Mud madness

Overlooking and overcoming rain, mud and soggy wool

An improvised yarn drying rack

The rain was unrelenting and, much as I like rain, it made for a rather miserable beginning to the annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It made driving slow and the Mid-Atlantic region's week of rain created streaming rivulets and oozing, slimy, slippery, sludgy mud at the Howard County fair grounds.

The mucky, muddy mess at the fairgrounds was bad. The outside tent booth was swamped. Only the basics--tables, chairs and display grids could be unloaded to the tent booth on Friday with plans for a very early preparation on Sat. 

A much bigger concern was how to make the booth accessible to Sat. shoppers. The resourceful shepherds of the American Coopworth Registry's co-op bought--and spread--two bales of straw in and in front of the booth along with three rubber mats in walkways. (You can see the newly-strewn straw at early Saturday morning set-up in the photo below.)

Nearly ready for customers Saturday morning at the
American Coopworth Registry booth

Another problem awaited us. The truck cab's rear window leaked. A lot. Because the extended cab area was so tightly packed, we didn't realize the problem until almost too late. Products got wet. Mostly it was yarn and fortunately, all of it was completely salvageable. But it was just one more thing to do at the end of a tiring day.

We stayed that night at an Airbnb site that was less than wonderful, but that's another story best addressed by a proper site review.  

The next night, a most thoughtful son-in-law surprised us by booking us into a Hampton Inn. )There is nothing like a lower-end experience to add serious appreciation for a quiet room with a comfortable bed, nice bedding and a bathroom just for two.)

Focus on fiber

A highlight of the weekend was Sunday's talk by Judith MacKenzie. "The History of Wool" sounded generic but her talk certainly wasn't. Full of little-known facts (to me, anyway) that included distribution of sheep, the genetic pool of Navajo Churros, the coats of sheep, and many, many more fascinating tidbits, I find myself wishing for a book that consolidates it. I hope she has one in the works.

Q: How do you spend a weekend at a fiber festival without buying something?
A: You don't. Or at least, I can't seem to so I try to make a plan. This time--and for the first time ever--fiber for spinning was my focus. I've found spinning different wool breeds an excellent learning experience so I left home with a list of breed-specific wools I wanted to learn to spin. I came home with Polwarth, Cormo and ultra fine (18.5µ) Merino--all on my list--plus some Finnsheep that wasn't. 

Now what? I am rather often asked, 'What are you going to make?' The short answer is, 'I don't know.' The longer answer is that I have ideas--some very definite ideas, actually. My Pinelands Spring cowl was one that has been completed but there are more in the pipeline. 

But right now? I just want to sit at my wheel and spin some nice yarn.

N.B. This was Mother's Day weekend and I got the best present ever. I spent a lovely, lovely weekend with my lovely, lovely daughter. It doesn't get any better than that. Ever.

Fiber and friends

Exhilarating and exhausting, fiber festivals provide rich experiences.

Marudai with 16 bobbins

If you've been to one fiber show, you've been to one fiber show. There are many shows and they all share the common thread of enthusiasm, but each is unique, reflecting its location, organizer and attendees. For smaller shows, in particular, this is the place to find local craftspeople with products. Kind of like farm markets for fiber. 

The business model is not new. Plan an event and capitalize on access to the target market--in this case, sheep and wool. Selling booth space to vendors who serve that market is the simplest and, at a minimum, event organizers underwrite operational expenses with booth sales. 

I'm not privy to the Garden State Sheep Breeders' business plan for its 21st annual Garden State Sheep and Fiber Festival, but I suspect they're happy to break even.

A convenient festival

Last weekend featured near-perfect weather for the Festival held just north of Lambertville, NJ. Unlike 2014 when the weather was brutally hot, the weather this year was near perfect. Only a couple of downpours marred the clear, fall days. 

One attendee noted the convenience factor. To put that into context, its location is midway between two huge Northeastern region sheep and wool shows--Dutchess County in New York, aka Rhinebeck, and Maryland. Both feature hundreds of vendors, thousands of attendees and millions of products. Great experiences, both, but long drives and large crowds can exhaust the most energetic.

Winter's Past Farm
Garden State Sheep & Fiber Festival 2015

Back to convenience. That assessment was based on three factors. One, the location in Mid-Jersey is easy to get to. Two, crowds weren't overwhelming. There was space to walk and time to talk and to make purchasing decisions. 

And three, the range of offerings from the nearly 80 vendors listed in the show brochure covered just about anything you might want or need to quench your fiber thirst. The number of participating vendors continues to grow, filling two barns this year. 

There were educational experiences and lots of inspiration. Plenty of yarn, fleece, roving, tools and equipment. Add to that a host of competitions, sheep shows and demonstrations--cooking, shearing, sheep dog herding, and more. Even if you weren't shopping for yarn (can't imagine that!), the Festival offers a day for family fun. (And, no, I have no ties to the group.)

Behind the (non-existent) counter

Kris planned to simplify set-up this year. She did it and in the process, opened up the space for browsers, for serious buyers, and for folks who stopped by to say, "Hello" or to chat. We both liked the configuration.

Pat, an online spinner friend

For me, there are three main reasons for being at a show like this. One, I am inspired. That's a big one. Two, I get to share my fiber love with other like-minded people. 

And three, I can stand in one place and meet both old friends and new. There are some I only see rarely and others I've met online. I was pleased to see Kae--the one who crocheted the beautiful shawl in autumn colors for the 4-H Fair last month--but furious with myself that I didn't take a photo! Especially since she sports an edgy new hair do. 

Another highlight was Pat. We share a history of learning to spin rather independently. Although we live near each other, we had never met in person. I was so pleased she stopped by.

The morning after

I hate to admit it, but I hereby publicly confess: I felt the weekend feat on Monday. But a couple of good nights' sleep later, my enthusiasm is growing fast for the upcoming the King's County Fiber Festival on Oct. 10 in Brooklyn. Love that show. Love the street, i.e., people traffic. But even more than the fiber fun, the all time highlight is seeing family who live there! 

Near Brooklyn? Do stop and see us! 

7 habits of highly successful instructors

Thinking about my occasional disappointing experiences with instructors teaching fiber art skills got me thinking about what I expect from teacher. Please note that these thoughts relate only to paid coursework, not to study groups and other unpaid venues.

Instructors first. From my perspective as a student, the best teachers share their passion. They are experts who love to share through teaching others. Although it is impossible to quantify and itemize what exactly makes a good teacher, this is my short list of best practices.

Excellent instructors:

1.    arrive early enough to greet arriving students and start at the scheduled start time;

2.    are well-organized with a lesson plan, but also plan for the unexpected;

3.    demonstrate knowledge by freely sharing any and all relevant information 

·      Unreserved sharing opens windows to new ideas. This applies to just about every aspect of life;

4.    adhere to the course description and fulfill promises made

·      For example, if the description states that each student will get a pattern, they do,

·      Sometimes, a teacher adds value and enhances the perception of 'time-well-spent.' This might be a free give-away, unexpected handout, etc. It isn't necessary, but it adds fun to the event;

5.    effectively manage group dynamics

·      acknowledge and interact with all students equally. 

·      actively manage those who compete for center stage;

6.    downplay sales during the scheduled course time 

·      if offering anything for sale, complete the transactions after the class ends;

7.    stay a short time after the scheduled end of class to tie up loose ends (other than sales).

For the most part, the instructor takes overall responsibility for a successful class. After all, students pay to be there, but students have responsibilities, too. After recently observing two classmates vie for knitting and personal one-upmanship throughout an entire afternoon, I was reminded of the importance of self awareness and courteous behavior. So it's only fair to consider students' responsibilities from a teacher's perspective:

Now class attendees

Whether there are two or twenty (hopefully, not more), most adages are related to courtesy. While sharing can be a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration, some students come to preen. I find attendees who come to show off their knowledge and accomplishments especially tiresome.


Do's and don'ts for students:

1. do arrive on time;

2. do come prepared with supplies and equipment, when requested;

3. do give the teacher some space before the class begins unless otherwise indicated;

4. do follow directions;

5. do remember that the class is a business for the teacher. If he or she wanted to donate time, they would volunteer;

6. don't expect the instructor's undivided attention unless this is a one-on-one class; 

7. don't use the class as a forum to impress others. Resist the urge to dominate the class by sharing your proficiency and/or many projects.

Class notes

When I sign on for a fiber-related course, I don't expect a miraculous encounter. Over the years, I've poked around in lots of corners of the fiber world and have built up a pretty broad foundation of skills. I don't expect everything to be shiny and new in any given three-hour class.

I do expect to be inspired, learn a new way of thinking or acquire a new skill. Any one thing that will an generate an 'Aha!' moment is enough to satisfy my yearning to learn.

There was a materials fee for this

Which brings me to the image at right.

I've kept this piece of paper and string for several years now and every now and again, I uncover it amidst my 'stuff.' Really, it's trash and has no other value than as a stark reminder of the fine line between trust and disgust.

This colored piece of paper and cotton string still make me angry. I paid a $5 materials fee for this person's five-line course outline and a piece of cotton string. I thought it was outrageous at the time, and for most of the class thought there must be something more. After all, string and yarn were on the materials list to bring to the Rhinebeck class.

Alas, that was all there was. I didn't want to create a scene, so I fumed silently. The coursework was fine, but I will never recommend or sign up for another class with this person--and all because of a few dollars charged for nothing.

Instructors are people and they are unique, but the good teachers stand out. (Anyone who worries about how effective he or she is probably has nothing to worry about.) The fiber community shares its experiences, both good and bad, and for the most part, it is a forgiving lot. But when an instructor's reputation gets tagged with non-professional behavior--think repeated last-minute cancellations, little-to-poor preparation, larger-than-life-ego, disorganized, or rudeness, the tarnish is hard to remove.

The classroom is not a place for those who withhold their knowledge, ideas and techniques. For those who do not want to share, please don't teach. Students know.

For me, teaching is an honor. I love to share my skills and my passion with like-minded people who are interested. And in return, I almost always get more back than I give.