A Yarny Weekend at Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival: Part 1 - Animals!

Oh hi!

So this last weekend, my awesome friend Rebecca organized a trip for a small group of us to take a trip down to the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. I had an amazing time hanging out with my friends - established and new alike! - and meeting some really cool artisans, fiber enthusiasts, and designers. Everyone I met was super gracious, letting me take photos and nerd out about yarn with them. Every time I go to a small, fiber-focused event like this, I am reminded of what a vibrant community this is, and how lucky I feel to be a part of it.

  

First up, I wanted to talk about the animals. It's always nice to be reminded of the origins of my yarn, and to remember that stewardship and sustainability are an integral part of a community like this. From shepherds and mills, to independent dyers and designers, we are all connected by these animals, and sheep & wool festivals are a great way to experience that connection.

So, after wandering around the market for a bit on Saturday, we went to the barns and met some wooly friends. I'd mostly seen alpacas and sheep at sheep & wool festivals before, so I really enjoyed seeing so many llamas. I was really taken by their spunky personalities, and surprised by how beautiful and agile they are. Unshorn llamas are where it's at in the majesty department! We stayed and watched some llamas walk an obstacle course with their trainers, which really demonstrated how different each animal's personality and strengths were.

They were super photogenic, too: they would stand there and mug for the camera for minutes at a time. I love photographing animals, but most are so active that it can be tricky to get shots in focus. Not so with llamas: they'd grab some hay and then chew and stare into my camera lens deeply and soulfully until I had plenty of shots. I'm sure they'd be masters of the selfie.

Stay tuned - I'll be talking about yarn people and vendor highlights in the coming week!