Chaplin Creek Fiber Fair 2010 July 31 - August 1 in Chaplin Creek Village near Franklin Grove Illinois

Chaplin Creek Fiber Fair
Chaplin Creek Village
July 31 - Aug 1, 2010
near Franklin Grove, IL

Web-site: www.chaplincreek.com/fiberfair.html

Demonstrations and workshops for many of the fiber arts such as felting,
dyeing roving and yarn, spinning & spindling. Vendors will offer raw and
washed fleeces, prepared natural and dyed roving, mill spun and hand spun
yarns as well as supplies to start or enhance your interests natural fibers.
Held in conjunction with the Annual "Summer Harvest Festival" which features
a wide variety of other activities for you and your family to enjoy.

We are still taking applications for vendors (and the vendor fee is FREE this year). Vendor apps are available as a pdf through the web-site link above.

Chaplin Creek Village is located just south of Franklin Grove, IL at 1715
Whitney Road in Franklin Grove, IL. (Click here for Google map directions.)

MFC Fiber Farm Feature: Hollyhock Farm Alpacas in Becker Minnesota

Teresa & Darryl Kukowski
Hollyhock Farm Alpacas
Becker, MN 55308

Email: teredarl[at!]sherbtel.net
Web-site: hollyhockalpacas.com



Other places online: Blog, new online store (coming soon), Facebook, Etsy-Holly Hock Alpacas, & Etsy-Alpaca Felting Kits.

About the farm...
My husband and I brought our first alpacas home in 2002 - 2 pregnant females. Since then we have had many babies (called crias) born on our little farm in central Minnesota. We own un-related males, but all our other alpacas are the offspring of those first 2 females. You can see our alpaca family tree on our website.


In 2006, I left the corporate world to work full time in the alpaca business. Besides breeding and raising the animals, I work with their wonderful fiber. We shear the alpacas every spring - even in Minnesota, they would be way too hot in the summer if they were not shorn annually.


I enjoy spinning yarn for sale and for knitting. With the yarn, I knit and weave. I make hats, mittens, scarves, wrist warmers, shawls, baby blankets, socks and hats. I felt the fiber into cat toys, around handmade soap and felt hats and mittens for extra warmth. I also dye much of the white yarn myself using natural dyestuff. I grow my own indigo, I gather black walnut husks, goldenrod , marigold flowers and more for dyeing. Nature provides a wonderful variety of plants that will dye yarn in beautiful hues. The art and science of dyeing is very fascinating and satisfying to me. The completed items are very warm, beautiful, itch resistant, and will last many years.

We try to create a small carbon footprint by using a local mini-mill, purchasing extra fiber locally, and picking or growing my own dye plants. We have a large veggie garden that we fertilize with the manure from the alpacas. Very little goes to waste on our little farm. I've even put together nesting material for birds from alpaca fiber and alpaca yarn leftovers.

North Country Fiber Fair 2010 September 17 - 19 at the Codington Country Extension Complex in Watertown South Dakota

2010 North Country Fiber Fair
September 17, 18 & 19, 2010
Codington Country Extension Complex
Watertown, South Dakota

Web-site: www.northcountryfiberfair.org

The 18th Annual North Country Fiber Fair offers excellent knitting, spinning, felting, basketry, crochet, weaving and dyeing workshops on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a variety of Fiber Vendors, Sheep Dog Demonstrations, Fiber Circle Gatherings, Fiber Animal Displays, Fashion Show, Spinning Wheel Raffle, Great Food, Free Parking and Admission. Friday - 12:30p.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday - 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sunday - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Register for Workshops at the Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair today!

Workshops at the Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair
are now OPEN for registration!

Location: Lake County Fairgrounds, Grayslake, IL, July 16-18, 2010

Our workshops are extensive and cover: Beadwork, Bobbin Lace, Color Theory, Crochet, Dyeing, Felting, Handspinning, Herbal, Jewelry, Knitting, Looping, Machine Knitting, Polymer Clay, Quilting, Rug Hooking, Weaving, Wool Appliqué

Class sizes are limited and some are filling FAST so don't delay. Sign up at www.fiberandfolk.com/workshop.htm

Felt Makers Retreat 2010 April 23 - 25 at the Community Homestead Farm in Osceola Wisconsin

Felt Makers Retreat
April 23-25, 9-4
Community Homestead Farm
201 280th Street
Osceola, WI 54020

Web-site: www.JillLynn.com

For registration contact information and class descriptions, please visit Inside The Fiber Studio's original blog post about the event or the artist's website link above.

Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair 2010 July 16 - 18 at Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake Illinois

Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair
July 16-18, 2010
Lake County Fairgrounds
Grayslake, Illinois

Web-site: www.fiberandfolk.com

"Come Celebrate the Work of our Hands!" Join us this summer at the Lake County Fairgrounds for the 4th Annual Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair and SEIZE THE DAY! You could spend a whole weekend... you see, we believe a fair should fuel ALL your passions and ignite ALL your senses...

Mopaca's Fiber "U" 2010 July 10 - 11 at Cowan Civic Center in Lebanon Missouri

Mopaca's Fiber "U"- Fun, Fiber & YOU!
July 10-11, 2010
Cowan Civic Center,
Lebanon, Missouri

Hours: 9am-4pm
Admission & Parking: FREE
Phone: 417-533-5280
Web-site: www.mopaca.org
E-mail: liz [!at] whirlwindranch.com

Fiber and fiber art education with more than 30 classes to choose from (advance registration required) plus vendors from 9 states selling yarn, roving, finished goods and fiber equipment. Numerous demonstrations including shearing equipment, felting, spinning, weaving, sock making, carding and more. A true educational experience for all your senses.

HFA Fiber Fair 2010 at the Webster County Fairgrounds in Marshfield Missouri

HFA Fiber Fair 2010
May 15, 2010
Webster County Fairgrounds, N. Marshall St.
Marshfield, Missouri

Hours: 10am-4pm
Admission & Parking: FREE
Phone: 417-859-7840
Web-site: www.hfafiberfair.com
E-mail: fiberartistry [!at] gmail.com

Highland's Fiber Artists' 16th annual Fiber Fair featuring handcrafts using the natural fibers of animals and plants; Animal exhibits; demonstrations of weaving,
spinning, knitting, etc; mini-workshops; children's hands-on craft booth; handcraft competitions; fashion show; vendor booths and more.