It's time for THE NW WASHINGTON FAIR!!

 
 Welcome to the Wool Show!

Artists & crafters from all over the region will have their items on display this week at the NW Washington Fair in Lynden WA

 We hope that you'll stop by and take a look!

Here are a few things from past fairs to show you -

There will be spinners spinning. 

And Weavers, weaving!  

  And beautiful shawls, scarves, hand-spun yarn and all manner of hand made items for you to look at. 

And best of all, we have these beautiful new signs made by our friend Allen Berry!  What a talent!  I just know that they will bring a lot of people in to look at our displays.

And many kudos to Niki Kuklenski, who took on the HUGE job as Wool Show Superintendent!  She has put in many, many hours and has whipped us all into shape.  There will be people demonstrating spinning, weaving, drop spindling, and more all week long.  We hope you can stop by and say hello! 

NW Washington Fair Report

Guest editor - Marcia Ford - 2012 Wool Barn Superintendent

The 2012 NWFair Wool Show has come and gone.    We, again, had a very nice display of really high quality work, though the number of items submitted was down this year.(150 last year to 122)  Here are the blue ribbon winners who, I think, may be known to our spinning and weaving groups:

Blue ribbons -

Margaret Magic (2) for a bright woven scarf and a needle 

punched art piece.

Jenni Jimmerson, for her natural fiber, handspun lace knit shawl

Sheri Ward (3) for a green woven vest, blue stripe knitted socks and knitted, fingerless mitts

April Muegge,  a wool, blanket selvage rug.

Vanessa Muegge (April's daughter), (6) for a variety of well crafted and delightfully designed needle felted  pieces

Yuki Shepard (3) for her fine knitted green sweeter, green vest and gray hat

Tina Thomsen-Park, (2) for a charming crochet scarf, and fingerless gloves

Best of Division: 

A (fleece) Janet Maricle    

                           
B (crafted from handspun yarn) Yvonne Madsen   

                           
C  (crafted from commercial yarn)   Linda Landis  

                           
G (felted from fleece) Grace Thompson, a gifted 17-year-old needle felter. 

Best Design - Yvonne Madsen, for a lovely natural brown sweater

 

 
Judges Choice - Laurel Bodenshot, for a fine, 3 piece, knit entry

Best of Class and Best of Show  - Yvonne Madsen, for her  magnificent gray, handspun, handknit lace shawl    

   











 




 Many, many thanks to you volunteer weaving and pinning demonstrators. And to Acceptance and Judging clerks Margaret Magic, Oksana  Brown, Gabette Andres and your new Wool Show Supt., Tracy Vandermay. Tracy was there from acceptance to take down and has a great idea of what's in store as she takes over.

    I have enjoyed my involvement with the Wool Show these past seven years.  It is a fine asset for the community, and a great opportunity for guild participation and outreach.

    








 

As I review this letter, I realize that I did not make note of the blue ribbon winners in handspun yarn.  There were just 8 adult entries this year, but I know there were blue ribbons. Please wave them high at your next gathering.  I'm very sorry for that omission.

     I am looking forward to being a volunteer and exhibiter next year and I invite all of you to join me.  And let's balance out all those wonderful knitted items with more weaving and handspun yarns!

    Thank you and best wishes,  Marcia Ford

NW Washington Fair Wool Show Review

The Wool Show had another successful exhibit this year with a whopping 157 entries along with 30 volunteer spinners and weavers providing a nearly continuous demonstration of the fiber processes we love to share.

Ferndale resident Kitty Drew provided fair goers with five sessions of spinning stories and demonstration, each day sporting a different ethnic or period costume. I hope you saw her picture on the front page of the B"ham Herald Saturday morning.

Janice Hartwell gave a Thursday evening rug hooking demo. to fair attendees, and Nora Weisenhorn fascinated many with her 1920's sock making machine Saturday morning.
Blue ribbon winners among the WWG and Spindrifter members (to the best of my knowledge) include: Louise Bayma, Oksana Brown (3), Chris Conrad (2), Debra Carpenter, Richard Harvey, Meg Jobe, Melissa Johnson, Yvonne Madsen (3), Cecilia Morales, April Muegge, Chris Paul, Heather Seevers (3), Sheri Ward, and Nora Weisenhorn (2).












Chris Conrad won Best of Class honors for both a mohair fleece and a handspun skein. Best of Show went to Chris Paul for her fine handspun saddle blanket. Heather Seevers was awarded both Judges Choice and Best of Division for her two fanciful boas.





Debra Carpenter won Best of Class for a handspun, handknitted shrug. Best Design and Best of Class were awarded to Pat Walker, a resident of The Willows assisted living apartments, for her beautiful pictorial hooked rug. Thanks to Chris Conrad, several residents there entered their work this year.

 

Many thanks to our volunteer spinners: Kathy Green Donna Starr, John Munroe, Gabette Andres, Tina Swanson, Joan Dudley, Jenni Jimmerson, Ann Marie Fjeld, Tamerron Underwood, Tina Thomsen-Park, Yvonne Madsen,

 Louise Bayma, Lynda Bylsma, Maryann Kelly, and Anna & Ella Robbins (teen spinners).....
and to our "administrative assistants" Margaret Magic, Oksana Brown, Chris Conrad, Gabette Andres, Sheri Ward. Joan Cunningham, and Kathy Hutchinson.

Many thanks to our volunteer weavers: Pat Fisher, Kathy Sano, Gina Saettone, Barbara Snow, Rosalie Nast (2 sessions), Maggie Weyers (2 sessions), and Sondra Rose......









Submitted by Marcia Ford, Wool Show Superintendent  (Thank you Marcia - you provided the perfect narration to my pictures!)

At The Fair

Our members did very well at the fair this year. Oksana got a champion ribbon on her beautiful shawl.



I forgot to write down who did this shawl, but I thought it was awfully pretty.



Yvonne got a blue ribbon on her shawl too. (click on her name and you'll be directed to her website where there is a much nicer picture of her shawl)