37th Annual New York Sheep and Wool Festival

The less-than-ideal weather last weekend could not keep me away from the 37th Annual New York State Sheep and Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York.

The first time Randy and I made the forty-minute trip west to Rhinebeck, a lovely town overlooking the Hudson River just a bit north of Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie, we wondered what this event would be like. Little did we know that this is one of the premier annual gatherings of it kind on the East Coast. That first year, as we pulled through the entrance gates of the fairgrounds, we were astounded to see thousands and thousands of cars. I had no idea there we so many people like me, the kind who dreamed of keeping sheep and spinning their wool into unique and beautiful garments, but I was mistaken. What a revelation! I was not alone in my almost primal urge to be around these animals that produce one of nature’s most amazing products. I haven’t missed the Fest since.

A Handsome Ram

The fair gets started on Thursday with serious, all-day workshops on all of the fiber-related crafts. Classes continue Friday, along with a sheep auction. The public arrives for the weekend. Hundreds of vendors exhibit their raw fleece; hand-spun yarns; spinning and knitting equipment; felting kits; dyes; soaps; instructional books and videos; sheepskin mittens and slippers; gorgeous hand-knit and woven garments, gloves, and mittens; comical felted hats; fancy baskets and tote bags for all the gear; stuffed and felted toys; and, of course, sheep-adorned tchotchkes.

The exhibit barns house the most handsome rams, ewes and lambs of various breeds, all on-hand to compete in the breed shows. This year’s featured breed was the Leicester Longwool, a large handsome sheep that sports long curly locks of wool.

Last year I participated in two classes: a two-day course on braided-wool rugmaking and a Saturday morning class on fleece evaluation and preparation. I also entered my fleece in the annual show and sale. Although mine I did not sell, I received good feedback on how to prepare my fleece better and studied the high-scoring fleece. It is fascinating to compare the various wools and wonder at the variety of color, length, and texture. For those with too much fleece on their hands, or those who do not cater to the hand-spinning crowd, the fair is an excellent place to drop off one’s fleece for processing at a commercial mill. I favor a mill from Michigan that brings a large truck and a trailer, which they fill up with many, many bags of wool, as well as llama and alpaca fiber over the course of the weekend. This year was a record for me; I dropped off 27 pounds of raw fleece, all of which will be scoured, or washed. About half of it will be carded into roving for me to either spin or braid rugs with. And I will try something new with the other half, having it carded into wide batts to be used for wool quilts to keep the boys warm this winter.

This year I had time for just one morning class. I learned a technique for knitting fleece-lined mittens. I have some of these so-called thrummed mittens from Newfoundland and have to say, they are the warmest, coziest things I have ever donned on a winter’s day. Right now I am concentrating on the children’s sizes, so that I might actually finish a project before the snow is upon us.

And did I mention the food? What is a festival without fair food? And you will find some surprising offerings here, including the artichoke vendor. His line on Saturday stretched far: the wait surely approached an hour. On Sunday I waited in the famed chicken pot pie line only to witness the last two pies be carried off by a woman in a gold, hand-knit hat, five people in front of me. To escape the chilly rain I ducked into the food exhibit hall to knosh on the free samples of vendors offering artisanal wines, cheeses, breads, nuts, biscotti, honey and lamb.

The boys enjoy the fair each year. This year they opted out of most of the many children’s activities, and instead enjoyed ice-cream in the cold air, while watching the sheepdog trials and the frisbee dog exhibitions.

Two years ago I attended a free workshop called Wool 101, presented by the American Wool Industry’s chief representative. Think of him as a lobbyist for the sheep industry. His talk was extremely technical, but interesting. The American Lamb Board is also on hand with cooking demonstrations.

The number of llama and alpaca enthusiasts is fast approaching that of the Angora goat and rabbit fans. I met a woman, who won a small herd of Angora goats, along with a run-in shed to house them, through an on-line essay contest. She wrote about why she deserved the animals. The next day she was to pick them up and transport them home to Vermont.

It is quickly evident that there are at least five women to every man at the Sheep and Wool Festival. And I have noticed that fascination seems to run in families. Is there a gene or is it environmental, I wondered as I met groups of sisters and mother-daughter spinning-knitting teams. Watching the crowds stroll by easily turns into a low-key fashion show: guess which sweaters, shawls, and hats are handmade. The “Sheep to Shawl” contest highlights garments entirely handmade, just like the title suggests.

And did you know that 2009 is the United Nations International Year of the Fleece? The General Assembly’s resolution declared: “the diverse range of natural fibers produced by many countries provides an important source of income for farmers, and thus can play an important role in contributing to food security and in eradicating poverty.” Wool industry representatives from around the world were on hand to talk about fiber production in their countries. In conjunction, an effort called “Keep the Fleece,” to knit the world’s longest scarf and raise $250,000 for Heifer International, joined together sections of scarf sent from all over the country.

I hope my enthusiasm may have persuaded you to consider wool for your holiday purchases this year. Or better yet, donate a small amount to the Heifer Project, to help someone take a sustainable step toward self-sufficiency through the gift of a sheep, goat or llama.

So, if any of this catches your fancy, the dates for next year’s 38th annual show are Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 9am to 6pm and Sunday, October 17, from 10am to 5pm. I’ll be there.

For more information see:

http://www.sheepandwool.com
http://www.keepthefleece.org
http://www.heifer.org