Deerfield Fair!

After missing my yearly spinning gig at the Deerfield Fair in 2014, I was very happy to work 3 days of the fair this year (it is open for 4 days).  I was able to spin on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  On Sunday I attended the fair with hubby, 18 year old DS and the grandson.

This is my antique skein winder (aka clock reel)

I chose this fleece to bring with me to spin.  This turned out to be a great selection.  It is a finewool fleece, has nice staple length, and was probably a coated fleece because there is very little VM (vegetable matter - hay, chaff, sticks, dirt particles, etc).  I wish I knew where I originally got it, because I love this fleece!  It was easy to hand card, and I love the subtle color variations.

Other items I included in my spinning basket.  My handcards (I hand card rolags as I go, to demonstrate that part of the process), hand combs (shown a few times but not used), two balls of handspun yarn, some rolags from an Etsy seller that I particularly like, and a couple of spindles.  I demonstrated with the spindles quite a few times.  I also had a hand-dyed roving, and a ball of seine cord, which I use for drive bands.

This was my car, all packed up to bring my stuff to the fair!

My setup at the fair.  My antique Canadian Production Wheel is shown, along with my boxes of demo/ you-can-touch-this fibers.  I have a cigar box full of 2-inch squares on that treadle sewing machine by the window on the right-hand side, as another demonstration.

Some of the gray wool in process, on the wheel.

I had a great time spinning and talking to people about spinning for three days.  I handed out a few contact cards to people who may want to learn to spin, or might want to contact me in the future about spinning matters (and once to a lady who is semi-local and wants to get her treadle sewing machine going).

Then we went back on Sunday to see the fair for ourselves!  We were there for over 3 hours, and it still wasn't long enough, but we were all tired (especially the baby, but hubby and DS as well, and my knee was starting to bother me).  I did manage to come home with a bunch of fun stuff, however.

I got two great new tie-dye t-shirts!  Love tie-dye!

I also got two posters (they are about 14x22).  I plan to put these together, side by side, in a poster frame.  What fun!

Top is a mini guitar for grandson.  He has a ukulele, but I sent it to his mother's house on a visit and she has never returned it.  Below that is a corn bag (Heet Wave bag) that can be used for either hot or cold.  You can heat it in the microwave for a minute or a minute and a half, and it is wonderful!

We also had several delicious snacks, and I came home with a small hand lotion from one of my favorite local producers.  Great time, all four days!  I am happy to be getting back to a somewhat normal routine now.  Over the next week or two I need to get the barn and the barn animals ready for winter - clean the stalls and chicken coop, move the bunnies out of the center stall (the goats are in there now, because the buckling insists on escaping and I can't figure out his escape hole), move the baby chicks (now almost half the size of grown chickens) into the chicken coop, etc.