Monday, May 24, 2010

Acadia Fiber Faire 2010!

Knitting Out Loud was at the first ever Acadia Fiber Faire festival last Saturday in the lovely town of Southwest Harbor, Maine. The vendors were in the gymnasium of the Pemetic Elementary school, and in the lobby I discovered this wonderful exhibit of student weaving and felting.







This last one was a group effort.
Hanging in the gym where we vendors were, was this huge quilt of the flag. I've never seen a flag I liked as well as this one. Evidently the whole town participated in it's making.
I'm looking forward to being at this event in 2011!

Our next fiber events will be Granite State Knit-in (Loon Mountain, Lincoln, New Hampshire, 603.898.6931) on Saturday June 5th and Maine Fiber Frolic, on Saturday and Sunday June 5th and 6th. How can we be in two places at the same time? My husband, Scott Moore, has kindly offered to man the booth at Loon Mountain. He will be with his friend of over forty years, Jeff Jelenfy, whose wife Karen is my vendor buddy. Jeff will have some of Karen's fiber books from her charming book store Village Books.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
-Kathy

Thursday, May 20, 2010

surfing sheep video

Just found a Surfing Sheep video. She is surfing in the English Channel. I found it on the blog of the Catskill Merino Sheep Farm (a blog which rather wonderfully quotes Proust) written up in Knitter's Review today.

Enjoy!
- Kathy

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival 2010!

Karen and I had a great time at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival last weekend. On our way to the fair grounds, we stopped at Contoocook Needlework Gallery and looked at gorgeous needlework yarns.
And a sweet miniature needlework shop.
After we set up at the Festival, we checked out the delightful felted animals our neighbor, Sue Carey of Marble Meadows makes.
It was a little chilly at the fair, and I loved the fingerless mitts worn by Debbie Bergman of Purple Fleece.
Owls made by Sue!
Wooly Beers Yarns and Knits, of Durham, NH, had a beautiful vase of lilacs at their booth.
Wooly Beers lovely yarns.
And their hooked rugs.
At the end of our barn were Pygoras.
These gorgeous yarns are from Mocha's Fiber.
The New Hampshire Weavers Guild was there, with demonstration looms.
And demonstration tapestry weaving.
Purple Fleece was there with a great selection of spinning wheels and spinning equipment,
and gorgeous hand-woven towels, which I love (they make perfect presents!),

their lovely hand-dyed yarn (which I have personally tested, and love),
and roving.
Here's Jan Marek Raczkowski, who was also at the Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival, with his gorgeous yarns. He doesn't have a website, but can be reached via email at janraczkowski(at)comcast.net. As I said, it was chilly at this festival.
More of Jan's beautiful yarns.
It was, as a librarian knitter friend of mine said, perfect knitting weather. These yarns are from The Fiber Studio in Henniker, NH.
As are these.
There were many lovely hand-knits at the Festival.


The setting is gorgeous. I love the pines.
Cute baby alpacas.
Sweet finger puppets knitted from alpaca.
They are very sweet looking animals!
The chill didn't keep the crowds away! We are hardy here in New England. The cold just stirs our blood up.
I loved the sheep. These are Tunisian sheep.
I should know what these are, Corriedales? They are from the farm below.

Here is the fascinating story of the Tunisian sheep.





I tried to get the signs with the sheep...

Look at these beauties.


A shepherdess spinning.




There is a barn with exhibits.


And someone added a sweet bouquet.
A fleece demonstration.
These sheep dogs were marvelous! I loved watching them work. They are quite tired after their show.

Another good weather quote, "There is no bad weather, only wrong clothing."
Thank you all for coming, it was great to meet you. Till next year!

Now I am off to the new Hampshire Library Association Conference at Attitash in Bartlett, New Hampshire.
-Kathy