Fiber Festival of New England

Fiber Festival of New England is Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 - ongoing in spite of the recent storm and outages.

Sheep, llamas, alpacas, rabbits (fiber animals) are scheduled to be there; sheep shearing, sheep dogs herding, demonstrations, spinning, knitting, felting - plus workshops, yarn and much more. Presented by Eastern States Exposition and New England Sheep & Wool Growers Association in the heated Mallary Complex, West Springfield, Mass.

Note: Battenkill Fibers Carding & Spinning Mill will offers a hands-on workshop will begin with a look at how yarn is made and an overview of the structure of various types of fiber and weights of yarn. Instructor Mary Jeanne Packer, owner of the mill in Greenwich, New York, will share first-hand experience complete with fiber and yarn samples and images. Packer is also the owner/co-owner of two yarn shops-Finger Lakes Fibers in Watkins Glen, New York; and Green Mountain Fibers in Rutland, Vermont. Fee is $25; materials required include knitting needles in several sizes; yarn will be provided - or bring some of your own). Admission, hours, list of vendors and more details, call (413) 205-5011; visit the FFNE site or find them on Facebook.

CT Sheep, Wool And Fiber Festival

The 102nd Annual Connecticut Sheep, Wool & Fiber Festival is Saturday, April 30, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tolland Agricultural Center, Route 30, Vernon/Rockville.

Kevin Woolam (above) and Cathy Andresen co-chair the event.

Yarn, roving, sheep, exhibits, shearing and spinning demonstrations. Fleece sale, educational lectures; wool skirting, sheep dog trial, fleece to shawl contest, kids’ corner, knitting instruction, food, vendors, festival logo shirts, music, family fun. Kevin Woolam and Cathy Andresen co-chair the annual event.

Vermont Sheep And Wool Festival

The 22nd Annual Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival has been chosen to host the Eastern Cashmere Goat Show. Wendy Pieh of Springtide Farm in Maine will be this year's show judge.

Pieh is an approved judge of cashmere goats in the U.S. and is currently president of the Eastern Cashmere Association. Show will be held Sunday, Oct. 3, starting at 10 a.m.

Beth Brown-Reinsel, an acclaimed teacher and author, will conduct knitting workshops on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Beth is the author of "Knitting Ganseys", published by Interweave Press. Her articles and designs have been featured in magazines such as Knitters, Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting and Cast-On.

The festival is held at Tunbridge Fairgrounds in Tunbridge, VT, Saturday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct. 3. More than 2,000 fiber enthusiasts will gather to attend the many workshops being offered, peruse the animal barns and browse more than 65 of the finest fiber artists.

Vermont's history has been shaped by the wool industry as it was once home to more than 1.5 million sheep and is ranked second in the nation for wool production.

Today Vermont and New England offer some of the finest wool/fiber producers, many of whom will be present at the festival. Handcrafted natural fiber clothing, yarn, wool crafts, knitting and spinning, weaving and felting supplies, meat and cheese will be available. Presentations on animal health and animal husbandry as well as demonstrations on sheep shearing, dog herding, weaving, spinning, and bobbin lace will be on-going through the week-end. Local food and live music all week-end as well as activities for the kids.

The First Annual Fashion Show will be held Saturday evening. Handspun natural fibers and handmade - sweater, vest, scarf, shawl, mittens, hat or socks. Open to all.

To register for a class, participate in a competition, see a list of vendors and extensive class offerings, print a coupon or learn more about the festival, visit www.vermontsheepandgoat.org.

Admission is $6; seniors, $5 and children under 12, $1.

Sponsored by the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, dedicated to the growth of Vermont's sheep, goat and fiber industry.

Three Days of Fiber, Arts, Studios, Farms

Head for the Maine Fiber Arts Tour Weekend, Friday, Aug. 6, Saturday, Aug. 7, and Sunday, Aug. 8, a three-day special event featuring more than 50 studios, farms, shops and galleries open to the public.

Workshops, demonstrations galore about traditional crafts such as basketmaking and quilting to knitting, spinning and nontraditional uses to art.

Maine Fiberarts is a statewide arts nonprofit formed to support fiber and to foster its special work in basketry, beadwork, clothing design, crochet, embroidery, felting, knitting, lacework, needlework, paper, quilting, rugs, sewing, spinning, surface design, and weaving.

Goals include to "create greater opportunities for artists to exhibit work, to apprentice, to mentor, to teach crafts to children" and more.

Yak Yarn Or Hand-Thrown Pottery Anyone?

The Yarn Garden in Meriden will host a "yarn tasting" on Sunday, Dec. 13, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The shop will close at 3:00 pm that day.

The 54th annual Wesleyan Potters Exhibit & Sale is one of the oldest juried craft shows in the country. The show highlights the work of its members plus more than 200 talented American artisans in every craft field. Exhibit and sale runs through December 13. Admission is free.

Rhinebeck! (Or New York State Sheep & Wool)

The New York Sheep and Wool Festival takes place at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York, Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Dutchess County Sheep And Wool Growers, this is a showcase for one of Dutchess County's first (and still viable) industries.

Hundreds of sheep, llamas and alpacas will be on display and competing for ribbons, while craft and fiber artists from around the country present the best wool and sheep related items. Family activities abound with a Halloween Haunted Tunnel, a Hay Maze, horse-drawn wagon rides, music, cooking demonstrations, a "Punkin Chuckin" contest, and even some Border Collies showing off their shepherding skills.

Visit the NYS Sheep and Wool web site to check the schedule. No pets allowed.

Admission is $12 (pre-purchased $9; two-day package, $17).

For advance tickets, visit www.dutchessfair.com. Parking is free.

Open Air Market At Long Hill Estate

More than 70 artisans and vendors will display their wares at seventh annual Open Air Market and Festival at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth St., Middletown, Sunday Aug. 23, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. rain or shine.

Walk the grounds of the estate and find inspiration and works of art created by artisans, carvers, potters, painters, and jewelers, knitters, spinners and weavers. Fresh produce, fine cheeses, delicious foods, iced coffee and more offer up the bounty of Connecticut. (Live music, plenty of shade, family fun and tours of the mansion, too.)

Vendors will be participating this year including: Rose’s Berry Farm, Wayne’s Organic Garden, Stonewall Apiary, The Farmer’s Cow, Ballek’s Garden Center, Malabar Glass, Silks by Lucia, Zhe Feng Pottery, fine artist Adele Johnson as well as hand spun yarns from Tidal Yarns.

Horse-drawn carriage rides by Allegra Farms, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Face painting, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Middletown Commission on the Arts sponsors the musical entertainment:
9:30 to 11:30, Middletown Symphonic Band
11:45 to 1:45, Tune Chick
2 to 4:00, The Bluelights

Convenient shuttle parking will be available from Snow Elementary School. Additional parking is available at Mercy High School. For a complete listing of performers and vendors visit www.wadsworthmansion.com.

People, Exhibits, Ideas, Network At NOFA CT

That's Elaine Frost of Frostfire Farm located in Goshen, talking about Connecticut Women's Agricultural Network (CT WAgN) at the recent NOFA CT conference in Windsor.

CT WAgN is a network for women who farm, have an agriculturally-related business, or want to have one. (This includes producers of specialty goods, fiber, yarn and wool, wine, flowers, herbs, etc. Artisans, entrepreneurs, chefs, farm market participants and others are welcome to network and learn.)

Wayne Young of High Hill Orchards (located on a gorgeous farm that really is perched atop a high hill with the backdrop of Beseck Mountain in Meriden) offered sliced samples of his apples and talked about the winter CSA his farm offers. (A CSA is "community-supported agriculture" - in this case participants can choose a full share for four months worth of local organic fruits, vegetables/greens, and fresh cider . . . or just the fruit portion). For details or more information about the farm and orchard, call Young at (203) 294-0276.

Centennial for Sheep, Wool, Border Collies

There's nothing quite like quality yarn.

This spring, the 100th Annual Connecticut Sheep, Wool, and Fiber Festival is Saturday April 25 at Tolland Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Avenue (Route 30), Vernon. Featuring working border collies, sheep shearing, spinning, weaving, there's something for everyone. Meet the animals that produce the fiber - from sheep to llamas and alpaca. Watch the fleece to shawl contest, try your hand at spinning, or just enjoy the color and critters. Admission is $3 for parking; call (860) 526-3883 for details.

In 2008, the 20th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival offered up a feast of fiber - naturally dyed cotton, hemp, wool, and blends. Exotics. On display were all things to create beauty from fibers - from spinning wheels, drum carders, spindles and knitting accessories. There was raw fleece, rovings, homegrown millspun yarn, handspun yarn, hand-knit creations for people and dogs.

And then there was the working dog demonstrations, featuring Border collies, expertly herding sheep. Beauty in motion.


This year's Vermont festival will be held October 3 and 4, at Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT. For more information contact Kat Smith, (802) 446-3325.