The Sheep Party

So I'm standing at the Funnel Cake line at the 2006 Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the Howard County Fair Grounds and a group of four retirees were standing in front of me bragging about how many years they have been attending the festival. My internal response was...uuh, so jealous that these ladies and gentlemen have attended since the festival's inception. Then, one of them said with a distinct twang in his voice "Now the Virginians, there are two types. There are the Virginians and the West Virginians. The Virginians will say that the West Virginians are hillbillies, while the Virignians themselves are called down home." Hey, wait a minute I thought, but I'm from Virginia, I don't think I'm "down home" whatever that means. I think down home and I think Bob Evans down on the farm biscuits and gravy. I had a mind to tap the man on the shoulder and point out my un-hillbilly-down-hominess but I thought better, remembered my mom saying "respect your elders", and reminded myself that these were fellow knitters and knitterly loving folks so they get away this time.

The festival needless to say was great and I'm treating this first ever visit as the scope out. I had never been to one before and did not imagine that it would be as big as it was.
I was accompanied by fellow knitter and long-time partner in crime Emily and our dutiful mens Rich and Eric. We carpooled together for the hour drive.

Emily, Rich, and Eric

The festival was quite overwhelming with masses of people attending and all the wool and knitting and fleece and lamb talk chattering in the din. This festival was so huge and so packed it was like being in a friendly mosh pit of people with crazed grins on their faces fondling yarn and fleece like every .00023 seconds in every direction you turn. Overall the experience was memorable and will certainly be an annual pilgrimage.

alpaca angora

assorted sheepies

A few things to remember for next year's festival expedition...

1.Bring only interested parties to the festival, don't make this a "let's spend some quality time together" event because there is no quality time to be spent with uninterested say husbands or boyfriends (albeit our mens were troopers, but it was extremely obvious that sheep and wool festival just did nothing to turn them on).

2. Must save up for this event as it can cost a fortune especially if you are compulsive or are seeking to enhance your stash. Also bring cash monies to this event as the credit card and check writing folks took up alot of waiting in line time.

3. One should consider bringing lunch as opposed to buying from the numerous stands because the average wait in line for grub was about 15min. Also, between me and Rich, lunch cost us $25 for 1 lemonade (mostly water), 1 lamb gyro, and 1 lamb kabob with side dishes (see * concerning lamb consumption at the sheep and wool festival).

4. Bring sunscreen, water, and a hat.

5. If possible make a weekend of it and stay at a b&b.

6. Get a good night's sleep the night before. Seriously. This could potentially suck with a hangover.

As far as stash enhancements, Emily and I went away with a few bargains. I in my quest to knit a green shawl for Beth's wedding found 2 hanks--one a gorgeous mohair loop in the color of spring moss, and the other a nylon blend icy green. Emily came away with a nylon blend sports weight black yarn for a shawl she'll be making for herself for her brother's wedding. So the festival was a success and several missions (shawl yarn hunting) were accomplished. Next year will be even better.

*On consuming lamb
During the festival and soon thereafter at local yarn stores in the area I overheard people proclaiming in self-righteous disgust about how people come to this festival which celebrates all things sheepy and wooly and have the gall to eat lamb in a variety of forms. So I, in my self-righteous-fist shaking response have this to say...We are a country of consumers, a world of consumers for that matter so far removed from the source of the things we engulf that when faced with it we shriek and back away in realization of what we are. We need to eat, we need to be clothed, and these sheep and lambs provide us with these comforts. These things are not bad, because that is what we do like all other creatures on this planet. We have to survive. So instead of being disgusted about eating lamb at the sheep and wool festival, we should engender a sense of respect and understanding of who these animals are and how they fit in our lives for these creatures support our livelihoods, these creatures keep us alive and warm, provide jobs for many humans and even dogs, and that they are so important to us that they are cause for celebration. We just have to remember that the things we eat and the things we wear come from animals and plants not styrofoam and plastic containers devoid of origin.* End of sermon, forgive me for my blather.