NCFF 2012 Sort of Wordless Sheep Shearing

Sorry for the quality of these pictures- I didn't realize how low-light the area was. But I was able to snap a few shots during a sheep shearing demonstration at NCFF. The ewe was complacent throughout, only bleating once near the end (and that wasn't an anxious bleat, it was more of a "will you please hurry up" sort of noise). The clipper aparatus hung on the wall (electric clippers), and the whole thing took less than five minutes.

The shearer did not know the exact breed of this sheep (my guess- a mutt with some Dorset in there somewhere, that's the usual breed of meat sheep around here), and frankly, this fleece wasn't really long enough for great spinning. Don't get me wrong, it's spinnable (or would be after skirting, cleaning, washing, and a lot of hay-picking), but it's a couple of months too soon for optimum length. It would make a nice, sproingy yarn.

Well,that didn't go how I expected it to go

Okay, so I had another class to teach at NCFF on Sunday- my Little Tips and Tricks class, which is always great fun, and usually full (or close to it). I was going to play in the morning, and then teach in the afternoon.

That was the plan.

Unfortunately, I woke up early Sunday morning with a killer headache- not a migraine but still not fun. I wouldn't have liked doing it, but I could have bluffed my way through the day with a headache (hoping it would fade), but within an hour, nausea also set in. And it didn't leave.

By 9:00am on Sunday, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to teach my class (not to mention the possibility that I might be contagious), so I did something I've never done in over 10 years of teaching knitting workshops and classes: I canceled.

I checked out of the motel, tendered my abject apologies, packed up, and drove the longest 75 miles of my life. I came home and didn't move for the next 15 hours. Though I didn't put them together, the fatigue, nausea and headache rang a bell with one of my friends, and she insisted that I go to the Dr for tests, which I did yesterday. We're waiting on results now, but in the midst of the exam, we learned that my previously excellent blood pressure is now not excellent at all. In fact, it was really quite high. So no matter what the other tests find (or don't find- don't worry, we're not expecting anything dire), I am now taking firm steps toward lowering the blood pressure, which is all to the good. I'm feeling much better today, and none of this should affect the fact that I'm flying out next Thursday for the Fiber Fallout in New Jersey.

At any rate, I do have a few other pics from NCFF, snapped on Saturday, and a couple to share from another friend, that were taken on Sunday.

 Ann took these pics of some of the Fiber Sandwich skeins. Mine is 2nd from the left. I love love the fact that fifteen spinners can all be given the same fiber and yet all fifteen will make completely different yarns.

Ann won the silent auction for my skein! Woohoo! If I couldn't be there to bid on it, I'm glad she was. I can't wait to see what she does with the yarn.

Between Friday and Saturday, I wheel plied the oatmeal colored yarn on the right- the single was spun with the spindle I bought at the Michigan Fiber Festival. I finished spinning and plying the hank in the middle (self striping), and nearly finished spinning the rest of the fiber (which I think is Blue Faced Leicester).

I have some other pics to post tomorrow (sheep shearing, some goats, and other fun things), but until then, here's one of my favorite signs in the whole world. It's a sort of NCFF landmark:

NCFF Day 2- Fiber Sandwich

What is a Fiber Sandwich, you ask? Well, a Fiber Sandwich consists of wool and other fibers (not necessarily animal- any kind of spinnable fiber) which are sandwiched together, divided up, and then spun. Sounds like it might be dull, right? Nope, it's a hoot.

Everyone who wanted to participate (including me) donated 4ozs of any kind of spinning fiber. Volunteers fluffed and spread the fibers out, layer after layer. They're just starting here- trust me, there was a BUNCH of wool by the end.

After all of the fibers were spread and floofed and sandwiched, they were divided out evenly- each person who donated fiber got a bag of assorted fibers. The above was my bag of fiber- quite a jumble, eh?  All of the spinners then had this afternoon (and part of tomorrow morning if necessary) to spin those fibers any way they like, into any kind of yarn. I taught a morning class and had the afternoon free, so I decided to separate out the colors and spin a medium single, which I then Navajo plied for a 3-ply self-striping bulky yarn.

 It is no small trick to spin and ply 4 ozs of yarn in a single afternoon. Certain niceties had to be ignored- like getting out all of the lumps.

 However, I think my yarn turned out gorgeously. Each of the skeins will then be put out for a silent auction tomorrow, with the proceeds going to the general NCFF fund.

 I am really pleased with how my yarn came out- it'll make a nice stripey hat I think.

Tomorrow, I'll take pics of the other yarns. Prepare to be amazed.

NCFF Day 1

Today was a pretty easy day- I got up when I woke up (early, but not middle-of the night), I had a leisurely breakfast, packed, and hit the road. I made it to Watertown early, got into my motel early, and I picked up lunch from McDonald's (late breakfast actually- sausage biscuit) because the Extension Center kitchen wouldn't be open at NCFF until later in the afternoon.

The hard working volunteers were already at it- handing out schedules, signing up students, accepting entries for the competition (this is the first year ever that I haven't had anything to enter- I made lots of stuff but most went to new homes already, and though my weaving and needlepoint looks fine from a distance, up close... nope, not competition worthy), and directing people to classrooms.

Even before the vendors were set up, before the classrooms were ready, before tables and chairs were arranged, the spinning circle got underway.

My Mitered Square class went very well indeed. Susan and Connie are repeat students (they both took the same class last year)(and by *the same*, I mean they both took a class at the same time, not the same class as this year). We all made some gorgeous mitered squares. I love having Genius Students. Check out Susan's shawl- purely gorgeous.

The spoilsports at the Coddington County Extension Center foil all of our fun... heh

The vendors were busy setting up when I left. I can't wait to explore tomorrow.

Like I said- an easy day: fairly short drive, good (read: nonexistent) traffic, renewing old friendships, lots of laughs, an excellent class that was only 4 hours long, and the promise of many fibery goodies tomorrow. So why am I so tired? Beats the hell outta me. But I'm going to go to bed and read for awhile.

Tomorrow: morning class, afternoon spinning, evening banquet. I'll take pics.