Friday, October 31, 2014

Wooly Vermont

Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival in Autumn

Howdy folks,  Time as flown by so fast that I've missed my favorite fall activity!  Wool Festivals... so sad!!!  Just had to bring out my pics from last year where I took a trip to New England to visit a few weaving places of interest. First up here is the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival the first weekend in October  Tunbridge Fairgrounds in Tunbridge, Vermont!

I was amped up with excitement to see my woolie friends and of course let's not forget man's best friend or you could say GIRLS' best friend, Australian Shepard who were working the sheep in the demonstration field.

But first up... the views on the way to the festival were ABsoLutely gorgeous!  just look at the colors of the leaves and all!!!



 I just ABsoLutely loved the drive up... rounding roads the take you around the bend to another beautiful views of farmland with cute old farmhouses and barns... I Abs just loved the image of Vermont in the mountains.  Gotta go back someday!

While roaming around the Festival... a must do on the agenda is to visit the woolie animals who are Way too cute to pass up... Just look at those faces!  Just imaging that their wool makes all these fantastic rugs, clothing and bags just boggles the mind but makes you feel so warm and cuddly inside that it is cuteness overload!  Sheep.... Goats and more!






 


So much fun to watch these woollies face off with each other, comfort each other and just cuddle one another!  Seriously I had a cuteness overload here in Vermont... oh my goodness!  Had to take a breather so went roaming about in the vendors barn where loads of fibers and tools of the trade were on offer... just image all types of weaving, spinning, and carding equipment were on offer to a lucky individual... I scored an Awesome lil' loom called Zoom Loom... lovely lil' loom what weaves 4 inch squares!


Tools of the Craft!

Among the vendors you can find all of these gorgeous fibers in an array of hues, really something to see.  I just about died and went to heaven!  All that wool mixed in with a combination of mohair, cashmere and more... so lovely to lay our eyes upon and touch... lets not forget about the texture. Amazing  thing is the wool festival. 




The animals found at the Festival were from farms all over Vermont and the New England region.  Some animals which I came across were these fantastic mohair rabbits and goats from a organic farm in New Jersey.  Sadly the iPhone battery was dying out so sad!  Seriously I was dying from the thought of missing out of so many awesome pics.  Especially of the various weaving looms and crafts made of wool and other fibers. 

Anyways...  more cuteness



 Yarns for sale by various farms were just too colorful and of course you just have to get up close and personal with the fibers... I loved seeing how fibers were spun on the wheel... so posted below are two videos... its eye catching and mesmerising to watch!  at least it was for yours truly!



 Fibers Galore

Spinning Fun!!!

 

Spinning wheel videos... two of many different spinning wheels.  There's SUCH fun to be had with these... Cold winters just spinning away then weaving with fibers spun from our own wool.  So Delish!










Recreational camping at Vermont's Fairgrounds!  I saw some seriously fun campers parked on the grounds that are seriously too cute... just get a load of these babies! 



Chat soon!  

Next up New Hampsire's Best Kept Secret!





Sunday, October 12, 2014

Wardrobe adventures!

Last October after completing a few beginning projects, I took the jump into seeing up a brand spanking new top!  So excited as I found this amazing pattern for a tunic that I just love, love, LOVED to pieces!  


Learned quite a bit about collars, cuffs and pleats so overall awesome class offered by JoAnns.  

After completing this tunic it was time for a jumper of sorts using a pattern book from Japan.  So excited I was.   Made a lot of adjustments to the length and design.   Here's the pic from the third piece!  

Totally fallen in love with Japanse patterns. Linen is gorgeous with its woven texture and rich color!  

Chat soon!!