Monday, May 31, 2010

Life is Good

I complain a lot. I whine, I rant, I look like a little lost lamb. I'm annoying, I know. Please accept my apologies.

And the next time I whine here (which will be tomorrow), remind me of this post, OK?

I just spent two days at the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair in Cummington. I was so sad to see it end, you'd have thought I'd been on a month-long vacation in Tahiti. For once, I took lots of photos and I'm just going to put them up here for you all to love.

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Cummington is about the sheep.

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Sometimes the sheep love a good back massage (my friend Pat giving her Shetland ram Wilber the works. He twirls his tail like a lamb when she hits the right spot.)

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Don't you want to spin that fleece? You can't; it's a Dorper, it doesn't produce ANY fleece worth mentioning.

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How can you not love Jacob sheep?

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It takes a lot of work to prep a sheep for a sheep show. These are two Shetland ewes and a Romney getting cleaned up, whether they like it or not.

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A young boy with an Icelandic ewe. Apparently, he's been showing sheep for several years now.

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Olivia and her Shetland ewe, the one you saw getting cleaned up. Olivia made her dress (which has lovely silk needle-felting on the front), her purse, her scarf, her headband, and the sheep's necklace. Olivia will be twelve tomorrow. (I feel inadequate all of a sudden.)

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Olivia also made this bag.

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And her older sister Isabelle - the one who turned 16 Sunday, the one whose photo turned out all blurry, that Isabelle? She made this bowl. Note the Best of Show plate. Isabelle won that. Did I mention she just turned 16?

And there were lots of my other friends there, too.

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The Adorable Georg, being adorable.

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Jesh and Lisa (and Dan in the background).

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The incomparable Sandi (and Dan in the background; I swear I thought I was aimed at Sandi).

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I realized I was taking too many photos of Dan's butt, so I made him face me (that's Cris in the background).

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Spinners doing what spinners do (drink, not spin, that is).

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Cris and Sandi. Charmers, both of them.

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Lisa GAVE me this yarn. Nice yarn, you say? She spun it. Three ply, BFL, 600+ yards. It is wonderful yarn.


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I like these people.

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Even if Jesh does snarl at me all the time! Of course, I did
WHUP HER ASS BY 21 METERS at short-draw spinning on our antique wheels - but, hey, she challenged me, what was I supposed to do? (It'll be long draw next year; I have to practice.)

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Speaking of favorite people, none of whom stand still long enough to take many photos of, here are the legendary Manise, Laurie, and Judy.

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Laurie may or may not have cleaned out Judy's stock.

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Manise has the most interesting wedding ring(s).


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Marcy's nieces were there. The gene runs strong in that family - here's Lydia spinning cotton on a giant African porcupine quill.

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Just fiber people doing what fiber people do best.

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And yes, I bought a fleece. Half a fleece, actually; I split with Fran the gorgeous, gorgeous white Romney Grand Champion fleece, raised by Mary Pratt at Elihu Farm.

And then I went home - along the beautiful Westfield River, over the hills to the Deerfield River valley and down to the Connecticut, across the French King Bridge, and up along the Millers River to home. Life is so good.

10 comments :

Peri said...

Wow. Looks like you had a really great time. Lovely photos. Thank you for sharing them.

Peri aka Lainch

Sara said...

Peektures! Lambies! People!

Thanks. I can pretend to have been there....

Marcy said...

EXcellent entry. I wish I could have had a second day, but even one was perfect and wonderful.

Tsarina of Tsocks said...

Cummington! There's just nothing like it. (I'm glad you got so many sheepy pictures - I totally had camnesia at that point.)

It's always so good to get a chance to play with you. I haz a happy you haz a happy. :)

Fran said...

Wonderful blog post and photos, Lynn! It makes me smile ear-to-ear recalling what fun it was. (Next year, I'll go for two days, for sure!)

Please add the photo of Mary and the Wonderful Grand Champion Fleece -- (it's in my Flickr). She looks as happy to have won Best in Show as we are to have it!

Lucia said...

I hadn't been in years (seven? eight? way too long) and I am so totally going again next year if it's at all humanly possible. I guess I should probably post about it, huh? I have pix of you too, spinning and participating in the Dance of the Measurers.

gayle said...

Looks like I'll have to make it to Cummington some day!
I saw Manise, Laurie, and Judy at NH Sheep & Wool, but NH seems to be more about the alpaca and less about the sheep...

Laurie said...

Yes, stop whining.

Can I point out that I am not the one with blue yarn in my hand in that picture of us at Judy's booth?

Manise said...

I second Laurie. My turn: will you tell me next time you whip your camera out in Judy's booth? Sheesh! I look hideous. I forgive you. :-) And I walked away with more blue yarn than Laurie -lol! The ring photo with my tacky stitch marker bling cracks me up. Knitter's fashion statement. lol

It was a truly fun time. I think Cummington is becoming one of my fav sheep and woolie shows. Great seeing you.

Divine Bird said...

I wish I could have been there. Sigh.