fall equals fiber

It's that time: the kick-off to fiber fall festivals, aka Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival, aka the NJ Sheep and Wool Festival. My mother was scheduled to teach a workshop there in kumihimo, the Japanese art of braiding, so it was the perfect reason yesterday to leave on time for once and get there decently early to work on the booth and breed display. I even managed to take two sheep with me, Kevyn and Kali (mostly because they are the easiest to catch) so that left one less thing to do this morning.

While my mom taught her workshop, Robin and I worked on the booth. Unfortunately the brutal heat sucked me dry and I wasn't able to accomplish all I wanted... including the breed display. I couldn't figure out the pieces due to being more or less the state of a limp rag.

Today was another day, plus my parents and Robin were there in full force.

Thanks to my dad's level head, and me locating two of the missing pieces of dowel, he and I managed to get a decent breed display put together. It took third place. Sorry the picture is less than optimal, it is always less than optimal due to the backlight in the morning when I have time to take the picture!

Thanks to the efforts of my mom and Robin, the booth looked fantastic this year. A friend had gifted me some gridwalls, which because I am cheap for some reason I have resisted purchasing before now.

With the investment of some hangers and hooks, display was a snap. The chalkboard signs looked fantastic too!

Unfortunately the brutal heat was the harbinger of a brutal rain storm. My friend Norma and I managed to get the banners down just in time, before they sailed away (or worse yet, ripped). But everything else is in disarray and soaking wet, including two very unhappy sheep.

I'll have to leave a little time tomorrow to get it put back together, but I am bringing a secret weapon with me.

So happy to have one of my boys coming! Don't let that look fool you, he asked to come. I am sure I will appreciate him even more when it's time to pack it all up, load it and go home.