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Merrickville Ont. Canada, New Fiber Festival -Fiber by the locks

Merrickville Ont. Canada, New Fiber Festival -Fiber by the locks

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On Sunday, October 19th 2025, we had a new small fiber sale happening in Merrickville Ontario.  It was a lovely sunny day so perfect for a drive south of the city.

poster of silliwet of a sheep for the Fiber byt the locks sale1.1)poster of new fiber festival

Merrickville is a small town along the Rideau cannel at one of the many locks.  The town has many beautiful stone houses and buildings.  We arrived early and found a good parking spot, so let’s walk over to the locks and take a look around.

map showing the Pew building and Merrickville locks photomaps showing locations of Ottawa to Merickville and the area around the event beside the locks1.2) map showing the Pew building and Merrickville locks.

The pews is the building we were going to on the maps it’s the little red dot. It is also beside the locks and across from the blockhouse (where the guns and soldiers were, in case we were invaded by Americans in 1812). It was a lovely warm not-fall day for October, the leaves were turning and the water was still, giving beautiful reflections of the fall colour. (I was not the only photographer out and we had lens envy chats!)

the Merrickville lockstation with trees changeing colour, red and yellows1.3) the Merrickville lockstation

the Canal locks at Merrickville reflection of fall trees in still water1.4)the Canal locks at Merrickville

the Canal locks at Merrickville looking down the lock trees refecting into still water1.5)the Canal locks at Merrickville

the Canal blockhouse at Merrickville, the military would be stationed here to protect the cannel from American incursions.  I is now a musem1.6)the Canal blockhouse at Merrickville, the military would be stationed here to protect the cannel from American incursions.  I is now a museum.

the Arron Merrick Building (Side) stone block 3 story building with lots of windows1.7) the Arron Merrick Building (Side)

the Arron Merrick Building (front) decoration serounding door way cascading leaves in fall colours with window box of white flowers in front.1.8) the Arron Merrick Building (front)

Its now time to head back to the Pews (formerly a United Church of Canada building, from the 1890’s)

former church now called the Pews. truncated nave with cross esction and tower inset into one corner adjacent to crossing sections. the church is stone blocks. vewed from a lwer angle looking upword agaenst a very blue sky1.9) former church now called the Pews.

The upper part where the church was is still filled with pews and is often used for concerts. The lower hall is accessible from the back of the building. That is where we are heading next, if I can pull you away from enjoying the fall colour.

It’s a small hall, full of 4 foot tables, so it’s a bit snug, but that is more for us to look at. The vendors are just doing the last of their set up (we will wait in the back corner, out of the way, till its time to shop).  One of the vendors just pointed out a doorway with a ramp to another lower section, we can look at that afterwards.

the lower hall filed with 4 ft booths,very full this shows the center booths.2.1) most of the vendor tables in the hall there are a couple more to the left out of frame and at least one more to the right.

Shall we have a quick look around?

2 photos showing a booth with coats and a booth with yarn 2 photos showing a clsoe up of mini tapestrie landscapes and the other photo is of a coil basket 2 Photos; Sewing bags and knit things including a Hat on a manikin head 2 Photos; White Knit? Pumkins and crochet rugs 2 photos: knit hats and jacket and Yarn in skains 2 photos: wool cloth and yarn in many colours and yarn and knit socks and scarf 2 photos of braided yarn in many colours 2 photoss Mohair for sale and locks with wated doll in green outfit2.2-2.9) booths in the main lower hall

The second part of the lower level was accessible through a doorway and a small ramp. This was less finished and more basement-like. It also had an exterior door for accessibility from the outside. The booth sizes were bigger in this back section. There were two felters, which you may be interested in.

2 photos second hall basement: clothing and Upholstery Shop 2 photos second hall basement: Embroidery and anteques table display and close up of back of merorrors 2 photos second hall basement: Felting booth figures photo second hall basement: Felting booth Pictues landscape and Santa photo second hall basement: Edge of felting booth and Husband reading photo second hall basement: second felting booth this one has framed pictures.3.1-3.6) photos second hall basement

We had a thorough look through the event then went up the street to Alpaca tracks in hope of a butterscotch colour of alpaca fiber for a friend’s project. What they had, was not really what I was hoping for, but the store was interesting. Unfortunately, the fiber for sale is upstairs, and I was not feeling up to stairs by that point. So, I will show you a couple quick shots of the ground floor.

Outside and ramp into stone house that has been converted into a store (Alpaca tracks)4.1) the store Alpaca Tracks T(h)read Lightly

2 Photos one of felt flower with yellow center and wall hanging of alpaca 2 photos of displays Mettle frog with umbrella in front of felted mellons and wooden pumkins with cutting bords and scarves in the back ground 2 photos one of window vew with felted sunflowers and one of small wooden cut work candel holders 2 photos, one of Felt orniments including felt dodo bird and small alpaca made of leather.4.2-4.5) displays within the store that cot my eye

It was a store full of cool things to look at, much seemed to be made by local artists. Since I could not find the colour of fiber I was looking for I will have to look in Toronto later in the week.

 

I hope your virtual shopping money has not been badly depleted!! There is still the OVWSG guild sale to tell you about.  If you were in Ottawa the first weekend in November, I hope you dropped by (you might turn up in a blog post!) if you missed it, you can always plan ahead and be there next year!  But, if i am doing this in order, we need to have a quick chat about; reflections in glass, the ongoing Mer project, and a Visit to the Olive Sparrow (where there were lots of options of fiber!) before we can get to the guild sale.

PS the sneaky comment button is still hiding at the top of the page if you would like to chat!