Maryland oh Maryland

How I miss you! Maryland Sheep and Wool that is! I am still floating from my two day immersion in sheep and colour and wool and pit lamb and the sweet smell of deep fried Twinkies (no - I didn't have one and I am not even sorry!).

I was somewhat disappointed by the Fleece Sale this year - perhaps I am jaded since I have lots of fibre and still some raw fleeces left over from previous years that still need to be processed (not by me however - I'll get them done at Frankenmuth or somewhere else). Seemed that everything I picked up was tippy.

What I did buy were 2 Cormo fleeces (8 lbs in all), a Columbia ram (a big, fine one), a dark Grey Lincoln and a medium grey Hair of the Unknown Sheep that looks like a Rambouillet but wasn't marked ( but the price was right and the colour appealled). All but the Unknown went to the Frankenmuth booth and this time I even remembered to bring ziplock bags to put some samples of the fleeces in!

Earth Guild got the rest of my money. I had picked up a book on natural dyeing at the American Handweavers Guild booth (Wild Color - I'll have to dig it out and check the title) that has a very pleasing and to my mind readable format and I dug into it on Saturday evening to see what I would need to start some natural dyeing.

I had seen quite an assortment of mordants and natural dyes at Earth Guild the first day so went back there to pick up what I needed. Now I am all set and have alum, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, tin, cream of tartar and an assortment of large and small containers of cochineal, osage, logwood, cutch and something else that I can't remember - maybe Brazilwood. Great fun will be had I am sure!

Ainslie, my travelling companion, took some fantastic sheep pictures at the Parade of Breeds. The Parade was, again, a highlight with 2 black Icelandic lambs stealing the show - very cute!