2000 Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival
Photo Album
Yarn Highlights
There were so many vendors at the show that I couldn't possibly profile them all here. These two -- Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm and Mostly Merino -- ended up being my favorites.
| It was a great pleasure to meet Ellen
Minard, the spinner, dyer, knitter, and farmer behind Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm in
Norwich, Vermont. I'd read about her in Candace Eisner Strick's Sweaters from New England Sheep Farms.
She may have gotten a great write-up in Stick's book, but she hasn't let it go to her head. She's a friendly, approachable woman with a surprising eye for color. Meeting her in person made viewing her yarns that much more meaningful, because I could see a direct correlation between her personality and her yarns. Both are exuberant but refreshingly down to earth. Her alpaca and mohair yarns are particularly exquisite, both in terms of texture and color. Ellen kindly gave me a skein of space-dyed mohair, which I'll review shortly. If you'd like samples or color cards of Ellen's yarns, you can email Ellen at [email protected] or call 802-649-5420. |
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Margaret Klein Wilson's Mostly
Merino yarns immediately caught my eye, partly because of the
beautifully designed sweaters she was displaying and partly because of
the vibrant, rich, and earthy colors that she blends and dyes herself.
As with Ellen, Margaret's yarns also clearly reflect her personality:
intellectually stimulating yet deeply grounded in the simple beauty of
nature.
Margaret loves her yarn so much that she actually lives in it. Apparently one freezing winter night several years ago, she'd come indoors after being in the barn with her animals. "I had layers upon layers of clothes on," she explained, "yet I positively could not get warm. Finally, in desperation, I took everything off but the sweater, and that did it. To this day I still sleep in my merino." Margaret also gave me a skein of her merino/mohair signature yarn, which I'll review this month. For samples, color cards, or any extra information, you can email Margaret at [email protected] or call 802-254-7436. |
