The Shepherd's Market

Saturday was the Shepherd's Market gathering.  It was the first great weather day we've had and everyone was in a happy mood.  We're fortunate to be able to use the common areas of a large Methodist church so the ceiling is high and the room is bright with natural light.  Several spinning guild members took advantage of the chairs in the middle of the room and enjoyed some time at their wheels while surrounded by friends and fiber.

The bags of roving in the photo below are all done with natural dyes.  The green is weld over indigo.  I don't remember what was used for the other colors.  Besides roving from their own flocks the vendors also had dye plants ready for the garden, equipment for spinning/weaving/other fiber arts, finished goods, buttons, beads, jewelry, handmade soaps and lotions, yarn, maple syrup, knitting patterns and kits..... for a smallish festival there was a great variety of goods.

The next vendor over - Heart'sEase Icelandics - prefers to showcase their wares in natural colors. 

There were angora bunnies for sale and also doing their part to demo spinning by sitting quietly on a lap while they were plucked and spun.  This little blue-eyed white bun was determined to be Somewhere Else.  I've always been surprised that angora rabbits seemed content to sit quietly in their travel cubicles at festivals even with the top open.  Not this one!  They finally had to put the lid on his cage to keep him in.

There was a great variety of lovely yarn, much of it having been dyed by hand.  This is some yummy yarn from Stone Edge Fibers in Phelps, NY.

Thanks to the fine efforts of Diane from Acorn Works I had five new rovings in my booth.  Left to right they are:  Briquette - dyed Cotswold, Beautiful Blue - dyed Cotswold, Wood Smoke - natural color mix of many breeds, Plum Lovely - dyed Cotswold, and Sirius Black - natural color Cotswold lamb (75%) and black alpaca (25%).  Yes, they are really all this shiny. 

Fiber festivals are popping up all over.  Be sure to go investigate some near you.  You'll find a great array of supplies and finished goods and you'll be supporting local small businesses and farms.  And you never know - even if you don't go in the door as a 'fiber person' you may come home with a new hobby!