Just got my skeins back from the SAFF skein competition. I left early and missed the judging so was very surprised to open the returned box:

CHOCOLATE MINT: Kid Mohair, dyed, Navajo Plyed

VERY VIOLET: Kid Mohair, dyed, spun from locks, single

ARABIAN NIGHTS: Kid Mohair and Silk, dyed, carded, single

MARLED LOCKS: Kid Mohair & Moorit Wensleydale, natural, spun from locks, single

Attended SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair) in Fletcher, NC for the second year.   I signed up for a corespinning workshop by Esther Rodgers.  Hope to spend more time corespinning the beautiful kid mohair fleeces that I picked up at the fleece sale.  I was interested in learning more about corespinning as it allows for maximizing expensive fibers.  Rather than losing fiber to the center of the yarn(where no one can see it), the luxury fiber is spun around a core of inexpensive or less attractive yarn.  It’s economical and functional. The finished yarns look a little different than yarns spun from the locks, as the fibers lay on the core at a 90-60 degree angle.

Yarn spun from locks has a more acute angle and looks more linear.

I went back to the sales arenas several times. It’s hard to take it all in. One go round I just looked at fleeces. There is the official fleece sale and the many vendors who offer fleeces. I was looking for mohair from Naumman Angoras and maybe a Cormo fleece. I bought two kid mohair fleeces from the sale… beautiful. I haven’t seen many long wool fleeces, no Wensleydale or Teeswater. Though breeders that attend will often bring them, if purchased ahead of time.  If you’re shopping for Alpaca or Icelandic or Merino, you’ll find a lot to look over. After I left the sale, I found a booth with the most gorgeous Cormo/BFL fleeces.They were huge and out of my price range for the whole fleece, but Tina at Dry Creek Naturals was kind enough to split one, I almost hate to wash it it’s so clean and beautifully sheared and skirted. The locks are amazing.

The color is what stands out: bins of dyed locks, balls of roving and top, miles of skeins, every color yarn you can imagine. Lots of beautifully dyed commercial yarns and exciting handspun yarns and finished garments to show them all off. There’s all the equipment from big suppliers and small shops; wheels to needles. Everything and everyone is there.

I missed the animals this year. I just ran out of time. But the barns are full of alpacas, sheep, goats, and rabbits. There are competitions going on all the time; animal judging, fleece judging and skein and garment competitions. Where else can you see it all from animal to finished object. It’s all connected by the most amazing threads.

Can’t wait until next year!