Scotts Bluff Valley Fiber Arts Fair

by Phoebe

I think I have a new best friend.

Baby animals are cute.  Fiber producing animals are awesome.  But this sweetie, a baby vicuna, is just over the top!  Visitors to the 2nd annual Scotts Bluff Valley Fiber Arts Fair were in a for true treat this weekend.  In addition to my new best friend...

we saw sheep...

and even a baby cashmere goat!

Chris Switzer of Switzer-Land Alpacas brought her beautiful animals to the Fair, along with a beautiful array of spinning and weaving supplies.  Here you see her demonstrating her weaving skills.  Chris has been raising her animals in Estes Park for over 25 years, and was the first alpaca farmer in the Rocky Mountain region.

There were talented volunteers teaching fair attendees how to knit, weave, spin, and crochet.  Tracy spent nearly the entire day teaching folks how to spin yarn using a drop spindle.  She is wearing a crochet pattern of her own design.  You never know, you just might get her on the phone if you call Brown Sheep Co, as Tracy works in the office there!

There was a stunning variety of fiber related goodies for sale as well.  This beautiful hand-crafted ready-to-spin roving is from Midnight Designs, a Colorado-based company specializing in processing local fiber.  They had a great selection of batts, pencil roving, and hand dyed yarns, as well as spinning wheels and circular sock machines.

Bijou Basin Ranch had a lovely booth displaying their specialty exotic yak yarns and fiber.  Bijou Basin is also a Colorado based company, and has an exciting new line of yarns available this year, dyed by the colorful talent at Lorna's Laces!  The lace cowl kit was our favorite item at Bijou Basin's booth.

Deb of Two Windows Dye Co had her lovely hand painted sock yarn available- the colors are all beautiful!  This sock yarn is 100% superwash merino and comes in 430 yard hanks.  I think there is a skein of it in our house now... I will have to check in the yarnie goodness bags and see!

And, of course, the main reason we came to the event was to meet new friends and sign books for readers, knitters, and fans!  I think this little girl was my biggest fan of all... and it was a genuine treat to meet folks from Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, and Missouri today!

Here you see Mother with Ponca Hills Linda, a friend who she "met" on ravelry, and who now is a friend in real life!  This is just the best thing about doing this kind of event- the people!