitty Motorized Carder.

We were getting ready to go to Kentucky at the time, in fact we were leaving the very same day it arrived. I couldn't help myself, I grabbed whatever fiber was laying around the kitchen and went to carding my first batt. Er, I actually did quite a few. It was so hard to stop once I got started.

On a whim I went ahead and took them to Kentucky Sheep and Wool and they sold out quickly. Mr. Yarn Geek and I were pretty pumped up about this, so I've been busy putting bits of this and that together for the past few days. Some are listed in the shop, but I have more waiting to be listed.

The whole kitchen looks like a rainbow sheep exploded in there. On top of that, I dyed a few ounces of Faux Cashmere in the microwave a few nights ago to start adding in with the wool.

This is so much fun!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY ALERT!

OH, and speaking of fun, I came across a giveaway on "The Magic Onions" blog today. She is sponsoring it on behalf of "Sarah's Silks" Sarah is giving away a $50 shopping spree in her shop. She has the most amazing toys, dress up clothes and hand dyed playsilks for children of all ages. They are colorful and inspire the imagination. The last day to enter is Sunday, June 24th, so get on over there and sign up pronto!

My First Time

So, do you see it?

How about now?

This is the native plant plot at the Fairgrounds in Adel, Iowa where the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival is going on this weekend. I made these out of scrap yarn last night with plans to tie them onto something today. Rusty chicken wire in the middle of a garden just didn't seem right, so I decided it should get the happy treatment.

I realize yarnbombing at a fiber festival is kind of, well, sissy, but it was broad daylight so I did feel a little brazen. I halfway expected the old farmer and his wife who were standing around behind me to object or ask me to stop, but they didn't. They were too deep in discussion over what Wormwood might be used for. It would be a lie to say I didn't feel a little invincible tying those things onto the wire and then strolling off. Maybe a bench cozy is in order for the park at home...maniacal laugh.

(I'm also giggling a little bit because some people who click on the link with this post's title will most defiantly NOT be looking for yarnbombing.)

International Yarnbombing Day Approacheth!

How many of you are taking part in this year’s International Yarnbombing Day on June 9, 2012 or the World Wide Knit In Public Day (which is actually a whole week from June 9 to June 17, 2012)?

I am going to be at the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival this Saturday as a shopper, not a vendor. I'm a little sad we weren't able to vend there this year, but it opens up the opportunity to be at a festival and not have to stress about it. I'm getting really excited about it actually.

Saturday is the second annual International Yarn Bombing Day. I really want to participate by making a few quick things to sprinkle about on my way to Adel. They will most likely be crochet and small, but probably also bright and cheery.

After I get to the festival on Saturday morning, I'll be participating in World Wide Knit in Public Day with other people there. I've got a sparkly scarf about half done, so people will be able to see the pattern already, but there will still be enough to work while I'm there.

I'm also taking a class there on Saturday afternoon. My friend Diana from Sam's Icelandic Sheep Farm is teaching a hackle class. She is going to show us how to blend fibers together and then pull them into roving using the hackles. Very interesting, I'm really looking forward to it. She still has openings, so if you are in the area, come by and sign up. Her class is #112.

Also, don't forget, our first online craft show starts tomorrow. Please click and support handmade!