NH Sheep & Wool Festival ...

I had made plans to go to the NH Sheep & Wood Festival yesterday, but when it appeared that rain was going to fall all day I had second thoughts. At one point it was looking quite unlikely--I could always travel down there today. But after a few chores I decided that with umbrella in hand and a rain coat it wouldn't be so bad, so off I went. Turns out the rain stopped, the sun came out and I spent a most glorious afternoon walking around the vendor's booths and viewing the sheep & alpacas in sunshine with temps in the 70s. A very good dose of just what the doctor ordered. My soul drank deep from the colors, crafts, people, and animals. It's the good life.

I was thrilled to see a lot of cars in the lot when I arrived about 12:30pm, but it was a comfortable crowd--I didn't feel jammed in like at some of the bigger festivals. Absolutely pleasant to stroll amongst the knitters, crocheters, spinners, felters, breeders, feeders, show-ers, sheep, alpacas, and rabbits.

I came home with a miner's head for the great wheel. Best find of the day for me. An old book (1951, first printing) by Mary Atwater called "The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Hand-Weaving". It's full to the brim with over 200 drafts--most of them 4-shaft--for weaving. Great find. Four skeins of wool yarn at a bargain price, a sheep figurine--very cute, a fused glass pendant, a rug-hooking kit, a felting pad with 2 needles, and some spice tea. All in under budget! Happy, happy.


One of the great wheels for sale was from the Shaker village in Enfield, my home town.

The bobbins on this recently rolled-out wheel appear to be almost a foot long! Must hold a thousand yards!!

I'm so inspired by the sight of rug hooking and this absolute beauty of a rug was being worked on yesterday. I must get onto another rug project soon.

My purchases.