Wooster

My friend J and I set out for towards the siren call of the Great Lakes Fiber fest in Wooster, OH yesterday.

I was resolute- I would not break the yarn diet for this festival. I would only buy unique stuff- and I was looking for a spindle to spin lace-weight on.

As we hummed along in J's Prius, I counted all the Amish in their buggies that we passed along the way, and J remarked on the flowers and trees that were in bloom. We passed conventional farmers in tractors plowing fields, Amish with draft horses plowing fields, and in one instance, saw a German shepard happily chasing birds away from his field.

It was a bright sunny day, and clothing floated on the clotheslines next to the farmhouses that we passed, and the grass was green and the birds were chirping. The fact that I live in farm country is still often shocking for this city girl, but I thought that I better soak it up before I leave for the heat, scrub, and flying roaches and Texas.

So we found our way to the Wayne County fairgrounds and pulled in.

Wandered our ways through the barns where we were greeted by this:

And these cute guys:

They were freshly shorn as you might have noticed.... and this little guy, who apparently did not like having his pictures taken.

J and I wandered four barns full of vendors, and we were overwhelmed. So much stuff- so much fiber and yarn, so much craziness!!!!! We did our first walk-through and then went back looking for what we thought we might want. Then we took a break and watched some of the sheep showing.

Then we went back and scored more stuff. 

After a few hours, it started to get unbearably hot. I think we were both wilting from heat and being overwhelmed so we had lunch at a cute bistro in Wooster, and drove back, passing through rolling hills, and farmland.

When I got home and unloaded my stuff and looked at it all, I was amazed at how much I had bought- it didn't seem like that much when I carried it to the car!

Two four ounce bags of natural alpaca roving, 1 bag of hot pink silk/wool roving. Three slivers of sea silk roving, one Brittney crochet hook, four little bags of dyed silk hankies, and one skein of tussah silk.  I also got one large handmade yarn container (and out of work tailor was selling them and they were super inexpensive and nice- I kinda wish I had gotten a second one) and one teeny sock yarn container- the green one with the bugs fabric.

The fiber was all reasonably priced, and the sea silk is shimmery and soft and just lovely. But my big coup was this:

A handmade roving basket with a spindle carrying slot and a teeny- tiny Greensleeves spindle- it only weighs .3 ounces an it is perfect for spinning the fussy seasilk with.

Look how tiny this is- here is my "hearts" spindle- a regular sized (I think 1.7 ounce) production spindle, next to my itty bitty greensleves spindle.

And look at that yummy, shimmery seasilk- I am still trying to figure out how to spin it, but my little spindle seems to like to spin it very fast and very fine. (Like thread- I will have to ply it even to get lace-weight yarn.)

Notice- I did not break my yarn diet. Yup. Despite the haul, I brought home no yarn. Now, I have loads of spindle spinning to do. 

Comments

[Jan (jcoop on ravelry)]

What a great description of our day. Your pix turned out great too! Hope you got the ones I took of you and emailed last night.

[Jaime]

I love all the pinks! Can't wait to see the pink fiber spun up. And that basket with the slot for the spindle is really cute. I bet you'll get a lot of use out of that.

[Lazuli]

Awww, what a fun time! I love the animal pics! And I'm glad you got the spindle and some fun fiber to go with it! I'm back home now...

[Adriana]

Chorus sung after each verse

Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare-bellied joe.

Verse 1
Out on the board the old shearer stands,
Grasping his shears in his thin bony hands
Fixed is his gaze on a bare-bellied yoe,
Glory if he gets her, won't he make the ringer go.

Verse 2
In the middle of the floor in his cane bottomed chair
Sits the boss of the board with his eyes everywhere,
Notes well each fleece as it comes to the screen,
Paying strict attention that it's taken off clean.

Verse 3
The colonial experience man, he is there of course,
With his shiny legging's on, just got off his horse,
Gazes all around him like a real connoisseur,
Scented soap and brilliantine and smelling like a whore.

Verse 4
The tar-boy is there waiting in demand
With his blackened tar-pot in his tarry hand,
Spies one old sheep with a cut upon its back
Hears what he's waiting for it's "Tar here Jack"

Verse 5
Now the shearing is all over, we've all got our cheques,
So roll up your swags and it's off down the trace,
The first pub we come to it's there we'll have a spree,
And everyone that comes along it's 'Have a drink on me.'

Verse 6
There we leave him standing shouting for all hands,
Whilst all around him every 'shouter' stands,
His eye is on the keg which now is lowering fast,
He works hard, he drinks hard, and goes to Hell at last.

from: http://www.imagesaustralia.com/shearingoftherams.htm

[Adriana]

Australian colloguialism used in this traditional song

Note:
ringer: fastest shearer on the team
swagger: lucky fella
blue-bellied Joe: sheep with completely-shaved belly
tar: antiseptic ointment for cuts. Looks and smells like its name.
Colonial Experienced Man: A sort-of Humane-Society inspector.