Ever since reading The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett in college, I have wanted sheep. More specifically, I have wanted a farm on the coast of Maine with sheep. It is the stuff of my day dreams. When I decided on this dream, I wasn't knitting or spinning. It was in that time between childhood and adulthood. I don't know why this idea was so appealing to me at that time in my life. Was it foreshadowing my future fiber pursuits? 
Since I can't pack-up and move to a farm in Maine just yet, I love to going to fiber festivals to hang-out with sheep. This weekend was the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. Whyboy, PK, and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon there. We toured the barns petting sheep. Whyboy was determined to find the Jacob ram we saw last year. My favorites were the Bluefaced Leicesters. They had such sweet faces, and loved being scratched behind the ears. Plus, their fiber is one of my favorites to spin. 
As with any fiber festival the was fiber...lots of fiber. I got to meet Gale of Gale's Art in person. Her booth was a riot of color and texture. I indulged just a bit, and fell head over heels for her alpaca silk roving. I usually avoid silk, because of the smell, which aggravates my allergies. Gale's silk had none of the nasty smell. I have been spinning it without difficulty. It is gorgeous and shimmers in the sun as I spin. I caught up with friends, who were vending. Jeanette (Sun Valley Fibers) from my knitting group was there selling her lovely yarns. At the end of the day there was ice cream, Whyboy needed a reward. Today, I went back, and took a plying class. It really helped me with the concept of a balanced yarn.
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