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Demo at the Log Farm.

Demo at the Log Farm.

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As some of you know the farmers market I go to is at the Log Farm in Ottawa. https://thelogfarm.com/ Along with the farmers market on Saturdays, there is also a working small farm with the original log house and barns where you can visit and see some animals and enjoy a break from the city without leaving the city.   Last weekend was shearing day for the sheep they have at the farm. They asked my guild to do a demonstration, and of course we said yes.

Here we are setting up under the tents. You can see in the first shot that the styrofoam head and hat had already taken the first of several tumbles with the wind. in the second shot, you can see the container of goodies I brought as a treat. A little bonus for coming out to demo on an iffy weather day.

This is Josee demoing on her table loom.

This is Paula spinning on her electric spinning wheel. She also has her incle loom set up and was demonstrating that too.

This is Maureen Spinning on her wheel, an Ashford Traveler. You can see it in Paula’s picture too. I think Maureen was chatting with someone when I took this.

And to be fair here is a picture of me teaching some girls how to make felted beads using some pencils. I know I am blurry but it was the best shot of the girl’s hands.

 

As I said we were there for shearing day. here are the sheep staying dry while they wait for the shearer.

Here is one getting shorn. They had their own tent so the shearer could also stay dry.  All the wool was donated to the guild and Jan and some others bagged it all to give to fellow members.

Here are some pictures of the surroundings. Some barns were renovated last year. after a few years, they will weather and not look so brand new.

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We had a great time despite the ominous clouds and several downpours. I was surprised at the number of people who attended with the forecast we had but they all seemed happy and I think we gained a couple of guild members.

Last weekend was a Demo at the Carp fair

Last weekend was a Demo at the Carp fair

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This was another great demo weekend. It was cool to start and we got to wear our wool. Later we added it to the display. It was lovely and sunny.

I was doing beads again and spinning on my drop spindle. I taught Lynda how to make a bead, just for fun. She is a fellow felt lover at the beginning of her journey.

beed-makinglinda-making-a-bead

Jan got a shot of me with some kids. They came in waves so I either had non or more kids than pencils. I stole Jan’s picture from the guild facebook page.

me-making-beeds-jan-pic

The beads proved useful too. Lauri has an old wheel that she made some new spindles for. they were a little short but also a little wide at the orifice end. We solved it by cutting a bead and using it as a spacer. Sorry I didn’t get a picture.

lauri-spinning-jams-pic

Linda was not just slacking off making beads she was working on her cool Master Weaver loom. Invented not to many years ago by a man whos wife could no longer use the foot peddles or leavers on a regular loom. Lynda is adding some extra weft for interest. She is sitting on the back side of the loom

lynda-weaving

Lynda also brought her husband along and he was doing carding. He had a great time making batts and talking to lots of people. He wants to come to more demos. Lynda says she will have to get a family membership in the guild now.

lindas-husband

Jan was spinning on Saturday. Here she is winding off single yarn into a wrist ball so she can ply it. Her husband (the blacksmith) made her a tool. She had been steeling his books to wind off her yarn.  When she is done she turns it around puts her hand through the middle and takes it off onto her wrist ready to ply. The tool works really well, but it has no name. He calls it a pre-plyer. That is descriptive but not a  great name. Woolly Winder would be perfect but that is already taken.

jan-widing-a-center-pull-ball-on-a-new-tool-with-no-name

Mary was there with her circular sock knitting machine too. It is a very cool machine.

mary-knitting-machine-jans-pic

The most interesting thing I found while out looking at the displays was 2 dye tools. I can’t remember the name of them. They were in with a great cast iron display. I love the painted pieces. I was going to ask about them but the owner was not around.

cool-stuff-at-the-fair dye-tool-2 dye-tool

That was my weekend. I hope I haven’t board you with to demo posts in a row. I will have to get on and make something interesting for next time.

 

A Demo and Coffee Press Cozies

A Demo and Coffee Press Cozies

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This last week I helped out at a demo at the Ottawa Valley Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild. A women’s group had asked for a tour and demo.

Alison is explaining how a spinning wheel works

alison and wheel

Kathleen is talking about he guild and Sam is waiting to talk about fiber prep. I made a felt display on the table. I chatted about felt and demonstrated the drop spindle.

sam and kathleen

I also made some more coffee press cozies. Those are sheep not fallen clouds, LOL

coffee press cozies

And more cup cozy sleeves. That should be enough now.

finished tube cozies 3 finished tube cozies 2

I need to make a few more tea cozies. this is the first one laid out and ready to felt.

sheep tea cozie start

 

 

 

 

Mostly spinning

Mostly spinning

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I have been doing some demos lately. It is much easier to demo spinning than wet felting.  This is at the the Richmond fair.

ann and jan gord and great wheel

Jan(sitting) and I as Jan makes a skein from her spinning. Gord spinning on the Great wheel.

Jan’s Husband was doing a blacksmith demo.

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He made us some great hooks for our wheels.

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On the second day this is what it looked like.

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We gave up. we packed up early and went down to the sheep barn where our friend Mary who was doing a demo there.

mary in the sheep barn

We got to watch some of the seep show.

tunis sheep sheep

The red one is a Tunis sheep. I am not sure what the group is.

I must say that most of these pictures are Jan’s. I forgot to take many and they were not great.

Carp Fair Demo

Carp Fair Demo

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This is the last Demo until spring. the carp Fair was celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It was a beautiful weekend cool in the morning and hot by mid afternoon.  There were more people their than ever before. We demoed an extra hour. It was alot of fun chatting with everyone that came by

Here is my display, I was making sheep again.

my display

Here is hand spinning on her tiny wheel. I think it’s called a road bug. It’s designed so you can spin sitting in the passenger seat in a van. jan spinning

This is Julie, She was working on an inkle loom and a 4 harness table loom and

Julie inkle weavinngJulie weaving

This is Bernadette, she is showing me how to use combs. They are English combs I think.

Burnadet combing

And last but not least is Linda who is making a tail spun yarn.Linda tail spinning. Linda tail spinning on the bobbin.

We where not the only ones sharing our passions.

our neighbour blacksmith trimming shingles chainsaw carver moving display moving display 2There was more to this display but I couldn’t get a good shot with the sun in my lens. All in all I think everyone had a great time.

Demo at Richmond Fair

Demo at Richmond Fair

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Last weekend I was demoing with friends at the Richmond fair. Saturday it poured and no one came to the fair. It did mean I got to take pictures. Sunday was dry so nice an busy and no time for pictures.

This is my display. I was making the little felted sheep on the far end of the table.

felt display at the fair

This is my friend Jan she had the weaving and spinning display. If you look behind her you will see a bin. That is what she put her little spinning wheel or her kick spindle ( both on the table) in so it wouldn’t get wet while she was spinning.

jan at richmond

Next is Mary, she is in charge. She runs a sock knitting machine.

mary m at richmond 2

The lace makers were there with an amazing display.

lace making display

And lastly there was a boot maker. She had leather bracelets and key chains foe people to stamp into.  She brought all kinds of animal pelts so people could see them. They all died accidently or of natural causes.

bootmaker

Because it was raining and there was no one to demo for we started getting a bit silly. Here is me wearing a fox hat and skunk mittens.

skunk mitts

This Saturday I am at another demo and on Sunday I will be at the farmers market with my felt. I will try to get pictures of both.