2013 Events and Demonstrations

Quick Links – Fiber Sandwich – Spinning Wheel Repair – Weaver’s Guild of Minnesota – Knitting Clinic – Circular Sock Machine – Author Nook – Alpaca Fleece Show – Rabbit Show – 1800s Re-enactment Camp – Fiber Sandwich Donation Drop-Off – Extreme Sheep Make-Overs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Fleece Skirting – Working Stock Dog demonstration – Fiber Sandwich Spinning Begins – Preparing Wool With Combs – Rabbit Agility Demonstration – Cashmere Possibilities Demonstration – Working Stock Dog demonstration – Fleece Preparation Demonstration – Working Stock Dog demonstration – Spinning for the Fiber Sandwich – Extreme Sheep Make-Overs 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Fiber Sandwich Finished Yarn Drop-Off – Spinning On The Great Wheel – Flax Demonstration – Working Stock Dog demonstration – – Silent Auction of Fiber Sandwich skeins – Fleece Preparation Demonstration – Working Stock Dog demonstration – Kid-To-Kid Spinning Demonstration

Fiber Sandwich

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Hosted by the Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

Shepherd’s Harvest Festival spins up Minnesota’s Largest Fiber Sandwich – a great spinning event for the entire community. Vendors will showcase some amazing and unique fibers, spinners will demonstrate their dazzling skills and sales of the yarn created will raise money for Heifer International.

To Participate:
The Northern Lights Handspinning Guild are hosting the Fiber Sandwich and any interested spinner can sign-up. Registration is free but will be limited to 25, so sign-up early. Just email Julie@shepherdsharvestfestival.org. Spinners will need to bring their own wheel and are free to bring some of their own fiber to blend or ply with if they desire to do so. Each registered spinner will be given a button designating them as a Festival Sandwich Spinner.

Vendors are invited to showcase their fibers by donating 4 – 8 ounces to the cause. Please bring your fiber donation to the contest area in Building B by 9 a.m. Saturday. Spinning will begin at 11:00. Finished yarns need to be returned to the Weaver’s Guild booth by noon on Sunday. Auction bidding will be from 1:30 – 3:00 Sunday. Skeins must be picked up by 4 p.m. Sunday. Vendors who contribute will have their company name posted at the Sandwich assembly site.

Spinning Wheel Repair

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Demonstrator: David Potter

David Potter restores and repairs spinning wheels and can help you with your spinning wheel problems. He is limited in the repairs that he can do on site but he can do minor repairs here. If he can’t fix your wheel at the festival, he will take it home to repair it. He can answer any question you have about your wheel and its problems. He brings photos of all kinds of wheels he has repaired, we well as samples of wheel parts he makes and repairs. He may have just what you need to get your wheel spinning in top form again. Bring your wheel questions and problems and Dave will help you solve them.

Weaver’s Guild of Minnesota

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Weaver’s Guild of Minnesota

See various fiber demonstrations, including wheel and drop spindle spinning, small loom weaving, and more. Pick up a class catalog and chat with guild members to find out more about this organization that has been active in the Twin Cities since 1940.

Knitting Clinic

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Minnesota Knitter’s Guild

Having problems with a knitting project? Bring it to the Minnesota Guild Knitter’s Booth in Building B. Volunteers from the Guild will be happy to help you figure it out.

Circular Sock Machine

Location: Bldg A
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Pete and Deb Oswald

Old-fashioned circular sock machines are an amazingly fast way to knit socks. Deb Oswald has been working on the circular sock machine since 1988, and is a nationally known teacher. She also enjoys setting up historical displays and doing demonstrations. Come and see Deb and others work on their sock machines. Talk to Deb about the history of the machines and the different kinds of machines that are available. Deb can answer your sock machine questions. Pete will be available all day to look at and diagnose sock knitting machine problems and look at those attic/barn finds to let you know if there’s a sock machine in there or not.

Author Nook

Location: Bldg D
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day

Once again, we will have an Author’s Nook where our local authors and special guest are available for book readings and signings. This year’s authors include Lexi Boeger, Joan Ellison, Monica Ferris, Sheryl Thies, and Catherine Friend.

Alpaca Fleece Show

Location: Bldg D
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Kit Almich

Join us for the 6th annual alpaca fleece show. Fleeces will be entered from around the country. This is a great chance to see all the beautiful colors and qualities of raw alpaca fleece. Upper Midwest Alpaca breeders will have a vendor booth so you can purchase raw fleece, roving, yarn and related alpaca products from US alpaca breeders. They will also have a fiber art competition.

Rabbit Show

Location: Bldg D
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Caroline Waskow

A “living catalog” of fiber-producing rabbits will be on display. These include English Angora, French Angora, Giant Angora, Jersey Woolies, Satin Angora, and Fuzzy Lop. Visitors will have the opportunity to compare these animals side-by-side and see the variety of sizes, as well as fiber types.

1800s Re-enactment Camp

Location: Outside in central grass area
Date/Time: Saturday and Sunday Ongoing All Day
Coordinator: Belinda Christensen and Claire Lawrence

Belinda and Claire spend the day in the 19th century with a focus on spinning yarn.

Fiber Sandwich Donation Drop-Off

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday 9 a.m.
Coordinator: Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

Donations of 4 – 8 ounces of fiber for the Fiber Sandwich should be dropped off in Bldg B. Vendors are invited to showcase their fibers by donating 4 – 8 ounces to the cause. Vendors who contribute will have their company name posted at the Sandwich assembly site.

Extreme Sheep Make-Overs
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Outdoor Pavilion
Date/Time: Saturday 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Shearer: Brian Fitzpatrick

Watch a professional shearer in action as animals are shorn on Saturday and Sunday.

Fleece Skirting

Location: Outdoor Pavilion
Date/Time: Saturday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. during shearing
Coordinator: Jody Marx

Learn how to skirt a fleece, how to separate out the belly and tags, and how to protect the fleece from contamination during its harvest and packaging.

Working Stock Dog demonstration

Location: Fenced field
Date/Time: Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Coordinator: Dan and Janis Reuter

Come and be amazed watching trained herding dogs handle sheep. Herding dogs are essential in handling sheep on farms. This demonstration will show various aspects of stock dog work such as a short outrun and gather, sorting and penning sheep. The herding demonstrations are performed by Janis and Dan Reuter, who own and work a small sheep farm (Koru Farm) in Oxford Township, MN. The dogs and sheep used in the demonstrations are from Koru Farm.

Fiber Sandwich Spinning Begins

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Saturday 11 a.m.
Coordinator: Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

The Northern Lights Handspinning Guild is hosting the Fiber Sandwich and any interested spinner can sign-up. Registration is free but will be limited to 25, so sign-up early. Just email Julie@shepherdsharvestfestival.org . Spinners will need to bring their own wheel and are free to bring some of their own fiber to blend or ply with if they desire to do so. Each registered spinner will be given a button designating them as a Festival Sandwich Spinner.

Preparing Wool With Combs

Location: Bldg C
Date/Time: Saturday 2 p.m.
Demonstrator: Susan Stark

Wool combs are one option available for preparing your wool for spinning. Susan will show you different types of wool combs and show you how to get started combing your wool to prepare it for spinning smooth worsted yarn. Susan is a spinner who lives in the woods of northern Minnesota and loves to devote as much time as possible to combing wool and spinning.

Rabbit Agility Demonstration

Location: Outside in central grass area
Date/Time: Saturday 11 a.m.
Coordinator: Washington County 4H

Those angora rabbits (as well as other breeds) are not just for Mom anymore. Children, youth, and adults can enjoy getting their rabbits good exercise through agility training. This is a new demonstration this year thanks to the Washington County 4H.

Cashmere Possibilities Demonstration

Location: Bldg A
Date/Time: Saturday 12 p.m.
Demonstrator: Rita Heine

Take a look at the different feel of cashmere fiber compared to various wool breeds. See samples of 100% cashmere knits. Can cashmere be blended? If so, how, and with what wool or other natural fiber? Where do we get cashmere and how is it collected?

Working Stock Dog demonstration

Location: Fenced field
Date/Time: Saturday 1 p.m.
Coordinator: Dan and Janis Reuter

Fleece Preparation Demonstration

Location: Bldg C
Date/Time: Saturday 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Demonstrator: Jan Zita Grover

How do you wash that fleece you just bought? Washing is the first step in preparing your fleece for spinning and Jan will show you how to do that. Jan teaches fiber classes at the WGM and various locations throughout the Twin Cities.

Working Stock Dog demonstration

Location: Fenced field
Date/Time: Saturday 2:30 p.m.
Coordinator: Dan and Janis Reuter

Spinning for the Fiber Sandwich

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Sunday 9 a.m.
Coordinator: Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

Spinning for the Fiber Sandwich continues. Finished yarns must be turned in by noon.

Extreme Sheep Make-Overs
10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Outdoor Pavilion
Date/Time: Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Shearer: TBD

Watch a professional shearer in action as animals are shorn on Saturday and Sunday.

Fiber Sandwich Finished Yarn Drop-Off

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Sunday 12 p.m.
Coordinator: Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

All finished yarns need to be dropped off for the silent auction which will begin at 1:30.

Kid-To-Kid Spinning Demonstration

Location: Building A
Date/Time: Saturday 1 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.
Demonstrator: Cecelia Bredeson

Kids of all ages are invited to come watch Cecelia spin wool fiber into yarn. Cecelia is 12 years old and has been spinning for over 2 years. She started spinning on a retro metal “Columbia” spinning wheel, and now spins on a traditional wheel. She specializes in thick-and-thin yarn. Bring your questions about this traditional craft.

Spinning on the Great Wheel

Location: Bldg C
Date/Time: Sunday 1 p.m.
Coordinator: Jody Marx

Jody will be demonstrating the traditional craft of spinning on a great wheel. Jody enjoys teaching traditional fiber crafts such as spinning, knitting, and dyeing. She particularly enjoys working with children.

Flax Demonstration

Location: Bldg C
Date/Time: Sunday 2 p.m.
Demonstrator: Jody Marx

Jody grows her own flax and will show you the process of scutching (breaking), combing (removal of the outer plant matter), and spinning the flax into linen yarn. This process is thousands of years old and has been used throughout the world.

Working Stock Dog demonstration

Location: Fenced field
Date/Time: Sunday 1 p.m.
Coordinator: Dan and Janis Reuter

Come and be amazed watching trained herding dogs handle sheep. Herding dogs are essential in handling sheep on farms. This demonstration will show various aspects of stock dog work such as a short outrun and gather, sorting and penning sheep. The herding demonstrations are performed by Janis and Dan Reuter, who own and work a small sheep farm (Koru Farm) in Oxford Township, MN. The dogs and sheep used in the demonstrations are from Koru Farm.

Silent Auction of Fiber Sandwich skeins

Location: Bldg B
Date/Time: Sunday 1:30
Coordinator: Northern Lights Handspinning Guild

Silent auction of all the creative skeins spun from the Fiber Sandwich of donated yarns. Bidding will continue from 1:30 to 3:00. All proceeds will be donated to Heifer International. Auction bidding will be from 1:30 – 3:00 Sunday. Skeins must be picked up by 4 p.m. Sunday.

Fleece Preparation Demonstration

Location: Bldg C
Date/Time: Sunday 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Demonstrator: Jan Zita Grover and Camille Johnson

How do you wash that fleece you just bought? Washing is the first step in preparing your fleece for spinning and Jan will show you how to do that. Jan teaches fiber classes at the WGM and various locations throughout the Twin Cities.

Working Stock Dog demonstration

Location: Fenced field
Date/Time: Sunday 2:30 p.m.
Coordinator: Dan and Janis Reuter

Come and be amazed watching trained herding dogs handle sheep. Herding dogs are essential in handling sheep on farms. This demonstration will show various aspects of stock dog work such as a short outrun and gather, sorting and penning sheep. The herding demonstrations are performed by Janis and Dan Reuter, who own and work a small sheep farm (Koru Farm) in Oxford Township, MN. The dogs and sheep used in the demonstrations are from Koru Farm.

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