Dear Jan,
As you are well aware, this last weekend was Shepherd’s Harvest, the biggest fiber festival in the Twin Cities area. Four barns plus some freestanding tents of vendors, sheep, alpacas, goats and bunnies, classes and fleece sales all combine to make one of my favorite events.
I took 3 great classes. The first, taught by Dee Heinrich of Peeper Hollow Farm, was on sheep color genetics. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Looking at the photos of lambs and figuring out their possible genetics was like sudoku on hooves.
The second was a photography class with Gale Zucker. Yes, this is the second class I’ve taken with Gale, but now that I’ve been applying some of her wisdom I was ready to absorb a bit more. Like how changing the exposure setting on your camera can make a big difference in picture quality in general, and how lowering it as much as a full f-stop can allow you to actually capture black yarn in particular. The picture below shows the results of decreasing the exposure setting (with no other editing of the photo after it is downloaded).
My last class was taught by Carol Wagner of Hidden Valley Farm & Woolen Mill. We played with fiber blending, color blending, and color layering. A total blast, and I’m afraid it may have pushed me toward doing some dyeing.
It definitely pushed me toward buying one of her Coopworth fleeces. The fiber we worked with in class was so lofty and lustrous. I also bought a pound of raw Rambouillet just to compare that fine stuff to the stronger Coopworth. A Rambouillet lock is on the left below, the Coopworth to the right.
In between coming and going to the festival, I did get a little knitting done. I’ve gotten a start on another test knit - this one for Erica. Her spiral shawl is a great travel project, at least at this size, as the pattern is simple increases in a stockinette ground.
And I haven’t forgotten the big event of the summer. I’ve gotten a start on my sweater to wear to your retirement. The pattern, Paulina by Julie Weisenberger, is much lovelier than this bit of sleeve suggests.
All in all, I’m ending the weekend smiling.
Love,
Ellen
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
May 14th, 2012 at 8:44 am
Sweet sheep shots! I was too tired to post mine.
May 14th, 2012 at 9:20 am
Wow! With all this craftiness, who has time to work?
May 14th, 2012 at 9:42 am
So great to see you/shoot with you/ shop with you/share walleye chunks this weekend ! Love the smiling sheep, that’s how I felt too.
May 14th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Love it! Dyeing /and/ sheep genetics? That was a productive festival!
The smiling sheep is just adorable. I don’t use that word often, but it really fits here. =)
May 14th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Fiber- and color-play.Love it!
May 15th, 2012 at 8:43 pm
What a fabulous weekend! (Not to mention - happy Mother’s Day to both of you!) I love the idea of a sheep genetics class, too cool. And the retirement sweater looks like it’s going to be stunning; would that I could be there to admire (and cheer for Jan) in person!
May 17th, 2012 at 4:57 am
Did you buy that little sheep for me so she could come live on our farm? I do hope so.
I also hope I can go to Shepherd’s harvest with you next year! It sounds (and looks) so wonderful!
December 20th, 2012 at 9:32 am
[…] made a trek to the Chamber of Secrets and the icy blue batt that from the drum carding class I took last spring practically jumped into my hands. It is lustrous Coopworth fiber from Carol Wagner at Hidden […]