# Bishop Hill fiber festival Kewanee, IL



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Ooops, I mean in GALVA, IL

Heading to my last fiber fair of the season this Saturday

http://www.bishophillfiberguild.org/spin-in_news.htm


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Have a great time. Take pictures and report back ala WIHH


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

I wondered if anyone else was going to be going. I'm planning to be there. 
Earlier this spring, two alpacas practically fell into my lap. A man was going through a divorce and was selling them for only $100.00 a piece. And he was throwing in 4 bags of fiber along with them. Since having them and finding out what others are charging, I've decided that these two boys are enough. I don't want a whole herd of them but I enjoy having them as part of our farm. Rigo is a beautiful chocolate brown and Coby is a lighter brown and white/cream color.
I have gone to a couple of demonstrations but I decided to go to the Bishop Hill workshop this weekend to get my feet really wet. I know it sounds silly compared to you more experienced fiber specialists, but my goal is to learn to felt and to knit socks & mittens. I'm looking forward to it.  Maybe we'll run into one another? If not, have a great time.
jd


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I'd be there but don't have a ride, this year.
I'll likely be fiber-festing in my knitting room, though.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

jd4020, I'll probably be in the spinning area for a good part of the day (when I'm not shopping). I have a walnut Kromski Sonata wheel with a red/white/blue bag hanging on it.

Hmmm, what to wear so you would recognize me?? I'll let you know when I decide!

FR, JDog can't make it?? Guess not, what with hand milking the new cow every few hours.

I'll try to remember to take my camera! Don't know why I always forget that!!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

FR, I was just emailing JDog. She wants to go also. Better clear your day on Saturday!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

:run:

:grouphug:


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

O yeah, I'm there! And, I better be sporting one of Fr's button up sweaters too!!! :nana: 
JD4020, My guess is, if I am, you WON'T miss us!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Button up sweater!?!?! I can't wait to see it! JDog, you better hope it is a cool day. It gets pretty warm inside.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

*whispers* (fr don't do button-ups.....best you get is a knit or braided belt tie)


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I don't know..... sweaters are all about snuggly hugs.
Belt tie robes and pullovers fill the bill....but the buttons just take something away from all that. :shrug:

It's be like an allah worshipper facing his rug west.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

But I want big chunky deer antler buttons AND a tie belt! :Bawling:
Did Rachel happen to leave anything behind? :huh::whistlin:


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

You guys sound like a lot of fun. I saw the pictures of FR sweater he made--WOW. Pretty neat.
I'm learning about different wheels but don't have them all separated yet, but I'll look for the red/white & blue bag. I'll be wearing a denim skirt and either blue or pink blouse. And probably a "deer in the headlights" look on my face as I try to soak in all the information. 
I'm also a bit concerned, are we sposed to bring our own wheels, etc? All I have are the hand carders and the fiber. Haven't had time to gather anything else. 
jd


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

JD4020....... bring whatever you like and DON'T be shy. 
If I fit into such trappings, you'll be a natural, for sure.

JDog...... as a matter of fact, Rachel did NOT plan for Michigan winters.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

WaHoo, it's MINE! Looks like you're going to the fiber festival after all FR...............Shhhhhh she won't mind!:banana:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

jd4020 said:


> I'm also a bit concerned, are we sposed to bring our own wheels, etc? All I have are the hand carders and the fiber. Haven't had time to gather anything else.
> jd


Nope, just bring money!!! :hysterical: And make sure you have plenty of room in your vehicle for the trip home with all your goodies!

I think I'll wear my long, cotton shawl.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I found FR & JDog, then later JD found us.

Pictures are being uploaded now .... stand by

I didn't get too many vendor booths but here is where I bought my Bluefaced Leicester and a BFLxMerino rovings:










FR & JDog:










JDog's new Angora bunny:










FR, JDog & JD

JDog & I brought FR's sweater's in to show off to folks.
I love JD's leg warmers!!!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

JD was able to find us because of my shawl. She startled me though! JDog and I were walking someplace, on a mission of course, when I heard my name. I look up and there is a woman looking right at me. I'm desperately trying to place her face, but it wasn't familiar at all. I'm bad with names, but will remember faces pretty well.

She finally let me off the hook and told us she was JD from HT. woosh! Isn't she pretty? Her insides are as beautiful as her outsides!










Check out this beautiful knitted and fulled boot:
I saw these pre-fulled and the colorwork amazed me! This took 1st place in people's choice in the sock category.










Here's my haul:










From left to right: 

Adjustable dressmaker form (steal of the day! talked her down 37.5% asking price ... from $200 to $125!)
1 lb red dyed bluefaced leicester roving
1 lb natural bluefaced leicester x merino roving
center: felted alpaca insoles (for Paul)
4 oz Cormo roving
8 oz merino & silk blend roving in red, white, green, orange, brown, tan.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Ribbons I won ...

3rd place for single ply yarn:










2nd place for drop stitch shawl:










And the one I'm most proud of is a 2nd place for the KAL socks for MamaJ!!










The last two, I feel like I almost cheated on them. For the viewer's choice, you were given one bean for each category. Folks could drop one bean in a cup for each category or spill all their beans into one cup. 

For the drop stitch 'sampler' shawl, 3 of my vendor friends (one with a master spinner certificate) dropped all their bean into the sampler shawl cup. They've been admiring it since they first saw it at an April fiber fair. I mean _really!_, check out the colorwork on the hat in the lower right of the pic of the shawl!

With the sock entry, I think FR's beans pushed me from 3rd to a 2nd place ribbon.

And I saw the cutest scarf!! It was a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very l-o-n-g sock!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well done Cyndi! MamaJ you're getting her prize winning socks, lucky you!!!!!

Hi Jdog and FR! What did everyone say about FR's sweaters? FR did you feel at home with all those fibers?

Looks like it was a fun event. Thank you for sharing it with us


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Quite at home. 

Meeting JD was a treat..... she's one of those last of the breed, hard core farm moms.
She just had to bring up compost, even......

The sweaters. Wow.
I have wondered, but now I know.....
If I ever put these on the open market, I'm definitely going to have to hire help.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

His sweaters got rave reviews from those that saw them.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Did anyone try one on? FR you could sell them by the pound :rock: :hysterical::hysterical:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

JDog modeled Rachel's jacket for most of the day....and I did wear a heavy black turtleneck part of the day..... Several wanted to heft the pink and the yellow seed stitch ones, and didn't know whether to swoon or fall over. :shrug:
One kind lady couldn't quit petting the yellow one for the longest time, and was almost in tears when she finally said goodbye......:sob:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yay, way to go FR!!!!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

ARGH!!! I could've, Should've brought JDog her cannelloni thinger for the pasta machine!! JDog, If you don't think you'll be using it for a while, we could wait until next time we get down there or y'all come up here. FR is borrowing my drum carder until 'next time'.

Know what I _loved _about being at the fiber festival with JDog & FR?? They made me feel like a fiber guru. LOL! I know that I have a good knowledge of the fiber arts, but also know that my knowledge is very limited in the whole realm of fiber art world and by what I have experienced myself. I love teaching others about fiber and both are such eager learners. Thing is, what I 'taught' them, they would have experienced themselves without me. I am very humbled by their appreciation of the fiber arts and their willingness to learn.

Oh, by the way ... from the estate sale (where I got my dressmakers form) they snatched up a great deal at the end of the festival by buying all the leftover rovings for a discounted price. They have a good amount of merino 70's, corriedale 60's, cotton, linen, angora and other rovings.

All were white or off white. I think a class for natural dyes is in order. Y'all better be collecting walnut husks, goldenrod, queens anne lace and other wild, weedy botanicals. They usually give a nice dye that are pale yellow to golden yellow to greenish yellow ... except for the walnut husks. FR, you'll be able to turn that white roving into the lush tan to dark brown that you like.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Snow white wool and related fibers are the adornment of the celestial.
I don't even know why I still occasionally buy the stuff.
I'm not worthy to knit with it.

Dyeing it, to me..... would be a step backwards, but I understand the preference for those less encumbered by such torments as I may endure.

I'd best stick with the naturally darker fibers, just in case.:ashamed:


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

All I can say is WOW!! I was simply over whelmed by all the beautiful colors and trying to take the whole thing in. I saw such wonderful craftsmanship on the viewers choice tables. All the different wheels. The way the fibers feel. It is better than being a kid in the candy store, but what to choose and decide how to use it. 
But the most fun was meeting Cyndi, FR and JDog. Such kind words, thank you. And thank you WIHH. I've added leg warmers to my list of things to make with my alpaca fiber.  Seeing Cyndi and FR's handwork is so much better than the pictures here. 
Even though we had just met, I felt like our conversation was a continuation from an earlier one of old friends. That when we meet again, & I hope we do, we'll just pick up where we left off. 
Have fun with all your new fiber purchases.
jd


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

I had a TON of fun, as always, following Cyndi around! I just listen and listen and listen, NEVER saying a peep, just taking it ALL in! 
I ended up getting 580oz. of fiber for $200, FR thinks I got ripped off, but Iâm happy with the deal. I ALSO got me a new furry wonder, as you all seen from Cyndiâs photo, a wabbit, a furry lil wabbit. I canât wait to brush him and I think Iâll call him George. 

I REFUSE to wear any of FRâs sweaters in public EVER again, especially at a fiber show! I was a chick MAGNET. All the ladies wouldnât quit touching either! At first there were two ladies in the parking lot, then a third yelling from afar, saying, "are those the chunky sweaters?". A half hour later we finally made it to the car to unload some stuff. After that, I was trying to quietly get my wabbit so we could go home. Here we go again, mulled by another group of ladies. I finally got conditioned to just saying, NO I DID NOT MAKE IT, HE DID. GOOD thing we only put them on when we were leaving, I would have NEVER gotten any shopping done!

JD, it was also good to meet you, you are SO sweet! If you ever have questions or just want to come visit some time feel free to PM me. :happy2:

Iâll TRY to get everyone some pics of what I got.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

You paid under $6 a pound and there was a good amount of 60's & 70's in that lot as well as angora and flax and cotton. I'd say it was a great deal!



> NEVER saying a peep


:hysterical: Do you think anyone that has ever met you in person or talked with you on the phone will believe this ound: 





> a third yelling from afar, saying, "are those the chunky sweaters?"


Word spread fast. It didn't surprise me you were mauled!


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## Hazmat54 (Aug 10, 2010)

Huh. HT people in Illinois, who knew. Living in Peoria, driving back home to Coal Valley on my weekends off. Galva exit but head the other way. The old bedroom in the basement, hang my clothes on Mom's loom. She doesn't use it anymore. Dad has been gone a long while. He got the parts from Newcombe Loom when all there stuff was sold. Built the loom for Mom. Built a couple small tabletop ones too, don't know who has those. Small world.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

If you venture to Coal Valley on your weekends off then you might want to make sure that the weekend after Father's Day is your weekend off so you can attend our 8th Annual Homesteading Weekend!

A lot of HT folks attend. I won't list names because I know I'll forget somebody.

We're about 45 minutes east of Coal Valley. South of I-88 between exits 36 & 41.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Jdog I'm with Cyndi, anyone who knows you knows you statement about not making a peep is just hysterical, lol!

I'm so glad you newbies had such a great time. Attending a fiber event is so much fun and you learn so much.

Hey FR maybe you should have worn your sweater then all the ladies would have been patting you


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

*whispering*
(I did wear my favorite black tn. It's about the fifth one I made, and it's wonderful....just a tad warm indoors):thumb:

Oh, and I really didn't tell J-Jill that she got ripped off.
I had only suggested that she offer 125 and go as high as 150.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the reserved elderly gentleman making the deals hadn't squealed like a little girl and taken off down the hall, alternating between handsprings and cartwheels upon Jill's mention of 200 dollars.

That's all. :shrug:


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

FR was ribbing me the WHOLE way home. What he didn&#8217;t mention was a previous deal with the elderly gentleman on a pair of hand cards. He was asking $30, I offered $20 and he shot me down like a, like a, like a I don&#8217;t know what. So I went to $25 and he took the deal. SEE, I had already felt the guy out earlier that day. He didn&#8217;t want to deal THAT much. In fact they were wanting $2 an oz. for the wool. So, by my calculations 580oz. of just wool at that price would be $1160.00. So here I am, thinking, he shot me down on the low-ball figure on the hand cards, he&#8217;s thinking high, I&#8217;m thinking low, so my first offer was on the high side of LOW. I told him, I&#8217;m thinking more like $150-200. YES, I could have went lower and he proly would have taken the deal at $150, but to get him to go $150 I&#8217;d have to offer $100-$125, right off the bat, even I thought that was a little too low for all those wonderful boxes of FLUFF. I remembered the deal with the cards so I went higher. I NEVER do the haggling either, my HUSBAND does that for me. I tell him what I want and HE makes the deal. BUT, my DH was not there, so I had to make the deal happen, and I did. Maybe not as good as I could have but I&#8217;m LEARNING, and LOVIN it! I may not be as good as my DH yet, but BOY it sure is FUN doing that! HEY, FR we should go to some yard sales and see who can SAVE the most money, wouldn&#8217;t that be FUN! 

O YES, he had one of the sweaters on when we were leaving, that&#8217;s when we got all the attention! I just think the girls are afraid to approach him. Have any of you ever seen a dog SMILE when it approaches you? YES, they do that to let you know they WON&#8217;T bite, they mean NO harm. Young colts will do the same. They show their teeth, bite together several times and cower down to let the dominant horse know they are no threat. I&#8217;m wondering if FR would SMILE a little more, people would consider him MUCH MORE approachable! But then again, some people don&#8217;t LIKE to be approached at ALL! LOL When the sweaters were displayed back in the corner on a couch, the ladies were about to break their necks trying to get a look at them. I was going to kick him in the knee to get him to notice they were eyeing the sweaters but figured he would have been too caught up in why in the heck I just whacked him, so I waited to tell him later. These were the same ladies that jumped us in the parking lot. WELL, he gave up all his secrets so he better get to work getting them on the market now. Knowing him, he&#8217;ll be more happy with the &#8216;I told ya so&#8217; than making any money.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

DH has been trying to teach me how to make a deal. We were on the scenic drive and I found a milk strainer I wanted. We found out how much the lady wanted. She said we had to take ALL of it though. That&#8217;s a flour model cream separator, all it&#8217;s parts, a DeLaval milk can, AND the milk strainer. She said a man says he is going to buy it but left and will come back later to get it. He didn&#8217;t leave any money though so she will sell it to us if we want to pay for it now. ANYWAY, so DH says let&#8217;s GO FOR A WALK and we&#8217;ll TALK about it. LOL, I said NO, I think that&#8217;s a GOOD deal and I don&#8217;t want THAT MAN to come back and GET IT! LOL! So, DH does what I SAY and he gives the lady the money and we leave. BOY O BOY, did I hear it. You are SO gullible! There was NO man coming back to get that thing! That&#8217;s why I said lets go take a walk and we will TALK about it!!! OOOPS, LOL! But, REALLY, she only wanted $75 for ALL of it! The milk strainer was like NEW, I can sell the parts to the cream separator online for $75. They are ALL there and look like NEW. It was STILL a GOOD deal at $75 even if I AM gullible!!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

LOL, DRATS, MW has my number as well!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Hazmat, I'm 30min west of Peoria. Glad to meet YA!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

The lady of the booth was the one to talk with to dicker down the price, not her husband. She was soooo ready to sell off as much as she could. She has been trying to sell off her sister's bounty for 5 years and still has a hotel room stuffed full.

It pays to look and browse and LISTEN to what is being said by the sellers to other buyers. I knew within 10 minutes that the lady was giving better deals than her husband.

When I approached her about the dressmaker's form, she wanted $200 firm and let me know she had priced them out over $300. I told her I couldn't pay that much. She shot me a price of $150. I asked her if she had the manual (somewhere but not with her). I asked her if all the wing nuts worked or if any were stuck. She didn't know. There was a slight play on the vertical that raises and lowers the form and I was jiggling it around and asked her if I could take it aside and test the wing nuts. After 10 minutes or so of fiddling around with it (and finding out everything worked perfect), I went back and told her I would be willing to go up to $125. She took it without hesitation.

Always give a much lower bid than what seems fair. The worse they'll do is say no and you can pitch them a higher price.

Your only mistake was saying "150-200" You may have been able to get it for 175, but most likely they would have settled for the 200 anyway.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

*chuckle*

The whole time the old feller was helping us load the stuff in the trunk of Jill's car (he seemed to be in a _really_ good mood :shrug: ) he was going on and on about how his "partner" wanted to research everything and get top dollar, but how he wanted to just get the stuff sold. As he was walking back to the buildings, he was singing something about sailing the high seas and his ship coming in. :shrug:


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

<ROF slapping my knee and kicking my heels in the air>
The old man DID say it was the PARTNER that was the one holding out. Cyndi, I bet you could have gotten that thing for $50 if yada asked him! LOL 
Hey, we should go on the roadâ¦â¦â¦what FUN weâd have! And the stories we could tell! 



FR, HOW much did you say you would you have given for the hand carders? Just sayin!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Jdog my mother always had a saying when we were growing up and I still use it to this day and it works I swear it does. Here's how it goes.

Any time I want something, I mean REALLY want something I remember to tell myself, " If it was meant to be yours it will still be there. If not then it wasn't meant to be." So if I feel pressured to buy something because "someone else might get it". I walk away and that saying becomes my mantra while I take the time to really thing about it. Impulse buying is a powerful tool used by a lot of people, and it works. So, stop, walk away, tell yourself you don't need it right this minute, and if it is mean to be yours it will still be there when you get back (even if it's a day or so later).


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

But, but, but, look what they cost NEW, and they arenât even made in the USA like my Superior brand one is! 
http://www.farmandranchdepot.com/farm-equipment/ITP_SS_Milk_Strainer_w-SS_Mesh.html
http://hambydairysupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=1786&cat=228&page=1
Here is a picture of mine, and it came with a McCormick Deering flour model cream separator with all itâs parts, AND a stainless steel DeLaval milking tank. 










Here is a link to a DeLaval that has 2hrs. left and itâs at $50
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OLD-VINTAGE...609?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6b625141
This one pictured here is mine








Some Cream separator parts alone sold for $77 on ebay just last week.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170709468465?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Here is a picture of my parts and separator















NO WAY was I letting that guy come back! I know a good buy when I see one! :dance:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Makes sense. She wanted top dollar and set the price, but early in the morning, he always referred to her before lowering the price. I just went to her and avoided the middle man.


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