Upcoming Fiber Events...
The Wool Gathering for 2002 opened on Saturday morning, September 22, in two big tents behind the Dairy Store at Young's Dairy, a mile north of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Our numbers increased this year, with more vendors, more projects for kids (and adults), and more visitors. We estimated 5,000 guests during the two day event. A major attraction was Jim Allread and his Border Collies, so well trained that they paraded ducks through hurdles and across a little bridge all after- noon, with no surrounding fence and with much dis- traction from spectators and from Youngs' kiddy rides.. Eugene Haudenschield returned to demonstrate sheep shearing and to answer the many questions asked by spectators. We added rope making, offered by Patty House, and "worry dolls," developed by Kathie Hickman, to our craft tables, along with felted pictures, drop spindles, and the knitting lessons taught by Carol Miller. Special thanks go to Bob and Susie Smithers for making those CD drop spindles, and to Nancy Fisher for providing the Wool Gathering logo for them. We ran out of worry-doll makings on Saturday, and Marilyn Lacey spent most of Saturday night using a hot glue gun to put arms on clothespins. The Society for Creative Anachronism was with us for both days with their demonstration of spinning and weaving. They are talented demonstrators, and the costumes are outstanding. Demos and knitting and spinning tips were supplied by the Dayton Knitters' Guild and the Weavers' Guild of Miami Valley. Members of these guilds have been very supportive of the Wool Gathering. We're looking forward to their participation in 2003, and we remind you to bring your spinning, weaving, felting, and knitting questions because someone who can answer them will certainly be there! Once again, Marge Finnegan brought information from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, an organization devoted to the preservation of rare breeds. Two rare sheep breeds, Tunis and Jacob, were displayed at the Wool Gathering. Shetland sheep, parti-cularly some of the colors and markings, are also in danger. We hope to have representatives of these breeds and information about others at our 2003 Gathering. The Wool Gathering features exhibits of fiber animals; we thank the following individuals for bringing their animals to the show: If you're interested in bringing fiber animals for display at the 2003 Wool Gathering, contact, for llamas, Janine Hickey at 937 429-5153, for alpacas, Linda Donaldson at 937 878-6116, and for sheep or goats, Ruth Ann Rahim, 937 969-8587. More Upcoming Events...
Lois Pelekoudas When I saw Helen McCown knitting a long string of seed stitch at a meeting of the Dayton Knitters' Guild, I had to ask what it was. She told me it was the tie for an ear warmer....and I remembered from cold winters in Wisconsin the neat little ear warmers as a popular alternative to knit hats. So here is my adaptation of Helen's ear warmer. It is knit in one piece, with the ties and the border of the warmer in seed stitch and the "body" of the warmer in stockinette stitch.: This little project takes a little less than 2 ounces of yarn and is a way to use leftover bits of handspun. Yarn: Worsted weight - Needles: US 8 Cast on 6 stitches. Row 1: (RS) K1, P1 across. Row 2: (WS) P1, K1 across. This is seed-stitch pattern and is continued until the piece measures 13 inches. Increase on the next row (RS): K1 P1, increase 1 by knitting into the stitch below the next stitch. Increase two more (total in increase 3 stitches). Finish the row in seed stitch (P1, K1, P1). You now have 9 sts. You are in effect dividing the seed stitch string in half, and adding three stitches between the halves. On the next row (WS) P1, K1, P1, P3, K1, P1, K1. Following row (RS): K1, P1, K1, increase 1 (M1), knit to the last three stitches, M l, P1, K1, P1. You now have 11 sts. Following row WS): P1, K1, P1, purl to the last three stitches, then K 1, P1, K1 Repeat these two rows until you have a total of 28 sts. (3 seed stitch, 22 stockinette, and 3 seed stitch). Continue in pattern, without making increases, until the piece measures 12 inches or desired length to the decrease. Decrease on the knit side of the piece, as follows: Row 1 (RS): K1, P1, K1,SSK, knit to the last five stitches, K2 together, P1, K1, P1. Row 2 (WS) P1, K1, P1, purl to the last 3 stitches, K1, P1, K1. Repeat these 2 rows until 7 stitches remain.. On the next row, P1, K1, P1, K2together, P1, K1. Finish by working 13 inches of seed stitch, bind off. M1 = an increase by placing the left needle front to back in the horizontal bar between the next stitch to be knit and the stitch just completed. Insert the right needle and knit the picked-up bar. Knit-in (nit-in) n. A gathering of knitters who bring work in progress to share ideas and inspiration. The regular or occasional knit-in is an opportunity to meet other knitters, to get help from master knitters, and to share patterns and ideas. Two continuing area knit-ins are open to all: 28 West Main St. Fourth Wednesday of the month (next date February 26), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Kathie Hickman, 937 383-1976, or jkh53@earthlink.net for more information. 350 E. Stroop Rd. (Town and Country Shopping Center). Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Knitters also come together at meetings of the Dayton Knitting Guild, on the third Monday of each month at St. Mary's Center at 10 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. except for July and August. St. Mary's Center is located at the corner of Xenia Avenue and Steele Avenue in Dayton's Twin Tower neighborhood. Beginners or knitters with questions are invited to come to the Center before the 10 a.m. meeting for help and instruction. Current (2003) members of the group are:
Note the fee increase for the Wool Gathering: Rising costs - mostly for tents - have forced us to raise our vendor fees for the two-day Wool Gathering. Inside booths will be $55, and outside booths $40. The size of the booths will not change, and we will continue to supply tables and chairs. For Information about Llamas or Alpacas, contact the Ohio River Valley Lama Association (ORVLA), one of the oldest llama associations in the country. It was founded in 1988 to provide camaraderie and information sharing among llama owners in the Ohio River Valley. The group also includes owners of alpacas, who belong to the general group of "lamas" (one "l"). Members and their llamas are active in parades, nursing home and school visits, church camps, and other educational or service events. Also there are llama shows, more in Ohio than in any other states. On the ORVLA web site, www.orvla.com, you can find information about llamas - for example, they have a life span of 15 to 29 years, height of 36 to 47 inches at the shoulder and five feet to six and one-half feet at the head, and weight of 250 to 450 pounds. You can also find a calendar of events for the busy llama and alpaca spring/summer show season. An early event that might interest beginners and those interested in llamas is a Llama Showmanship and More Workshop, March 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in Lancaster, Ohio. For information about this workshop, contact Jack or Donna Moore at 740 743-1092. Midwest Festival of Fibers members have been saddened this year by the deaths of two of our members. Annie Stewart, Cedarville, llama enthusiast and active member of ORVLA, died June 18, 2002. Annie shared her love of camelids through 4-H and other educational programs. Bob Smithers, DeGraff, science teacher, environmentalist, and lover of fiber animals, died January 25, 2003. With his wife, Susie, Bob developed the Rollicking Hills Farm Camp in 1957 to provide hands-on learning for young people. Bob was a patient, dedicated teacher who loved nature, animals, and the children he taught. Back to top of page |