Our newest LYS is Island Yarn Boutique, located on Kent Island. It is owned and run by Susan Pilsch, who loves knitting and dogs. (What an unbeatable combination!) Shortly after she opened in 2008, she announced plans for a special Fiber 'n' Fur Fair to benefit ARF(Animal Resource Foundation) in Queen Anne's County. Fortunately, the day of the event was one of those wonderful Spring-in-the middle-of-Winter days. The sky was clear blue and the temperature was absolutely balmy.
On the first floor, there was a "Meet and Greet" with several ARF animals who were currently available for adoption and I think it was the first time I've ever walked past piles of yarn without stopping. Two little orange stripe kittens slept quietly in their cage and, while they were absolutely precious, my heart was safe--Dear Hubby is very allergic to cats--so I could admire them without wanting to take them home. The dogs, however, were a totally different threat. There were two Lab mix puppies, both of whom I would have claimed in a heartbeat, if I didn't already have Molly and Jack. I've always said that Labs are some of the world's most adorable puppies and this pair was all of that and more.
The fiber part of the fair was located on the second floor of the store. There, a local spinner sat working at her wheel and another was carding alpaca wool using a drum carder. I've seen shearing before but I'd never witnessed the intermediate steps that are necessary to get the fleece ready to spin.
Another artist was demonstrating sculptural needle felting. Her animals, some whimsical, like a fire breathing dragon and some realistic, like a curly little lamb and the head of a bison, were soft and very lifelike. I especially liked a little creature that looked like the cross between a devil and a gnome. The artist told me a story how this little guy had evolved during a needle felting class in which the teacher had instructed the students to construct three different shapes and then, with eyes closed, to marry them into an organic whole, letting the wool "guide" their hands as to its final form.
Surprisingly, this piece had the most personality. Finally, another local artist demonstrated "ribbon art." She explained how she'd always loved ribbon and had accumulated a large collection before discovering how to use them as a medium to make miniature paintings. My favorites among her collection were the scenes that also incorporated unique buttons. These pieces, she said, almost always grew outward from the buttons, which dictated the nature of the scene that she constructed around them. I've seen her work in local shops and it was interesting to learn about the creative process behind it.
The day seemed like a great success and later I learned that Susan had raised almost $500 to benefit the critters of ARF.
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