Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival 2014

Photo Blog from the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival 

by: Emily

I was privileged to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this spring with my dear friends, Pat and Lisa. We enjoyed the weekend at the festival ... buying, observing, competing, and learning!

Our little group arrived at the Fairgrounds a day before the festival opened. Our missions was to register fleeces for the competition.

The check-in area was swarming with activity. 

In this photo, Lisa and I are checking our fleeces in. The ladies raved about the fleeces and thought they were beautiful! 

After checking the fleeces in, we spent the rest of the day enjoying the Baltimore, Maryland area.

We arrived back at the fairgrounds early the next morning. The traffic lines were already long and the parking lot was filling fast.

Our first stop was the fleece show. We were excitedly awaiting results from the show and wondered how our fleeces had placed. There were almost 800 fleeces on display!

Faith's fleece finished first in her class - Natural Colored Long-Wool

Gilbert won second place in White Long-Wool.

Daisy's fleece took second in the Romney breed class.

We were thrilled with the results as the competition was strong in the classes we entered!

After the fleece show, we started shopping! There were nearly 1,000 vendors offering their goods to Festival goers.

The colors of yarn were striking and the quality was amazing.

There was a wide variety of fibers and yarns available. From wool to camel, yak, silk, flax,angora, cashmere, and alpaca, you could find almost any type of fiber you desired. 

Beautiful balls of Tussah silk/Merino roving.

Silk and merino wool roving

Raw fiber was prevalent among the vendors. At this booth, alpaca wool was sold in many different natural colors.

As well as yarn, roving, and supplies, finished products were also for sale.

We heard there were around 100,000 people there during the two days of the Festival.

 As times it was difficult to maneuver. 

I enjoyed watching some of the sheep shows in the show barn. Here, Colored Romneys are being shown.

White Romney ewe show

A beautiful pair of Corriedales

The big Corriedale went on to win Supreme Fleece at the Sheep Show.

Cute Romney lambs

There were many different sheep breeds represented at the Festival. The Parade of Breeds held in the show ring was fun to watch.

One of the highlights of the Festival was the Sheep to Shawl Contest. 

There were seven teams competing this year.

Each team was required to shear a sheep, card the wool, spin the yarn, and weave a shawl in 3 hours.

It was exciting to watch the teams work.

This team had a baseball theme to their costume, display, and weaving. 

The winning team of ladies (above) created a beautiful shawl which included whole locks spun and then woven into the shawl.

Lisa, Pat (photographer), and I enjoyed our time at the Festival and are grateful for the opportunity to have gone!

Calf Friends!

Bonnie and Russet 

Foggy's Fleece

Foggy's fleece from this spring has been beautifully carded and prepared for spinning! Thank you, Judy, for sharing this picture of your work. 

Russet the Red BueLingo Arrives!

Ruby delivered her first calf on May 13th. We named him Russet! 

Russet had a rough start to life as he didn't start breathing right away after birth. With some intervention and assistance, he started taking breaths on his own. 

He was too weak to walk in the barn, so we wrapped him in a sheet and transported him on our hay cart. 

Russet has improved and is now running and playing with his other calf friends! 

Desibelle's Fleece For Sale on Etsy

Desibelle's fleece is now for sale on Etsy!

Her fleece weighs about 6 pounds.

Desibelle's fleece is soft, having recently tested at 31 microns.

The staple length is 5 inches.

View the listing here. 

Meet Bonnie!

Our BueLingo cow, Vivian, delivered a healthy heifer calf on April 26th. We named her little one, Bonnie. Bonnie is a playful calf with a shiny coat and big eyes!

Vivian and Bonnie

Beautiful Sweaters

Our friend, Judy, recently shared some photos of her handiwork. Each one of these sweaters was made with wool from our sheep. Judy hand spun the yarn and knitted these beautiful sweaters.

Of Lambs and Wool

The past couple of months have been busy ones here on the farm. Winter hit our area with a particular vengeance, adding special challenges to lambing and daily chores. The snow has almost melted now and we are eagerly anticipating the coming of spring!

 This lambing season saw the arrival of nearly 90 lambs, with more yet to be born. 

The lambs are growing rapidly and chowing down on their hay.

Little lambs are getting their first homemade coats. These coats will help their little fleeces stay clean.

Speaking of wool ... we have been hard at work preparing fleeces for our customers. There were over 80 premium fleeces for sale this year!

Coming up, we will be posting updates on our 2014 lambs. Check back soon for birth announcements and pictures! 

Murphy's Special Friend

Our little ewe lamb, Grace, has become fast friends with Murphy, our guard llama. Grace regularly sleeps right next to Murphy and he watches out for her.

Sneak Peek!

Enjoy a short preview of some of our freshly-shorn fleeces!

Delilah

Faith

Frappe

Garfield

Gilbert

Gina

Gomer

Gretchen

Shearing Day at Grace Valley Farms

Shearing went exceptionally well this year! Many volunteers turned out to help and the two shearing days went ever so smoothly!

 Our favorite shearer, Karsten, returned to shear the sheep.

After each sheep was shorn, Ben and Karsten removed the soiled wool from each fleece.

When a sheep was finished being shorn, it was helped up and moved over to the recoating area. A new, smaller coat was applied. Here, Pat holds a gray ewe while a new coat is selected for her.

Zach holds a ewe lamb while Forrest puts a new coat on her. 

The shearing crew.

Robert, Ben, and Karsten carefully skirt each fleece to avoid contaminating it with soiled wool from the sheep's neck and belly.

When the fleece is done, Ben picked it up and carried it into the shop for further skirting. 

  

The skirting crew at work on a black fleece.

Rolling a silver fleece after it has been skirted.

A beautiful charcoal-colored lamb fleece.

Emily and Diana roll up a fleece.

Lunch Time! Lunch is always a fun time of food, fellowship, and friendship!

This year we cooked up a big Mexican meal.

We served almost 30 people for lunch.

A big "thank you" to all our friends and farm workers who came from near and far to help us. We all worked together like a team and the process went smoothly. It is such a joy to have friends who take good care of our sheep!

We are currently in the process of sorting, photographing, and grading our fleeces. When they are all cataloged,  we'll notify our customers.

Photography by: Russ Angwin

In Memory of Doug

On January 28th, Doug Meyer left this earth and went to be with the Lord Jesus. While we grieve the loss of our loved one, we are comforted in knowing that he is now home in heaven with his Savior, free from the pain of the cancer that had ravaged his body.

  1956-2014

Thank you for your love and prayers on our behalf. We would appreciate your patience and understanding in the weeks and months ahead as we move forward without our husband and dad.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. - Psalm 73:24-26

Puppy Update

Abby's puppies have been growing very well and are quite big now! All of them are healthy and enjoying life. They like to be petted and held. The pups are fast on their feet and take great delight in following and chewing on us!

 

Bullet and Abby, the puppy's parents.