Today we enjoyed a nearly perfect September day at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, Wisconsin. It was Mr. Ether and me accompanied by my lovely sister (and soon to be first-time grandma) Lisa, as well as the always-delightful Sparkly Seacow and her friend Violet. While Mr. Ether went to watch the sheep dog demonstrations, and Sparkly and Violet did whatever it is that they do (it usually involves a lot of wrestling like puppies), Lisa and I shopped in the 2 barns-full of vendors.I am usually very frugal at these events. I tell myself I have enough yarn and take vendors' business cards instead. I don't know what got into me today! I bought a pattern for a sweater and a pattern for a shawl, plus angora yarn to make the shawl. I bought some beautiful variegated merino and cashmere yarn to make socks. ($28.00 socks!) I really debated on the sock yarn. I must have gone by the booth 4 times. When I finally went back to buy it, the vendor said, "Oh, I wrote up your receipt half an hour ago. I knew you'd be back." I also bought not one, but two handwoven rag rugs.
Hey, Sen. Gramm is right: our economic woes are all in our heads! We just have to quit whining, get out there and stimulate the economy! (Incidentally, my sister shared the shocking news that her husband was recently "let go" from the tax accounting firm where he has worked for more than two decades. So that's my cabinet-maker husband, my brother with a Master's degree in urban planning, my auto mechanic nephew, and my CPA brother-in-law who have all lost their jobs in the last year. But we're a nation of whiners.)
But I digress into the sordid world of politics. Back to sheep and wool. I love these sheep and wool festivals. A number of years ago I talked a new friend into going with me to the Michigan Wool Festival (before we had our own here.) It was around Kalamazoo when she turned to me and said, "You mean you're really serious about going to this thing?" She thought I was just looking for an excuse to get away from my family for the weekend. Ha! (I think that was the first time I left Sparkly Seacow. Wool is very compelling.) I think I might even go back tomorrow!
9 comments:
I miss living next door to Wisconsin. Sometimes we would start driving and end up in Kenosha or Madison. Now there is no chance that we would ever run into a sheep and wool fest. We do however, have a bi-weekly sheep and goat auction down the road. So we have that going for us.
That's a cool goat!
MathMan -- guess there isn't much call for wool in Georgia, though I just read an article in the free copy of Sheep! magazine that I picked up yesterday, that a researcher in New Zealand (of course) proved that wool is excellent fabric for the tropics as well as cold regions. Maybe you can start a trend?
Dr. Zibbs (my, there are a lot of medical bloggers -- Dr. Monkey. Dr. Zaius ...) -- That breed is called a "Jacob." They are cool.
I plan to make my fortune breeding sheep that are the size of chihuahuas, and start promoting "backyard sheep" in urban areas. (Along with cows that are small enough to live on your dining room table so you always have milk for your coffee.)
Suzy - sounds like the researcher is trying to unload vintage confederate uniforms. I would definitely have table sized cows but they need to be like the black and white ones like you have in Wisconsin.
I was thinking Brown Swiss.
I love this post. I'm not a knitter, but I marvel at fleece and wool and knitted things. I'm fascinated with the notion of embellishment. I mean, we could just knit plain old sweaters and socks, but all cultures add color and pattern, even though the warmth factor is the same.
You are an incredibly talented knitter. I'm glad you splurged. Your creativity sends good ripples out into the universe.
Aww, thanks, Caroline!
Actually, some embellishments are extremely functional, which makes it twice as cool (or warm, as the case may be.) Two (or more) color knitting, like in a lot of Scandinavian knitting, makes a thicker and warmer fabric.
I love knitting, and I love that with each thing I make, I feel myself getting better and more confident. I just designed my first garment!
Sheep and wool.
How elitist can you get.
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