I woke early last Saturday morning feeling like an excited kid on Christmas morning. I had been looking forward to the Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair for weeks! The show did not disappoint. I am drawn to color and texture and was able to find several beautiful pieces that I am excited to work with. Soft hand-painted Merino wools, a delightful blend of Merino, Alpaca, Camel and Mulberry Silk, a Romney wool in a "Field of Dreams" colorway, Mulberry Silk and kid mohair locks perfect for fairy hair, and even a super soft yarn made from Yak and silk. When I came home, another family member was equally excited. Our Border Collie, Linen!
A little backstory...
During the first three years Linen's life she trained for sheep dog trials. If you have watched the movie "Babe", you will already know that sheep dog trials are competitions challenging a dog's ability to herd sheep. LInen's lineage for herding is strong. Her father was a reserve national champion and her grandfather a national champion. Her half-brother is competing at the national level. Linen was very good and even competed at the Midwest Regionals. There was just one problem. She was too nice to the sheep. Linen's mother is a therapy dog and Linen shares the same nurturing personality. So at the age of three, my husband likes to say she had a change in major, joining our family where she has daily opportunities to nurture and comfort, but no contact with sheep.
It was so cute to watch her excitement grow as I laid out the new rovings. She inspected each and every one and we caught her on three different occasions trying to make off with one of the rovings. She literally buried her full head in one of the paper bags. Pure bliss! I am happy to say I rescued all and am so grateful for the inspiration these provide for new fairies, mermaids and unicorns. As I create in my studio, an excited Border Collie will be resting her nose in my lap hoping I will share.