Common Ground Fair 2010!

Yarn first (my husband took these photos and I am not sure whose yarn it is - I know it is sideways but am not sure how to turn it), isn't it lovely!

Second, a note to Anita Figueras (aka scifiknitter): there was a technical glitch and the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival photos will go up next week. It was wonderful to meet you and your daughter! Thank you for stopping by our booth.

Last weekend was Maine's Common Ground Fair. This is the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association annual fair, and it attracts 60,000 people over the three days. It is a fantastic fair, a wonderful harvest and country craft celebration.

My husband came with me to help out at the Knitting Out Loud (and now also Cooking Out Loud!) booth, and he took photos for me.

Here's Debbie Bergman at the Purple Fleece booth (it was chilly Friday and Sunday and hot on Saturday, that's Maine weather for you). Debbie had her famous, gorgeous, hand-dyed yarns at her booth, and I believe she had sold out of spinning wheels by the end of the Fair. Spinning is big at this Fair.

Debbie is standing with Karen Jelenfy (Karen, of Village Books, is my booth buddy on Knitting Out Loud trips). Karen's husband Jeff Jelenfy did a blacksmithing demonstration at the Fair on Saturday.
Adorable goat cart!

This goat was responding to voice commands given by a woman walking ahead of it.


Donkeys
Ponies
Several years ago my husband and I almost bought a baby donkey at this fair, until we snapped back to our senses.
The lady driving the buggy for this draft horse competition is wearing 19th century dress.



I love vegetable gardens, and the demonstration gardens run by MOFGA are wonderful.

Bare back on their draft horses.





That very green stuff below is Japanese millet. If you are a Kurosawa fan you will remember that in the film Seven Samurai the villagers ate millet and gave their rice to the samurai.
Our dream is to someday have a hive or two of bees. We will get one of these top bar hive boxes from Gold Star Honeybees in Bath, Maine. It is the only way to go.

Organic vegetables for sale. We bought leeks and garlic.






Tomatoes growing inside one of their greenhouses.





Hewing timbers for timber-framed structure demonstration.
A hobbit house for sale!
Shorn alpaca.
The famous Wednesday Spinners of Maine.
Woodland crafts on display.
And lastly, here's a bow-making demonstration, using a shaving horse.
Many thanks to all of you who came by our booth, we had a great time, it was a wonderful fair!
-Kathy

Fiber College 2010, Searsport, Maine

This is one of the fun things about fiber festivals: glorious hand-dyed yarn. The yarn pictured above is from Linda Whiting's Pinestar Studio.

And here's another fun thing about fiber festivals: meeting hand-knitwear designers. Below is the delightful Mary Jane Mucklestone. (Notice the adorable beagle in the background! He was a sweetie!) Go to Mary Jane's website and read about her wonderful trip to Shetland. Mary Jane gave a class at Fiber College.
Here she is looking over the fiber books from Village Books in Washington, Maine. My friend Karen Jelenfy of Village Books and I shared a booth. Karen has great fiber books!
The lovely yarns below are hand-dyed by Heather, owner (and fiberista!) of Highland Handmades. I first met Heather at Maine's Fiber Frolic last spring and was happy to have her booth next to ours at Fiber College. We vendors have fun.
Pictured below is Debbie of Purple Fleece in Stockton Springs, Maine giving an impromptu spinning demonstration. She is a master spinner.
And dyer. Pictured below are Debbie's luscious hand-dyed sock weight yarns. Check out her spinning wheels. Spinning is addictive and calming, says Karen, who has plunged into the world of spinning.
The charming felted hats below are made by Michelle DeLucia of Sunshine Daydream Farm in Brownfield, Maine.
Michelle uses native, natural plant dyes.
Beautiful!
Michelle had this charming felted bag for sale in her booth, too.
There was even a lovely vegetable garden nearby.
Fiber College takes place at the scenic Searsport Shores Ocean Campground.

These photos wouldn't have been possible without the loan of a camera from Debbie, my friend at Purple Fleece, who kindly loaned me hers after I realized mine wasn't working (thank you Debbie!)

Saturday, September 18th, Karen will bring Knitting Out Loud audiobooks to Country Knitters and Spinners Fiber Festival in Presque Isle, Maine.

Saturday and Sunday, September 18 & 19, I will bring Knitting Out Loud audiobooks to the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival in Hemlock, New York.

Hope to see you there! Happy Fall!
-Kathy