A Wool Gathering took place this past weekend at Young's Jersey Dairy.
All cars were headed straight to that location near Yellow Springs, OH.
Saturday, Susan and I headed out early - determined to get there when the show opened and back home in the early afternoon. We ate breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe in Yellow Springs. I had eggs, sausage, and pumpkin pancakes that were "kick-yer-momma" good! OH MAN! YUMMY! Neither one of us had eaten there before and we learned quickly to make reservations next time as the cafe has very limited seating.
Fortified, we struck out in search of fiber.
We didn't need to look hard for it! A Wool Gathering is a great show, terrific location, good food, etc. This year, they had added another large tent of vendors. So, there were three large tents and then vendors set up outside, also.
Mr. Allred was attracting a crowd with his Border Collies and ducks.
Young's Dairy also features a restaurant, diner, miniature golf courses (Udders & Putters), a batting cage, a petting zoo, and more. They have events going on all year so check out their site for current happenings. It's such a great place to take children.
The education tent featured various fiber animals (llama, Jacob sheep, other breeds of sheep, Angora
goats, Angora rabbits), shearing demonstrations, etc. and a tent where
children's activities were being held.
There were also barrel / train rides for the children and wagon rides for the adults. Something for everyone.
Just a fun place to be!!!
So much fun that I went back Sunday with Meg!!! Meg shopped until I dropped! We had a great time - shopped, ate a Young's Dairy cheeseburger and homemade chips, and shopped some more. Then, we finished our day with Young's Dairy Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Now, I know everyone wants to see my fiber haul. Let's have a Show and Tell!!!
I purchased some awesome roving. Eight ounces each of three fantabulous colorways from the gals at River's Edge Fiber Arts. The fiber content of the rovings is as follows: 8 oz. of Blue Faced Leicester (named Harvest Gathering - far right) and the other 16 oz. (two colorways) are 70% Merino/30% Silk (named Strawflower - middle - and Spruce Tree - on the left).
From Happy Hands Yarn, came 8 oz. of Alpaca / Tussah Silk roving, 8 oz. of Blue Face / Black Blue Face Leicester roving called Blackberry, and a skein of fingering weight 65% Merino/35% Bamboo named Angel Pie with a free lace scarf pattern. If you click on their link, you'll see what I intend to
order as soon as she gets it dyed. I drooled all over that jacket!!!!! Gorgeous!
At the Trading Post for Fiber Arts booth, I bought several skeins of Kauni to make Brady Scarves / Stoles. This yarn is coarser than a horse's tail but the finished product is going to be so cool! I almost couldn't wait to get home to start this project. As soon as I got home, I dug out my stiletto point Signature straights size 3 and got started that night!
Then, there was Creative Impressions In Clay which is located not too far from me in West Chester, OH. I got a funky scissor tip and two pairs of soda can earrings. It's not safe to throw anything away!!! I have earrings made out of gift cards and
now soda cans! Recycled fashion!
The two wonderful needle-felted pins came from Ali Strebel Designs. Ali is a wonderful primitive rug hooker. In fact, I used to order from her business, Kindred Spirits, when I had my rug hooking studio and camps. Check out her blog for lots of neat projects.
Check out these GREAT holders for felted coasters from Neal Pottery - also within a 20 or so minute drive from me. They have an Etsy shop and also sell at shows and a couple local shops. Amy is a knitter and I'm sure she was the divine inspiration behind these coaster holders and their yarn bowls. They do such nice work! I got a flower tray from them last year at the Hyde Park Square Art Show in Cincinnati
and have thoroughly enjoyed using it. (I checked their Etsy site and apparently they've sold out of their coaster holders. Check back.)
Now, things / people / sites / places to keep your eyes on.
The EweNique Yarn Bowl - If I was giving a prize out for the most creative work at A Wool Gathering, it would go to Jean Ann and Adriana. Hands down their yarn bowls were the most artistic and creative ones this knitter and show frequenter has ever seen. Please check out their blog and click on the picture to enlarge it. Still doesn't do their work justice. So, check back often to see the pictures they add of their yarn bowls. They also have a pottery site - Little Pig Pottery.
Another clever artist - Marcie of this site. Knitter, felter, and seamstress extraordinaire. She sews shirts
using THE cutest fabrics! I would LOVE to have a pair of pajamas made from her fabric covered in balls of yarn and knitting needles or maybe the sheep fabric. It would be a toss up!
Fiber Optics is also within about a 30 minute drive from me and it was great news to hear that Kimber is currently in the throes of opening a brick and mortar store around the first of the year!!! The colors in her yarn and roving are great! I also love the twist of her yarn. Check out her stuff on her site and in her Etsy shop and watch out for her shop opening with lots of classes on spinning, dyeing, knitting, etc.
While at the show, we were buzzed by some Air Force finery. They were very low - low enough to read the
numbers on the planes. There were four of them and they circled
several times which created a lot of excitement. They probably came from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in nearby Dayton.
I want to send a SHOUT-OUT to Mindy!!! She was there advertising the Southwest Ohio Knitting Guild. I know they meet in West Chester on one Thursday night of the month but I can't remember which one! I need to find the flyer I picked up from her table and report back later! Mindy, it was great finally meeting you after reading your comments here and visiting your blog for so long!
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Saturday night, we went to a pig pickin' - Swine, Dine, and Unwind!!! Meg's husband, Dennis, is the drummer for the band, BusTed. His co-workers coerced him into having a pig pickin' so they could have a concert / dance.
It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! There was tons of food. Dennis' co-workers assigned dishes to everyone according to their last name and there were probably 150 or so people there.
There was so much good food. We're "H", so I took my standard bean salad. I could have eaten the entire dish of Julie's butternut squash prepared as a casserole with pineapple juice, brown sugar, and walnuts. YUMMY! Have to get that recipe.
The weather was perfect and the music was fantastic! As it grew dark, the torches were lit around the pond and people began to take to the driveway with there dancing shoes on. Everyone seemed to be having an absolute blast! I asked Dennis if I'm too old to be a groupie! They were great!!!

Hope you all are still with me after this l-o-n-g account of my goings-on.
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Knitting project update -
Baby blanket - on the needles and not too far from being finished.
Hapi Wrap - up to the shoulders (almost).
Brady Stole - just started - a cool knit!
Socks - toe-up Magic Loop technique. I'm determined to learn how to make toe-up socks. I started a pair (two at a time) years ago on two circular needles but when I got to the heels, I stopped. Hopefully, once I finish these, I will have figured out how to do toe-up heels and will go back and finish that pair.
I think that's all. Maybe. Well, there are some others but they don't count since it's been a while since they were active. That's rationalizing, isn't it????