Wool Market Sheep to Shawl

One of the must visit areas of Estes Park Wool Market is the sheep to shawl tent. Here you can visit with spinners and weavers as they go about the business of creating that lovely shawl in one day....well, almost one day. This year's contest was sponsored by Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins Inc. of Boulder, CO. The Registration booklet states the following:

"There are five members on each team. The emphasis is on carding, spinning,weaving and providing an educational presentation for the public. Teams will use sheep’s wool from a natural-colored, cleaned fleece. Up to 10 percent fibers, specifically angora rabbit, mohair, llama, alpaca or pygora, may be used in the shawls."

After registration money is received, teams will receive further information in regards to their participation. These rules will allow each team to have their loom warped to their specific weaving pattern. This warp must be handspun. All other spinning and weaving will take place on site. Each team will supply their own fiber to spin.
Okay, spinners treadle those wheels!
There were four teams at work when we arrived in the tent around mid afternoon. One team had finished their shawl and was adding the finishing touches. This group was madly spinning away.
With their fiber piled in the middle of their team area, one person was carding this natural wool.
Busy treadling to hand off to the weaver that was working her magic on the loom.
This team chose a 8 harness twill pattern for their shawl. And as you can see, the weaver is coming to the end of her warp.
This was a good photo of knitted hat along with the warp on this loom which was a plaid. The weaver is also wearing long sleeve shirt that shows the logo for the wool market. The team had about another yard to complete before their shawl was ready to be taken off the loom. All the looms were common sights to this weaver but one really was interesting.
Now, this is one loom that was produced during the 50's for occupational therapy. The wheel allows the weaver to just turn clockwise for the pattern and lifting of the shafts. Pegs are inserted to give the pattern. This loom is Nadeau "Hand-skil". Know anything about this loom, please leave a comment. The weaver was having a difficult time with the shed on this loom.
One team had finished their shawl and team members were adding beads to the fringe, which would be twisted to complete. One of the team members said that according to the rules, the shawl must be woven, washed and dried before the deadline in order to win. Looks that this team is on their way to that first prize of $75. The weave pattern was 8H Bronson. Completed shawls are used in a raffle and the funds collected are presented to a charity organization. Have you ever participated in a sheep to shawl? We'd like to hear about your event.

Outside the Wool Market Vendor Barn

If you think that going to wool market is all about the vendor barn, you are so wrong. There is so much more to enjoy on the grounds. It's a chance to roam through various barns, view unique animals, see contests, smell the fragrant air, and speak with many interesting people from different states and walks of life--all with one thing in common--they love animals and their fiber.
Poor little fellow! He looks so forlorn after losing his coat to the shearer.
We came upon this sheep under the shearer's shears--just plain scissors. She says she cuts the coat twice a year. Now, we stop to visit with this interesting lady.
Eighty (yes 80) years young from Potosi, Missouri. We were viewing her lovely angora goats or Mos that were in the four pens along the front walkway. We commented on her wonderful sweater with goats knitted along the bottom hem. She said that since the weather had been so chilly and she hadn't brought any warm clothes with her, she went to the thrift shop in town and found two sweaters, this one included, for $1 a piece! Can you believe??? After wool market and her return home, she was having heart surgery--now, can we say that she has a true love of animals and fiber.
Up close and personal on angora goat or 'mo'. Below, more of the wonderful ringlet goats.
To show their animals worthiness, ribbons are proudly displayed on gates and fences.
Give a look at this big dude--Rambouillet breed. He was quite regal and wearing his finest coat.
Walking through the aisles you might come upon an owner exercising their alpacas.
In the arms of this new owner, was two week old alpaca.
Okay, just a short detour--off to the side entrance is another smaller tent where bags of fleece are spied! Look at this gorgeous alpaca fiber!
Owners were picking up their fleece after judging. Of course, the question was asked "were any of the fleeces for sale?" Nope, all sold or have intended purposes--ah, shucks!
Nervous animals are place in a true headlock as their owners wash and shear their hindlegs before judging.
Seriously? Yes, suris dominate the show.
We visited with this vendor who was using her loom frame to knit her suri fiber. She had made several scarves and other wearables with this frame. She said she didn't like to knit but loved this form of creating lovely handmade items.
Exiting the one tent, we notice that the rain had stopped but the skies weres till dark and gloomy looking.
On the grounds we find a baby yak being fed. Just like any baby, he moved when his photo was to be taken. There was also a small herd in one of the front outside pens.

Estes wool market is a great place for youngsters to participate and display their showmanship.
The next blog we were discuss the sheep to shawl contest.

Estes Park Wool Market

There is nothing like a day at the wool market even if it's raining, the grounds are muddy and it's the day after the wool judging. Actually, this is the best day to attend--you see, there is always the temptation to observe wool judging and then buy one, two or more of the ribbon winning fleeces. The day after opening is even better because the sale barn is less crowded. Here is my knitter friend, Judy, smiling under her umbrella. She knows there are all sorts of woolly goodies inside the barn. Inside the door, the small crowd is dressed in their fashionable raingear which includes wonderful knit wool hats.Vendors to the left and right of us--decide on the route and charge! Creatively Dyed came all the way from South Carolina with her brightly dyed yarns.
Brooks Farms from Lancaster, Texas bring such lovely yarns that we both found a nice lightweight yarn (wool/bamboo blend)that we neededto buy. Deer Valley Alpacas were located in the back row.
Magpie Woodworks displayed a wonderful collection of their handcrafted spindles, shuttles and other sundry items. Wooly Walkers had a huge selection of felted hats. JWM Fibers had a wonderful selection of handwoven wearables.
Up front is the most entertaining vendor! Who can resist her delightful paintings?! Connie Togel from Charisma Art Gallery
Woodlake Woolies had sparkly roving! This was just a partial list of all the vendors on site. There were two area knit shops-- The Stitchin' Den , located in Estes and Your Daily Fiber from Fort Collins.
We met some familiar faces along the aisle walk. Knitters up for the day and the opportunity to shop. Vendor friends from years of yore!
There was one of the 'wild women' bunch, Marilyn from South Dakota. Marilyn said her website was 'under construction' so we'll watch for it.
There was Suzanne of Fireant Ranch assisting a customer on the spinning wheel.
Robin with her wonderful buttons. She was excited to share that her garment was juried into the fashion for the upcoming Convergence fashion show. We will definitely watch for that on the runway!
Next blog will include outside activities.

On Track--we hope!

We are continuing on our American Barn Quilt Trail through the countryside via these quilt blocks thanks to Becky at Golden Thimble
These have some paper piecing and regular piecing involved which makes them a challenging block to work.
We are all caught up now with the completion of June barn.
Thank goodness, the jelly roll sampler is up to date and should soon be finished! My jelly roll is getting down to the bare minimum with dark strips.
This kit was purchased last summer and has definitely aged enough to be sewn up just in time for those sunflowers to raise their heads to the sun.
The machine quilting isn't the greatest, that's for sure. The sewing machine at the summer house didn't have a walking foot. So,on the next visit to Jo-Ann's store, a walking foot was bought--and that's a big chunk of change! But that little foot is worth it's weight in gold when doing any quilting.

Beads!!

We are gathering our supplies for some beadwork. Why, you ask? On a recent visit to LYS (local yarn shop), this little booklet was discovered. "Gee whiz, there is no way you could miss out on working with bright shiny beads", the mind voice said. So that is why we are gathering the necessary supplies for this project. The yarn is handspun (properly aged), one ply merino, one ply silk--all from the same colorway--thinking here.......oh, yes, these rovings were purchased in 2009 at Southeast Fiber Forum conference in Asheville, NC. Vendor bought from? we have to think on that one a little bit more. The beads are from Art Beads There was a wonderful little 'needle' with the booklet but somehow, that went missing after the first day of browsing through to figure out which pattern to knit. The patterns included seven scarves and one shawl--which one to knit? Okay, got to find more of those 'needles', order beads and of course, spin the yarn! and you thought this process was an overnight sensation?--Ha, fooled you! Never!!!!!
Finally, yarn is spun and we are adding beads to the yarn. Pour out the beads on a flat container lid and thread the long flexible needles with the yarn. Slip on the beads.
Pull them down over the yarn--thought that part was going to be hard, but the beads went on quickly and easily. But, it is the most time consuming part of the whole project--Sliding on those tiny 10 mm beads. A dear friend had given me one of those bead machines that is suppose to spin the beads onto the thread, but it didn't work with the handspun. Or maybe, we just didn't try hard enough.
Beads are strung and we are knitting! It is little awkward at first, knit a stitch, slide a bead, knit to lock in the bead. But, once you get the hang of it, the process becomes second nature to your fingers.
and oh, yes, love those interchangeable harmony needles from Knit Picks . We are still working on this scarf--ran out of beads!!