Demonstrating at the SC State Fair

Each year, for the past 6 or so, EM and I have been invited to demonstrate various stages of our craft, namely spinning but on occasion I would bring one of my looms as well.

This year we both had an extremely busy week prior to the event and it was obvious, once we arrived and began setting up, that we were not as prepared as we would have liked to have been. The essentials were there but left behind were little things like oil for the spinning wheels. While both of us had oiled our wheels recently, the day of the demonstration was cold and rainy so the wheels started stiffening up as a result, and neither of us brought a niddy noddy, fortunately there were extra bobbins and finally I neglected to bring a single finished project, Where was my head? Fortunately EM brought a few of her fabulous bags and shawls. So all in all we had enough to offer to present a good demonstration.

 Even though we would have liked to have been better prepared, the crowds showed real interest, they especially enjoyed being able to touch the various examples of fibre we displayed, which included Coopworth and Merino wool from sheep, Mohair from Angora goats, Llama fibre, Angora from Angora rabbits, and even dog hair, along with examples of dyed fibre and handspun examples of each. The children, as usual, loved sitting and watching the wheels spin, asking all kinds of questions. They are always our best spectators. 

 

I also brought the Tapestry loom that dh recently built for me and offered some demonstration on that as well. Even with the good lighting we had in the building I had to don my +3 magnifying glasses. While I still feel a little strange wearing them, especially in public, they are a wonderful tool for working with some projects, especially when knitting lacework.

 One special young girl took a sincere interest in watching me weave, she told me she had enjoyed some weaving in a school project. She asked the appropriate questions, ever so politely and watched intently. I can only hope that anything I communicated to her either vocally or visually while she watched, will encourage her to explore her fibre interests. I had a special feeling about this beautiful young one, I imagined her to be what people mean when they talk about “old souls”, She had a stillness deep down, no need for chatter and fidgeting that goes with nervous energy. I suspect she will have a lot to offer whatever she does with her life. This is what brings EM and I back each year, as well as accepting other invitations to demonstrate this craft. Not to show off our skills, but to educate and do our part to keep this craft alive.

 Since the fair, but not necessarily due to this particular demonstration, EM and I have had conversation with others interested in learning to spin. It is our hope that we may actually have a guild represented at next year’s Faire. This would not only help take the some of the load of my fibre sister and I, trying to do everything between the two of us, so that if one of us forgets anything chances are someone else will have it. It will also offer a wider range demonstration in Fibre arts, such as knitting, needle felting, inkle weaving, to name a few.

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See You at the Fair

Each year, with the advent of the State Fair, comes, for me personally, enthusiastic anticipation. Anticipation of cooler weather, which is major  here in the south, looking forward to visiting the animal barns, which is my one of my favorite activities at the fair and, of course, the opportunity to share my craft with others, either through exhibition or demonstration and/or education.

For the past 7 years we, my fibre sister and I, have been asked to demonstrate spinning and weaving in the Arts and Crafts exhibition building. We take advantage of the circumstances, atmosphere and season which are all conducive for this old craft. There would be less interest in this if the weather was warmer so the timing works in our favour and the audience, pulled to anything crafty delights in viewing something atypical for this area, not to mention era.

Children seem especially curious. They will sit crosslegged on the floor watching the wheel spin, or murmur one word sentences like “cool”, “wow” and “neat” as the fibre twists into it yarn, asking scores of questions on everything from what kind of animals can fibre be used, to what kind of articles can be made from the different looms. Adults, too, will stop and remark on the wonder of the craft and even comment how they once thought they would like to learn, unfortunately, when pushed, they always amend the comment with “but I just don’t have the time to learn”.

After 7 years of offering workshops, not at the State Fair alone, but also at our local library, schools, churches and even knitting groups, only a few individuals have taken us up on our offer to go beyond demonstration and instruct them in the art of spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, felting or any other fibre craft. Of those few even fewer have perservered. Yet, happily, we continue to offer demonstrations because we love the craft enough to attempt to keep it alive, if not, for their part,in practice, at least in interest through education.

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