Congratulations to Glenda Moore for her Best in Show win at the North Carolina state fair with a skein of handspun BFL yarn. The wool came from Glenda’s BFLs.
Tag: yarn
New article in Spin Off magazine
BLU member and board member Carol Densmore has an article in latest edition of Spin Off.
Here is a link to the entire magazine.
Spin-Off Magazine-Fall-2016
1st Place BFL Skein at Maryland Sheep & Wool for the national show award
Winner Tracy Seamster of Baltimore MD writes:
About the skein…. The fiber is from Friends in Fiber’s Etsy shop, in colorway Malala (after Malala Yousafzai). I fell in love with the turquoise, and felt fractal spinning would highlight the colors.
I started it on an Enid Ashcroft Turkish spindle while on jury duty, then finished it on my Golding Travel wheel. BFL is actually my favorite fiber to spin, so I was really surprised and also humbled by an award for the skein.
Photos by Tracy Seamster
Haven’t you heard???
The BFL National Show is Saturday, May 7th at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.
Information about the sheep show, fleece & skein competitions, banquet, hotel accommodations, and other planned events on the “About BLU” – national show information drop-down menu above.
News from a Missouri Flock
Lace shawl, ear warmers, and fingerless mitts spun and knitted by Tamara Lasley from one of member Darlene Megli’s BFL fleeces.
5th National BFL Show August 16th in Allegan, MI
The BLU- sponsored dinner will be on SATURDAY evening, August 16th. We are arranging for a room, but will order off the menu for simplicity’s sake. The BLU dinner will be held at the London Grill in Kalamazoo (london-grill.com)
The London Grill is not far from the host hotel, Fairfield Inn Kalamazoo West (special rate of $99 per night if we meet minimum of 10 rooms reserved) 269-353-6400; indicate you are reserving with the Bluefaced Leicester Union group.
As far as presentations are concerned, we have an offer of several presentations from a fiber expert, Christine Kurt, who can expertly expound on any number of fiber topics, be it spinning, weaving, dying, felting, lace-making, color combinations, etc. Perhaps we can use this forum to collect ideas as to what people would be interested in. We envision the presentations taking place either after the show on Saturday or before 2 pm on Sunday, As to non-fiber related presentations, suggestions are welcome.
Sheep Show Judge: Dave Smith from Indiana.
There will be separate black and white shows. The shows will be on Saturday morning. The entry forms can be downloaded from the BLU site, bflsheep.com. The deadline is July 1, with late fees added to entries postmarked after the 15th.
We are actively seeking sponsorships for the sponsored awards classes. List of classes is as follows:
Classes for the 2014 National BFL Show – Michigan Fiber Festival
Whites and black will be shown separately, in two different shows.
Individual and pair classes. Each exhibitor is allowed two entries per class (except in pair classes, where one pair equals one entry)
1. Aged ewes (over 2 years old)
2. Pair of aged ewes
3. Yearling ewes
4. Pair of yearling ewes
5. Ewe lambs
6. Pair of ewe lambs
Champion and reserve ewe *
7. Aged rams
8. Yearling rams
9. Ram lambs
10. Pair of ram lambs
Champion and reserve ram*
Group and special classes: each exhibitor allowed one entry per class.
11. Pen of three lambs / young flock (2 ewe lambs, 1 ram lamb)*
12. Get of sire (any three sheep sired by the same ram)*
13. Flock (2 ewe lambs, 2 yearling ewes, 1 ram)*
14. Best head, ram (white only)*
15. Best head, ewe (white only)*
16. Best fleece*
*sponsored award class (winners will receive an award in addition to a ribbon)
MidOhio Fiber Fair
BFL fiber was well represented at the recent MidOhio Fiber Fair, held in Newark, OH. Breeders Anne Bisdorf and Lisa Rodenfels had adjoining booths at the show. Anne had raw fleeces and natural rovings; while Lisa’s booth featured natural white and dyed BFL yarn and dyed locks in a rainbow of colors.
Here is Anne’s very attractively displayed booth.
An example of a dyed BFL skein.
National Show Skein and Fiber Art photos
A view of the vendor booth in the Great Lakes Fiber Show. The booth was available for all BLU members to sell their wares.
Some of the skeins entered in the competition at the national show.
In the foreground is the champion skein, a plyed laceweight 100% BFL yarn spun by Christina Kurk.
The champion fiber art, a sweater knitted by Christina Kurk
National Show Fleece, Skein, Fibert Arts and Photography contest results
Many thanks to Letty Klein, who judged the fleece, skein, and fiber arts categories.
Skein Winners:
Class 1 – fine single
1. Robina Koenig
2. Elaine Ashcraft
3. Caryol J. Neff
Class 4 – Fine Plied
1. Christine Kurk
Class 5 – Medium Plied
1. Robina Koenig
2. Lisa Rodenfels
3. Robina Koenig
Class 6 – Bulky Plied
1. Robina Koenig
2. Anne Bisdorf
3. Robina Koenig
Class 8 – BFL blend – Plied all weights
1. Robina Koenig
2. Christine Kurk
3. Nina Winchester
Class 9 – Novelty skein
1. Nina Winchester
2. Peg Dordal
Champion Skein – Christine Kurk
Fiber Arts Winners:
Category Knit/Crochet
Class 1 – large wearable
1. Christina Kurk
2. Robina Koenig
3. Kathleen Davidson
Class 2 – small wearable
1. Christine Kurk
2. Christine Kurk
3. Anne Bisdorf
Felted
Class 8 –
1. Kathy McClure
Champion Fiber Arts – Christine Kurk
Fleeces:
Class 1 – White purebred BFL fleece
1. Nancy Starkey
2. Kathleen Davidson
3. Nancy Starkey
4. Tari Lohrey
Class 2. – Natural colored purebred BFL fleece
1. Nancy Starkey
2. Kathleen Davidson
3. Margaret Van Camp
4. Margaret Van Camp
Champion Fleece – Nancy Starkey
Photos were judged and placed by the people who attended the fiber festival.
BFL Photos:
Class 1. – Animal
1. Kathleen Davidson
2. Robina Koenig
3. Anne Crider
Class 2 – BFL fiber
1. Cathy Shiff
Class 3 – People/animals interacting with BFL sheep
1. Robina Koenig
2. Robina Koenig
3. Cathy Shiff
People’s Choice Photo Award – Kathleen Davidson
National Show Awards
These are the awards for the champions in all divisions: CH Ram, CH Ewe, Breeders Flock, Best Headed, CH Skein, CH Fiber Art, CH Fleece, People’s Choice Photo. They will be awarded tonight at the BFL banquet at TJ’s Restaurant in Wooster, OH.
Plates are cobalt glass, engraved with the National Show logo, with a brass plate listing the sponsors of the award.
Here are the sponsors of the awards for the national show. A BIG thank you for making these lovely awards possible!
CHAMPION RAM sponsored by
Ambercroft Farms
Pitchfork Ranch
CHAMPION EWE sponsored by
Wool n Wood Farm
Cross Wind Farm
BREEDERS FLOCK sponsored by
Ward Farms
Reveille
BEST HEAD sponsored by
Tumble Creek Farm
Somerhill Farm
CHAMPION FLEECE sponsored by
Bitterroot Ranch
Sheep Camp Wool Mill
CHAMPION FIBER ART sponsored by
Cranberry Moon
Breezy Meadows Farm
CHAMPION YARN sponsored by
Potosi Sheep Farm
Wind Dance Ranch
PEOPLES CHOICE PHOTO sponsored by
Cedar Fen Farm