Our friends' home in Martinsburg, WV. A lovely place to return to after a day of wool.

Just back from a visit to friends in Martinsburg, WV and a trip to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Both the visit and the festival were great fun.

It's hard to describe the Festival. It is huge. In fact, I think it's the largest of its kind in the USA. Vendors come from all over the world to participate and eager shoppers don't let them down.

I've been attending fiber events for a number of years so I am getting a wee bit more selective about my purchases and that is a good thing for the array of irresistible yarns and unspun fiber from which to choose could get a person into serious financial difficulty very fast.

No, I stayed focused on the list of things I was determined to find and was lucky to locate every last item early in the day. Then I had time to go back and take a more leisurely look around. And I did. Okay, at that point I did purchase some beautiful yarns and some Jacob wool to take home and spin. I got vicarious pleasure out of watching my friends make their purchases. For them this is the only event they attend all year and restraint wasn't even a possibility. When all the yarn they purchased is converted into garments, they will have some gorgeous clothes to show off.

I've done a very poor job of describing the festival but if you are interested, check out their website and the slide show they have put together. Just type in Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival 2007.

And, if you live close to Howard County, Maryland and have any interest in spinning, knitting, weaving, etc., try to get to this festival. It is held the first full weekend in May on both Saturday and Sunday. You will want to go on Saturday and you will want to get there at about 8:45 a.m. The festival opens for business at 9 a.m. but the lines start forming much earlier than that. There is no entrance fee and no charge for parking and there is lots of parking available at the fairgrounds. Tempting, isn't it?

A Jacob sheep on his way to being shown. The Jacob are an old and rare breed. When sheared, their coat produces a distinct variety of colors. Some are white and black, as this one is, and others are beige and black or brown and any combination in between. Spinning it is interesting too. You can blend the colors as you spin or spin each separately and ply two or more different colors together...or, well, you get the idea.

Pretty ladies all in a row.

Don't know his breed, but isn't he spectacular and quite stately?