# I'm going to a wool show!



## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

My very first! I am going to my first wool show! :sing:It is the shepherd's extravaganza (http://www.shepherds-extravaganza.com/) and I'm helping with the fleece judging by being a fleece runner. The judge will stand at a table and verbally judge the wool for all to see and I get to get my hands on them and listen! I'm so excited to go learn and I've been told they have fibers and animals for sale.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Congratulations! Take pictures! Take wet wipes to clean your hands after messing with all that fleece!!! Have fun.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

What fun!! I can imagine you will learn bunches, too!


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Fleeces and cute fiber critters for sale? Woot! Are you taking a trailer or is it all going to fit in your car?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I did that a couple of years ago and I learned so much. It helps when you have a great judge and they can verbalize what they are thinking. Have fun and take time to see and do lots of stuff. Do you know who the judge is?


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

This is wonderful! You are going to have so much fun!!!


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I &#9829; fiber festivals!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

How exciting !!! You have the best seat in the house too !!! I cant wait to hear all about it afterwards !


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

I'm going on Friday! Are you going to be working with Amy? I belong to the Valley Spinners Guild in Snohomish, and some of our members will be there spinning. I've heard there will also be used equipment there. I haven't gotten a wheel yet, so I hope maybe I'll find something. I can't wait to see all the critters!


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

This morning is full on :run: mode. I got completely distracted by a new baby lamb!!!!!!! yesterday and so have to finish everything before I leave this morning. I'll actually be there Thur, Fri, and Sat. Thur, and Friday I will be working at least half the time at the fleece judging. I will go off to see the livestock but I'll be with the fibers mostly. (its in J building). 


I'll be in blue jeans and a green shirt (the jeans may or may not be wildly decorated with flowers and butterflies if I can get my courage up and actually wear them. if not just plain blue jeans).


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

have a blast!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Take lots of pictures. 

Oh - and wear the wild jeans!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

MDKatie????? :bored: :bored: :bored: if you are gone all weekend then forgive me. If you were going for the day we are waiting for your report . I know it's early in the day but I thought you might just want a bit of prodding.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

Sorry just got back this evening. It was a LOT of learning. Thursday afternoon and Friday were helping with fleece judging. I was hauling bags of fleece to the table, pulling paper work out of ether to give to the judge, dumping the fleece out and spreading it out on the table. Then I got to listen to the judge comment and grade the fleece. She did a good job explaining why the fleece was rated that way and with being able to feel the fleece before was a great way to learn fleece grading. Or at least start, I am sure it will take decades before I am as good at that as the judge. 

This morning the judge taught a class on how to properly skirt a fleece, and how each part can be ultilized even if you think that they are waste. She also brought out some of the excused fleeces that they had and showed us hands on why they were sent home. Most of it was wool break, some extreme some just slightly.


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

I was there Friday. Judging was in full swing, and everybody was bustling around. I forgot to take your number with me, and didn't want to disturb things. I'm glad you had a good time!


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

yes I had no idea how busy it was going to be. On Thursday I was on my feet from 2-7:30 working there, and on Friday it was 10-3ish. They said that they had about 150 fleeces there. I enjoyed it -except for the fleeces that had scurf or nits :yuck:. That was just gross. 

I will try to download photos today and get them posted. I have some of the fleeces and judging and some of what I got (including my new gray romney ewe!)


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

This is the fleece laid out and being judged
 
and the fleeces waiting for the sale


and this is my new yearling ewe

they shore her for a demo for the public coming through

(she's gray underneath)


my spinning stool!

and my chocinel (sp?) dying bugs


I was very good and didn't buy any fleeces instead I bought a ewe .


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

BEAUTIFUL Ewe !! ...and that spinning stool , WOW !!! 

Not sure on the bugs ...hahaa !! 

Glad you had a great time , and learned so much !! What fun !!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Thank you so for posting the pictures!! And congratulations on the new ewe! She's a beauty! 

I am surprised someone would enter a fleece that had bugs.


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

I was going to laugh if I was in the background of any of your pictures! I'm not. It was a fun day. I like dragging my husband to these things, because he really does like to understand how things work, and how all the pieces go together.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh and she is my favorite color of Romney, steel gray. She is beautiful and I would guess well tempered if they used her for a demo. Have I said how much I really, really love Romney wool . Well, I do!

I have a question about your stool. How high is it? I have long legs and. Ve thought of getting one but they look short to me, at least in pictures. I've never seen one in person.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I too adore Romney wool. I have been wanting a gray fleeced animal for a while to do some over dyeing with. 

The stool is 17 inches high and stands as tall as the folding chairs that we normally use. It just looks short. I haven't tried spinning with it yet but it is the correct height. The seat is so comfortable as it is shaped. 

I couldn't believe that people would put fleeces with lice eggs (nits) in the show too. It wasn't like they weren't visible to the naked eye - I saw them as I was unrolling the fleece. :yuck: I was itchy for a while after that even though they were dead and wouldn't have bothered me even if they were alive......... the skurf was another matter. I didn't see it when unrolling it so had my arms elbow deep in the fleece. I was even more creped out by that.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Do you mind telling me what you paid for the stool? Was this made locally or is it one of the ones made by the bigger wheel makers?


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I didn't get the stool that went with my wheel because for $300 :shocked: I could have a whole spinning wheel. This stool is from a local maker (well local as in lives in the state) Ol Lar's Drop Spindles. He makes the most stunning drop spindles that I have ever seen. They have the interchangeable whorl and he has whorls of different weights and you can even stack two whorls together to get a heavy weight (ie if you just want to buy light and med you can stack them to get large). 

I was enjoying them but as I told him I had just gotten a spinning wheel and I wouldn't be able to explain getting a spindle. So he said well do you need a stool. Yes! and since he didn't want to pack them home I got it for $45. He had been selling them to a spinning shop but isn't anymore so he's doing the shows and seems to be doing really well. He was talking about doing one with a back on it which might be interesting. I just have an email address for him so if pm me if you want to talk to him. I'm sure he'd ship.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you LAC


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Was Ol Lar the one doing the weaving, too? Or were they just right next to each other? The rag rugs were pretty cool, and I liked the idea of the rag rug hats.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

No he just had the drop spindles. I missed most of the shops. I was so tired most of the time that I just walked by.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

how fun!! Love Romney fleeces! What farm was your ewe from? I have 2 ewes from Pines, saw they were there. Steel grey is so wonderful!


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

She's from the pine farm. The ram I have is out of the wool judges colored Romney lines (the farm I got him from had bought her stock and he was their first gen so different name same blood). I should get some awesome color out of them. As far as I can figure out it will be pretty much any color that is possible. This should be fun. 

How do you like the pine sheep? she'll be my first out of this blood line. I was there with a lady who'd worked with their wool before and highly recommended the fleece and she has wool that I was DROOLING over. Now I just have to figure out what fleeces I'm selling and which I'm keeping for myself. If only I had more time........


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

I LOVE my Romney ewes wool! It is a very soft Romney, and a few days ago, felted a batch the washing machine. Ugh! One of those, didn't catch it before it agitated things. 
This year, had a Finn ram with the ewes, and the lambs are super nice. (though white) The ewes are very easy keepers, too- hearty and healthy. 
That is so great about your color- looking forward to seeing your lambs next spring!


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