Black Sheep Gathering - "Part One"

The 2012 BSG T-Shirt - Pretty cute, huh?  

We left last Thursday a.m. (right after taking The Shepherd's work truck into the repair shop) for Eugene Oregon and the 2012 Black Sheep Gathering.  I was somewhat anxious about our trip - we couldn't find an in-house farm sitter this year however some friends graciously stepped in to take care of the kitties and the sheep so we could take our vacation!  To top it all off, George had come up limping on Tuesday and hid out so my efforts to take him to the V.E.T. were thwarted -  he didn't seem to have any punctures or bleeding, but we weren't sure what we would come back to.  Luckily, he seemed to have just sprained it and it seems to have gotten better on its own (I guess that's why you don't see little bitty kitty crutches....) 

We made it through the Seattle Metro area in record time and stopped in Chehalis to have lunch with my sister, niece and grandnephew.  Flew down the highway - not even too much traffic in the Portland area - amazing!  

 

 Since I wasn't taking my spinning wheel, I decided to see what I could make with this pretty yarn I spun a couple of years ago - The Shepherd gave me the fiber for Christmas - all I can remember was that it was alpaca and cashmere - I think with some superwashed merino blended in or something - it is incredibly soft.

The pattern I'm crocheting for this scarf is called Mosaic Scarf's little sister.  I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough yarn, but I finished with just a few yards left - whew...
















Here is The Shepherd with NW Shetland breeders Jackie Craw Forest Mountain Sheep, Chelan, WA, Donna Schoonover, Schoonover Farms, Sedro Woolley, WA and Michelle McMillen, Boulderneigh Farm, Amity Oregon. 

They were in a serious discussion about some wool samples that The Shepherd had brought with him. 

But lets talk about what is really important here - and that is shopping - hundreds of booths filled with delicious flavors of fiber - Blue Faced Leicester seemed to be a favorite this year.  Plus, I bought another 4 oz. hank of silver baby alpaca so I could work some more on the yarn for my camelid shawl, and some more baby camel to go with the baby camel fiber that I bought last year that I still haven't done anything with...

Fiber Arts Judging

So, I actually had a method to my madness this year.  I walked from the sheep barn through one side of the vendors, through the middle hall, and then sat down and watched the fiber arts judging while I rested my knees.  This skein of yarn, as you can see, unfortunately was disqualified because the maker had tied it all together and it could not be opened up to look at it.  Oops...

She seemed to be pretty good at her judging - listening to her talk definitely gave me things to remember the next time I prepare yarn for competition.

Knees rested, I pressed on through the last vendor barn - No, I didn't buy any of this yarn, but isn't it pretty?

And look who I found?  Marcia Adams, who used to shear our sheep.  She sells her Coopworth wool roving at festivals now and had landed this prime indoor spot at the last minute when someone else had to cancel. 

Yarn and fiber in all kinds of rainbow colors. 

A delight for the senses

Late June in Eugene, more often than not, is in the 80's - 90's - this year not so much.  In fact, I don't think it got much into the 70's - I felt bad for the outdoor vendors- all the tents on the far right on this picture - but, they take their chances and if it is hot out, they definitely have a better deal than in the stifling hot of the barns -

So Friday,  the rains came -

In a day or two I'll tell you about Saturday's events - the Fleece Judging and the Spinner's Lead.

                                            Enjoy the sights and sounds of the judging ring -