Boy oh boy...did we EVER have a great day out at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo this Friday... B and I had a special gals day out (great to spend the day together...so rare in our oh-so-busy-and-loud family!!) and we met up with Mandie (see the EGMTK's link) and G, and Jo and L. We really did need another day. It was wonderful! Check out these photos!
The stock exhibitors where so friendly and approachable. They clearly love their animals... here B is falling in love with a two day old Romney lamb. Still unnamed the generous farmer invited B to name her... Meet "Nikky". Future champion, I'm sure! hehe.
All too often as spinners and knitters a few of us fibre lovers (me included) can forget a little about the "business end" of fleece and wool. I usually receive my fibres in carded or roving form... only occasionally will I get out the scouring agents and buckets and dabble about with raw fleeces.
The stock exhibitors where so friendly and approachable. They clearly love their animals... here B is falling in love with a two day old Romney lamb. Still unnamed the generous farmer invited B to name her... Meet "Nikky". Future champion, I'm sure! hehe.
All too often as spinners and knitters a few of us fibre lovers (me included) can forget a little about the "business end" of fleece and wool. I usually receive my fibres in carded or roving form... only occasionally will I get out the scouring agents and buckets and dabble about with raw fleeces. I had a little trouble at first... Alpaca seems pretty easy to prepare...but with my sheep fleeces I was either left with greasy feeling yarn or yarn dry feeling because I had overdone it with the scouring agents. mmmm. I was also concerned with the amount of water I had to use, with the restrictions and all. After doing a little research, though.. and a few great tips via email from Hollyeqq fro
m Oceans of fibre I have had some success and I'm really keen to explore the different breeds of sheep and goats and see what each one has to offer. (see my blog links... Holly does ammmazing stuff with from scratch with raw fibres ...buy some! )
m Oceans of fibre I have had some success and I'm really keen to explore the different breeds of sheep and goats and see what each one has to offer. (see my blog links... Holly does ammmazing stuff with from scratch with raw fibres ...buy some! )
The show also featured so many amazing stalls with garments, yarns, dyes, rovings.... the list could go on for ever. (and the prices...omg!! So affordable!!) 
I managed to pick up some cute sock yarn, a first for me. I've always just used my own yarns... Opal sock yarn is a real treat!
I managed to pick up some cute sock yarn, a first for me. I've always just used my own yarns... Opal sock yarn is a real treat! I can't wait 'til next year! I missed so much... I want to take two days next year for sure!
Thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings! Yarn or any other enquiries can come on down to sheepychic AT hotmail DOT com. All the very best, Ruth xx
6 comments:
I'm so ENVIOUS! Would have loved to meet up with you at the show - maybe next year?? I think the husband is glad my credit card and I did not attend the bendy show!
wow that sounds like a great day. Its so nice to get the kids up close with the fleece suppliers lol.
That's a great idea, Wen... It's a great place to meet up. The tempo is nice and slow, especially on the Friday! I'll be there! Kath... keep an eye out for the postman!! ;)
I too would love to have been there, damn Harry Potter Eve....
Thankyou so very much for the absolutely Fantastic sock yarn you got on my behalf!!! I love it!!!
Looks like you guys had a great time!
hehe...yeah.. Harry Potter eve made it a squeeze. Can you believe I got home, grabbed kids and was gone again after 5 minutes. I know you worked hard, but if it's any consolation our kids are still running about with their magic wands. We had such a ball! You all did a wonderful job!!! Very very Harry Potter, it twas!
Ruth,
what sweet words... thank you so much. I love the sheepies and that little one Nikki is just too cute. Your dtr is going to so be hooked. You will have to get a small spinners flock..... or maybe when Mandie moves out in the country we can all board some sheepies at her house!!!
I am currently using your beautiful yarn to knit up a shawl... it is so stunning - how can I go wrong with that beautiful yarn!! Thank you so much!
I love to show what the fiber we adore and love to spin looks like before it is processed. I just kept going down the rabbit hole until finally I realized that if I processed my locks my self, I was able to get them really clean and still keep the locks, mostly and have more artistic control.
I remember my first time standing in the barn looking at bags of fleece and wanting to show people how beautiful it was. The sheepies were just on the other side of the door bleepin' (and probably having conversation about who's fleece I was going to pick out), The smell of the barn, the beautiful acreage, the sun and the prettiest little locks in the whole wide world getting ready to go home with me. When I spin, I want you to know it, to feel it, and to realize that the beautiful yarn I spun has nothing to do with me, but all to do with the lovely sheepies and their gorgeous locks.
Make sense?
I hope you enjoy washing fleece. It is labor intensive and it does use water but well worth it...
Happy Spinning
Holly
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