Jefferson, Wisconsin, home of the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

Jefferson, Wisconsin is a charming small town and the Wis. Sheep and Wool Festival is held at the fair grounds there.  They have lots of festivals--the German festival is the following week each year.  There's lots of good food if you know where to look, and Janesville, Madison, and the Dells aren't too far away.

The Bon Ton Bakery is a favorite place to visit for donuts.  It has been in business for 98 years and is in the 5th generation of family owners.

They even had gingersnaps just like we make from Mom's recipe!  The town has lots of German heritage, and I've read that gingersnaps have a long history in Germany and England.

I love this little quilt shop for nice fabrics owned by an elderly woman.  I try to visit it each time I'm in Jefferson.  The owner is so sweet.

There's a cute hamburger joint/ice-cream parlor that is well-known in Jefferson for their great hamburgers and Wisconsin ice-cream.

We like going to Moosejaw Pizza in nearby Wis. Dells.  The pizza and beer bread are so good!

There was yarn-bombing in town to decorate and celebrate the Wis. Sheep and Wool Festival.  The area knitters and crocheters decorated the town's main street.

We went to a nice Irish Pub in nearby Janesville, Wis. Yummy Shepherd's Pie and Irish Stew.

We love visiting Wisconsin!

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival Sept. 11-13, 2015

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is a wonderful festival--so many fiber enthusiasts, classes, vendors, and sheep! 

I took two classes: a rug hooking class from Linda Harwood and an Estonian sock knitting class by Nancy Bush.  Nancy is an Estonian knitting expert, and she's a wonderful teacher.  Here's my class sample.  We learned the double start cast on, an Estonian braid, Roositude (an embroidery inlay technique to decorate the socks), and traveling stitches. 

Notes on Traveling Stitches: Right leaning: K2tog without taking stitch off needle, knit first stitch again.  Take both stitches off needle.  Left leaning: Knit 2nd stitch through the back loop, then knit the first stitch through the front loop, take both stitches off the needles.

Linda Harwood displayed beautiful hooked rugs in her booth at the festival.  Her website is Hooked on Ewe.

There were vendors selling lots of hand-dyed yarns and rovings and so many beautiful fibers. 

I met the man who made my beautiful Kessenich Loom, Bruce Niemi.

There are newborn lambs that are born at the festival.

The World of Sheep is a wonderful exhibit to visit.  Shepherds bring in sheep breeds that are from all different parts of the world.

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is always the weekend after Labor Day.

Franklin County Fiber Guild Pottery Class on Sept. 26, 2015

We had a great time at our pottery class taught by John and Molly Dawson at Rock Island Trading Post yesterday.  This picture is from the Rock Island Trading Post Facebook Page by Molly Dawson.

Debbie and Kathy S. worked at the pottery wheels with instruction from John Dawson.  Debbie made a beautiful bowl on her first try.

Doris and I made decorated plates.

Rhonnaleigh made a decorated covered butter plate.

Kathy S. decided to make a pie plate like this one instead of the bowl using the pottery wheel.

John will fire our pieces for us, and then we'll go back and glaze them.  After glazing, they'll be fired again.  Here's a picture of my plate before firing:

Some of us used the extra clay to make some ornaments. 

We can't wait to see how our pieces look after firing!  Great class!

My Little Weavers

My granddaughters are working on scarves for their teachers for Christmas.  N.'s scarf is worsted weight Encore, wool/acrylic blend, in school colors of purple and gold in a diamond twill pattern.  K.'s scarf is fingering weight wool/acrylic blend in Paton's Kroy sock yarn, Pink Cameo colors, in a straight twill pattern.

K's scarf notes:  3 balls Patons Kroy Socks FX 4 ply Cameo colors--pinks, 50 g. 1.75 oz. 166 yards, 75% wool/25% nylon. 98" warp, 96 ends + 2 floating selvages. Twill pattern: 1,2,3,4 threading, 24 heddles per shaft. 12 dent reed.  8" wide in warp. 62 ends.

N's scarf notes: Encore gold and purple worsted weight yarn. Threading: 1 floating selvage, 12 purple, 12 gold, 12 purple, 12 gold, 12 purple, 1 floating selvage.  Gold weft. 6.5" wide. 8" reed.

Treadling Diamonds: (1+2, 1+4, 3+4, 2+3) 4 xs
                                   (1+2, 2+3, 3+4, 4+1) 4 xs
Threading diamond: Float, {(4,1,2,3) 3xs, (4,3,2,1) 3xs} 2xs, end 4,1,2,3 (3xs), float
Hemstitch over 4, up 2.