SALE on
Harrisville Yarns

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is the largest agriculture exposition in the state!  This year’s show will be held July 20-22, 2010 at the Peterson farm in River Falls.  An estimated 60-80,000 people will visit the event over the three days.  How’s THAT for some exposure!   Check out the website for this year’s show at http://www.piercefarmtech.com/.  You will note a link to an article on the “diversified agriculture” tent.  Give it a read and, ahem….this is where WE come in!!

The education committee is highly interested in showcasing fibers as an agriculture product in the tent.  Interested??  There are LOTS of ways for you to get involved for part of the event or for all three days.  Here are some ideas…feel free to offer others:

• We need fiber producing ANIMALS to attract attention and teach people about fiber animals as a REAL agriculture product of Wisconsin (we must provide the pens), including:
  • wool breed sheep
  • fiber goats
  • llamas and alpacas
  • buffalo
  • angora rabbits
  • anything that produces hair for spinning!
• Samples to be displayed (tables will be provided)
  • fiber samples from animals and fiber producing plants
  • fibers prepared for handspinning
  • yarns, hand or mill spun of fibers from your animals
  • finished fiber products
• Displays highlighting various fibers, their characteristics and uses (I’m willing to provide a lot of fibers if others are willing to put together a display)
• How about a ”guess the fiber” game/display?
• Equipment used in fiber arts to display
• Volunteers to staff the exhibit and talk to visitors
• Volunteers to demonstrate most anything fiber related…spinning, carding, weaving, inkle weaving, wet felting, combing, needle felting, combing, locker hooking, rug hooking, machine or hand knitting, etc, etc.
• Get a group together to do a “sheep to shawl” demonstration
• Brochures and publications about fiber-related Wisconsin businesses for visitors to take for futher information
• Photos of Wisconsin fiber businesses ”in action” that can be used in displays
• Historical information to add a bit of extra interest

There is apparently up to 60′ of tent space available to us.  (I believe I was told there was even some outdoor space if we need it.) 

If you are interested in getting involved, let’s get a discussion going here on the blog so we can follow the planning progress.  Time is short…but I know how fiber people can pull together!  Let us know what you’d be interested in contributing and, if you can attend in person, when you’d be available to participate.  You will find a map to the Peterson farm in River Falls on the FTD website.  In addition, you will be able to see the location of the diversified agriculture tent in “tent city” on the exposition grounds.  It appears to me that there will be easy access in and out to load and unload animals and equipment.

I’m happy to help coordinate.  Because Farm Tech Days is part of my “work” with UW-Extension, I will be unable to be an official participant in the fiber exhibit during the actual event as I cannot combine my work as a state employee with anything private.  However, I am happy to provide equipment, supplies, etc…and will definitely make appearances throughout the three days.

Interested??  Let’s talk to each other!!  Be sure and leave comments.  I’ll also keep my Twitter page updated with our progress. I am available via e-mail at deb@fibergarden.com

While you’re here, be sure and subscribe to my blog via e-mail by clicking on the “sign me up” button in the upper right hand column.  There’s lots happening at the Fiber Garden and I’ve love to share it with you!

Here’s to a grand showcase of our love of fibers!!
Deb

Painting handspun yarn for a project

to write this post last night and couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I went to bed at 10:30.  I can’t remember the last time I went to bed at 10:30 on a Saturday night!  I am now refreshed and ready to share our story. 

Yesterday the studio was reserved for a group who wanted to come and dye some fibers and yarns.  Becky, from Harvest Home Farm, had coordinated the event for the group. I didn’t know who or how many to expect (neither did Becky!).  I looked out the studio window to find a parade of people from children to teens to adults headed toward the studio with fibers in tow. (And be sure and check out Becky and her familys farm ministry by clicking on the link to their farm!) 

It took me a bit of time to get everyone organized…seeing the treasures they brought to dye, what they envisioned for the end product, and if they wanted solid or multicolors.  

We started some folks with canning jar dyeing…it was a crowd pleaser.  Each dyer filled their canning jar with wet fleece, added

Spot dyeing is a quick and easy dyeing technique that yields beautiful results!

three colors of dye powder, some water and covered the jars.  Then into the hot water bath for 30 minutes.  There’s always a few

Posing for the camera and showing off our colors!

squeels of delight when they dump out the jars of dyed fiber to find a colorful surprise. 

We experimented with painting yarn, spot dyeing, rainbow dyeing locks, and immersion baths. We had yarn and fibers baking in the oven, steaming on the hot plate, and processing in the water bath canner! About half-way through the day we realized that it was HOT in there! Early spring was in the air, so we opened the studio door to let some of the cool air in…refreshing!

Several hours later and the patio was filled with color! But…the group wasn’t done yet. There were some very new handspinners in the group that were eager to try out all of the spinning wheels…so this called for an impromptu spinning class! They were “naturals”! At the end of the day we not only had bags full of colorful fibers, but we had peaked interest in spinning. Thanks to all of you for visiting…I look forward to welcoming you back soon for more spinning and dyeing!

Canning jar dyeing produces colorful results!

Dyeing locks of fibers

The happy group at the end of the day showing off their work!

The first robins bring spring greetings.

A trip down to the barn to feed the creatures introduced me to a few more robins.  Again, I took the opportunity to capture the moment and snap a photo of this bird perched on the barren branches with the bright blue sky in the background.

Spring is just around the corner!

While I had my camera in hand, I snapped a shot of my favorite feline companion to introduce her to you!  I saved her life when she was a kitten and we’ve been best buddies ever since!

Our favorite Fiber Garden feline!

Today brought Brenda and Kathy from Minnesota for a visit.  I met Brenda in a class I taught at Sievers School of Fiber Arts.  She fell in love with dyeing and has been creating a colorful storm since then.  Brenda and Kathy have teamed up to start their business in dyed fibers, rovings, felting, and knitting patterns and kits.  Brenda’s mittens are a true treasure!  Jim and Marilyn stopped by later to talk weaving.  We have a wonderful fiber community here and once again this weekend I was reminded of that!

The studio is "well-loved" by the end of the weekend!

 I had intended to organize things just a bit…but first I paused to capture a picture.  It is a joy to have these wonderful women here…in only two short days they have settled in and become a part of “us”.  The mess in the studio is a testament to their creative, enthusiastic endeavors over the weekend.  I decided to leave most of the mess and enjoy the symbolism of it all…our curiousity about fibers and handspinning now interwoven into a new community of spinners. 

I hope many more will follow the path of our newest “graduates” and join me for a beginning spinning class soon.  The next class is June 4-6.  With the summer weather we may be able to enjoy spinning outdoors on the patio, listening to the sound of the waterfall and being inspired by the rebirth of the perennial garden.  For information visit the Fiber Garden website.

Graduation day...we are now part of the spinning community!We've accomplished much since Friday evening!

Carding wool...the old fashioned way!

Beginning spinning is the “heart” of the Fiber Garden…it’s where we began.  Back in April of 1994, the very first class was held at the Fiber Garden with three students from the area.  I have moved twice since our first “home”…and I think we’re finally settled!  I marvel at how we’ve grown since that first class.

This weekend the Fiber Garden welcomed four beginning spinners.  Friday evening was a grand success as our “newbies” began with learning to handcard.  There’s nothing like hand carding to get people “into the act” and experiencing the wool fibers. 

After carding we explored the variety of spinning wheels and did a couple of “rounds” so everyone could get the feel of the various wheels.  And then…the big moment!  After a brief demonstration, the spinners were sent off to their chosen wheels to practice the mantra I teach them…”pinch – draft – release – wind on”.  As a spinning teacher I liken my job at this point in the class to being one of those plate spinners I used to see on the Ed Sullivan show (I’m showing my age on that one!).  Get the first “plate” spinning then run to the next plate and get it going…back to the first…jump to the third and get it going…and back and forth and back and forth until all of the plates are spinning!  I’m happy to report a very successful first evening.  All four of our new spinners were successfully drafting those fibers and making some lovely yarn…after only three hours!  Time to break for the evening and come back refreshed on Saturday morning. 

Day two...mastering the drum carder

Today we started with more spinning, plyed our two bobbins of singles, and washed and blocked our first handspun skeins…a thing of beauty!  

On to the drum carder.  As one spinner put it, “this is much more efficient!”  After a brief lesson on using the carder, we carded a series of batts, each incorporating a bit more mohair into the wool.  We learned the technique of blending fibers on the drum carder and introduced mohair into our spinning fiber repertoire.

Spinners also had the opportunity later in the day to design their own batt using wool and incorporating rainbow dyed mohair locks, nylon, angelina…whatever they chose to create as their own signature piece.

We also had fun going through all of the beautiful tops in the shop and picking out favorite colors.  Tomorrow we will learn some new spinning techniques and try spinning these tops from Ashland Bay Trading…always high quality fibers and wonderful color combinations.

A couple of quick dyeing demonstrations to further stretch everyone’s thinking about “possibilities” and our day was done.

Creating colorful one-of-a-kind batts

The peaceful art of handspinning!