Inside the unassuming cover of Fiber Gathering by Joanne Seiff exists a beautifully written snapshot of the phenomena known as the fiber festival in the United States. The reader is taken on a tour of 11 of America’s greatest fiber festivals. Organized by region, it’s an insightful look at what makes each of these festivals unique and cause for celebration.
Sensory images leap from the written descriptions. Ms. Seiff sets the scene so well that I felt I had traveled along to enjoy the unique vendor offerings, taste the food, listen to the performers, and smell the wool.
I think what makes this book unique is the fact that not only did the author actually visit and experience each festival first hand (many for the first time), she is a passionate fiber enthusiast and it comes through joyously in her written words. Jeff Marcus, her husband, accompanied her to the festivals and contributes a compelling photographic record of the journey.
Sidebar articles appear in each chapter detailing the processes and techniques often demonstrated at fiber festivals. Some of what’s included:
- How to Wash Fleece
- Spinning for Speed
- New Mexico Weaving Traditions
- Preparing for a Sheep Shearing
- Skirting a Fleece
- Creating a Skein
- Inexpensive Tools for Spinning + Knitting
The book also contains more than 25 actual projects ranging from simple fingerless gloves to an intricate shawl.
The rich tradition of regional fiber festivals is highlighted in her collection of narratives. She captures the spirit of why we gather and the layers of enjoyment one gets from attending such a festival: buying unique, one-of-a-kind materials, visiting with friends, and immersing oneself in the creative energy that only a gathering of fiber enthusiasts can create.
I’m so impressed with the quality of this book and the story it tells. It captures and documents the state of the fiber festival in the first decade of the 21st century. I can’t help but imagine fiber enthusiasts 50 or 100 years from now pouring over the pages and marveling at the rich history we currently live.
Now for the giveaway: leave a comment sharing a festival memory or thought on the topic. I’ll pick a winner Monday morning. Thank you to Wiley Publishing for donating the book!
Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all you fabulous mamas! I’ve asked my family to take me to the nursery and help me plant my pots. xo Kathy
I am now just beginning my fiber adventure! I’ve knitted in the past, but very casually, and nothing beyond a funky shaped blanket made when I was much younger. Now I am starting out anew in the knitting and fiber worlds, beginning with a wonderful adventure to the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm for a day of educational wool dyeing in June. I’ll wind up with a few skeins of beautiful hand dyed wool, yet I have no project to make with it, nor no idea what the best techniques would be! Enter this book. I’m not much of a believer in fate, but I can’t ignore this coincidence! I’m sure this book would contain wonderful instructions and ideas for what to make as my first adult knitting project.
i haven’t been to any fiber festivals, but i’ve been to lots of festivals where there are fiber arts for show and sale. i’m always drawn to the quilted or the knitted works. since i was a kid, i would watch people card and spin yarn and it still fascinates me. one day, i would like to visit one of the fiber festivals and learn more – technique, vendors, etc. what a great way to show the youth of today the great things they can create with their hands and why they should. i was always an oddity growing up (i’m 30) since i tried to teach myself knitting and crocheting in elementary school and jr. high. i picked it back up a few years ago and my 6 yr old son is already interested in learning.
I heard this is a fantastic book! Thanks for the pictures from it – I’ve been wanting to get a glimpse for a while now. My thoughts on fiber festivals: HELL YES! I suppose I could be more eloquent, but there are just some subjects that leave you tongue tied and ecstatic – and fiber (arts) does that to me!
In lieu of this book though – if any of you want to visit my blog, I am trying to get people involved in volunteering their time and experience crafting for a purpose. It’s service work for needy people and good deeds. Carry on crafters. We’re doing a great job!
I too have never been to a fiber festival. My sister in law was an
avid spinner in our youth. She raised the sheep, spun the wool and then knit sweaters with said yarn. Was fun to see this process up close and personal. I am one of the people who knits, but not spins. Do love the book in question, lovely photography and to see
all the areas of the country is a bonus. We love to travel and would like to include a festival or two in our travels.
Oh this book looks enchanting!
I actually don’t knit or crochet but am wanting to learn.
Yarn is so compelling. Likewise the things you make from it.
I do enjoy working with felted wool.
If I were to win I would give the book to my girlfriend Carol, as she is hoping to get me started on the knitting path.
She would eat this book up!
This books sounds wonderful. I never thought I would ever go to a fiber festival, but I went to my first one 2 years ago. It’s actually the New York State one that you have pictured above. So, now I have been going for the last 2 years and I intend to go this year also. It’s not just the yarn shopping that I go for. What draws me is the animals they have, the local food vendors selling their products and the fact that I get to bask in nature for a day. I live in NYC, so it’s mostly concrete here. I started spinning yarn recently, so now I have something else to look forward to this year.
I’ve not been to a fiber festival, don’t think there are any in my area … I’ve been doing some form of fiber work since I was about 4. My aunt taught me how to had sew doll clothes. I remember sewing a little dress while she was visiting and sewed it to my dress!!! Started to sew my own clothes when I was in 3rd grade and at that time I learned to crochet and started making little things for everyone and my dolls. Just finished a sweater for my son and looking forward to starting a sweater for me … we’re moving to Portland, OR and know we’ll need warm clothes… I’ve done all kinds of things in the past and looking forward to learning new things in the future!
I’ve not been to a fiber festival, don’t think there are any in my area … I’ve been doing some form of fiber work since I was about 4. My aunt taught me how to hand sew doll clothes. I remember sewing a little dress while she was visiting and sewed it to my dress!!! Started to sew my own clothes when I was in 3rd grade and at that time I learned to crochet and started making little things for everyone and my dolls. Mad my first quilt after my mom passed away to keep myself balanced(it worked), do lots of felt work, from the knitting kind to making things will wool felt. Love doing just about all of it. Making a wool felt owl and kitty for my daughter-in-law and just finished a sweater for my son and looking forward to starting a sweater for me … we’re moving to Portland, OR and know we’ll need warm clothes… I’ve done all kinds of things in the past and looking forward to learning new things in the future! The book looks wonderful and would be great to have it, especially as a give away!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I’ve not been to a fiber festival, don’t think there are any in my area … I’ve been doing some form of fiber work since I was about 4. My aunt taught me how to hand sew doll clothes. I remember sewing a little dress while she was visiting and sewed it to my dress!!! Started to sew my own clothes when I was in 3rd grade and at that time I learned to crochet and started making little things for everyone and my dolls. Made my first quilt after my mom passed away to keep myself balanced (it worked)and have made more than you could shake a stick at, do lots of felt work, from the knitting kind to making things with wool felt. Love doing just about all of it. Making a wool felt owl and kitty for my daughter-in-law and just finished a sweater for my son and looking forward to starting a sweater for me … we’re moving to Portland, OR and know we’ll need warm clothes … I’ve done all kinds of things in the past and looking forward to learning new things in the future! The book looks wonderful and would be great to have it, especially as a give away!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I have a friend that would love this book. She has participated in a ‘sheep to shawl’ festival and knits up a storm. I have another friend who has just retired and bought a sheep farm (somehow that doesn’t seem a very retiring change!) I should get these two friends together.
The book looks great! I’ve only been to 1 fiber arts festival, but it was wonderful. It was called Fuzzy Bunz Fiber Festival and the yarn was so beautiful. They had spinning demos and roving, etc. I knit and would love someday to learn to spin, but that is a someday wish…
What a wonderful-looking book! I love going to festivals and looking at all the handmade/crafty items that are available. It always gives me lots of great crafty ideas of my own! I’d love to go to a fiber festival – sounds very interesting!
I’ve never been to a fiber arts festival, but I’m excited to look for one in my area and make the commitment to go (with three kids under age four I have to purposefully make the time to go to these events). I’ve heard of this book as well and would love to read about the experience of experiencing this part of our culture. Over the winter I received Deborah Madison’s new book which seems similar in spirit to this one. Madison visits farmers markets all across the US and temps the reader with mouthwatering recipes; Seiff visits fiber arts festivals and gives us amazing history, photos, knowledge, and patterns. I’d love to win this book; thanks for the great giveaway!
I like festivals just large enough to see in a day. I went to the Michigan fiber festival with my inlaws who weave and knit, and it was fun to have a diversity of fiber arts to talk about.
I’ve been going to Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in Minnesota for several years now. This year’s festival is tomorrow and I’m excited! Last year I used the time to try out spinning wheels so I could decide what to buy.
Imagine my surprise when scrolling down in this post, the book was open to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, held right here in Rhinebeck New York. One of my favorite memories of attending this fiber festival was taking my 3 year old niece and showing her the sheep, the wool at each vendor’s booth in the rows and rows of barns. She kept up pretty well with the hours we spent immersed in the festival. She liked to sit on my lap while I knit, touching the needles as they moved. I have no doubt that she will remember the enjoyment when we look at the pictures together.
It was a local county fair and I was one of the lucky parents accompanying the preschool group. While the four year olds sat just feet away, the sheep owner explained the whole wool process and proceeded to sheer the sheep right in front of us. The four year olds weren’t the only ones who had never seen this before. I was enthralled.
That looks like a lovely book! Southern Arizona (of all places) is actually home to three separate fiber festivals that I know of!
Happy Mother’s Day!
I am addicted to fiber festivals, and love to go to the ones in Canada. Since I am only 5 miles away from the border, it’s easier than going south to Oregon. We have nearly 40 alpacas, and I have been a fiber artist since getting them 11 years ago. A degree in Clothing and Textiles never came to light until I owned them. I have more fiber and yarn than I can use, but I love the fiber fests for the exposure to new ideas and new fibers to spin with. I would love to have this book, and I must thank my friend for sending me over here. I’m now subscribed. I’m looking for more Fiber Fanatics to follow!!
I have never been to a fiber festival! I am going to see if there is one in my area. The book looks divine. Thanks for introducing it and giving us a chance to win! I hope you enjoy your Mother’s Day!
I saw this book at the store recently. It looks fabulous! I am a beginning spinner, though I went to Black Sheep Gathering a few years ago and was completely overwhelmed. This year I hope to go with my spinning wheel in hand and pick some fabulous fiber! I also would love to go to Oregon Flock and Fiber. I’m a bit bummed that we are going to DC next week, just a bit late for Maryland Sheep and Wool. I think from now on all trips will have to planned to coincide with fiber festivals!
We went to our first fiber festival 3 years go in Fletcher N.C. – The Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair. I knit while my husband spins. We both used to weave also. We enjoyed seeing all the diferent fibers and yarns available, along with the equipment for spinning and weaving, the animals and everything in between. We plan on going again this year in October.
What a fabulous concept for a book! I’ve not been to a festival, but I’ve visited many local farms that shear and spin their own wool. I’ve learned how to use a drop spindle and I really enjoy the process. I am a teacher, so I often share my spinning adventures with my students and they LOVE talking about sheep, wool, and how it eventually becomes our clothing. Thank you for sharing!
I attended a spring festival near Milwaukee about 10 years ago. The farm helps preserve heritage breeds of sheep and other animals from early American days. I bought a fleece after selecting the Jacob sheep that I admired-it was wonderful to see her sheared and take her fleece home with me. It was wonderful~
I haven’t been to a fibre festival, so I don’t have a memory to share. I hope I’ll be able to go to one someday. I don’t think there are any near here, though.
My favorite memory is stumbling upon a 2+lb bundle of gorgeous purple wool/silk roving, the size of a large baby (but much lighter!) while working for trade in a booth at one of my first shows, and having the owner tell me that I didn’t HAVE to break it down onto 4oz twists to set out for sale… I would have more than enough in trade to take the whole thing home along with everything I needed to get started spinning my own yarn! It felt like a gift, despite “earning”it, because meeting and enabling other knitters all day couldn’t possibly be called work
I’m anxious to get my hands on this book to see what it has to say about the Southeast scene…
I have never been to a fiber festival. It sounds like it would be tons of fun;) My mom, who has been gone for over 20 years now, taught me how to knit when I was very young and yarns were mostly acrylic. How she would love to see all of the choices we have now, not only in kinds of yarn, but the colors and textures as well. I can’t go into a yarn shop and not wonder how she would have loved to see and touch all that is offered there;)
Festivals are a great way to meet other crafters. It is always very inspiring to me to see what other crafters came up with.
Happy mother’s day!
We have a local fibre festival – nothing ever big enough to make it into this publication but its one of the highlights of the summer around here for me. Its always amazing to see the talent we have around here. I’ve been sucked into far too many fibrey pursuits – from basket weaving to spinning – as a result of having this great festival in my town.
This book looks like so much fun! My parents used to have sheep, and they sold the wool on eBay. I’ve always wanted to visit the Maryland festival…maybe one of these years!
I haven’t been to any fiber festivals, but if I hear of any in my area, I’d be all over it! My friend from long ago became a fiber artist and worked with sheep’s wool from the shearing all the way to the washing/carding/dying/spinning and then knitting/weaving process. All I remember was how incredible soft her skin always was, from working with that incredible wool!
What a beautiful cover of the book…
I haven’t been to any fiber festivals I would love to go to one love to learn about new things
I’ve never been to a festival, but I have a dear friend who has recently gotten into fiber arts. She’d love this book! Love your blog!
I LURV going to the fiber festival Michigan! It’s, most of the time, not the best weather (hot and muggy and usually raining), but it’s still fun. LOTS of fun, especially when you can make purchases.
I’m relearning spinning (well, not yet but maybe when my last child goes off to college), and would love this book. I did spinning over 20 years ago, but never learned it more in depth. This book seems perfect for learning more about these things.
Christine
I’ve also never been to a fibre festival, despite being a crocheter and weaver! The book sounds like a good way to tide one over until they can get to one in person!
I would love to attend one of the festivals. This book would be a great resource to help me decide which one!
I was young… but spinning, so in college – early….
Vermont Sheep and Wool….
That Icelandic Fleece I had great aspirations for…
did I mention I was young…
It was unwashed and rotted later, but I knew I had found LOVE
at the Sheep and Wool Festival!
I haven’t been to a large festival like the one in Rhinebeck but I’d love to attend one when I can. This looks like a wonderful book.
I’ve never had the opportunity to go to a fiber festival. However, I think I need to make it a priority. I love to hear all the stories about the animals and all the fine yarn that everybody buys.
This looks great. I’ve never been to a fiber festival, but these look fantastic. I’d love to get this book and find out how I could experience this for myself.
As close as I come is that I love going to the Interstate Fair every year. We have a number of weaving, shearing, and spinning demonstrations that are always fun to watch.
rsgrandinetti(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love going to fiber festivals! Although I love looking at everything, I am usually most drawn to the raw fleeces. I’m always excited when I can find a breed that I haven’t spun before. One year at a local festival, I met a shepherd that had was selling some nice fleeces. She offered me a huge bag of Romney raw fleece for a really low price. She hadn’t had time to skirt it so she was giving a deal on it. I hadn’t much raw fleece experience at all at the time and thought how bad could it be? I was SO excited! LOL! When I opened it up at home and saw the dung tags and britch areas…I decked myself out in rubber gloves and face mask and was still feeling sqeemish! I had to do a little at a time because I would get grossed out LOL. I’ve thankfully come a long way since then!
In recent years, I have also vended at a fiber festival and had the opportunity to chair one in its second year. It was a very labor intensive project but it was great to see everything come together and the vendors and attendees have a great time!
My biggest festival regret is that I never had the opportunity to go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival…I lived in Maryland for a year and a half but had to be out of town the weekend of the festival and the following year I moved to Indiana. =(
Thank you for reviewing this book, I hadn’t heard of it but I will surely check it out! It sounds like a great read! =)
I look forward to the Md. Sheep & Wool Festival every year. My friends and I leave husbands & children at home and head there early Sunday morning. We stay until the festival closes, getting our fill until the next year.
I’m probably too late for the drawing, but must say I’m excited to learn that such a book exists. I’ve been going to the Maryland Sheep and Wood festival for years and have made plans to attend Rhinebeck for the first time later this year. I usually focus on the yarn and fiber for sale, but someday must leave some time to see the sheep dog demonstration. I would love to explore more of these festivals!
I am just finding out about all of the wonderful fiber artists out there, and have a friend who would really love the book!
I am so fortunate to live only an hour away from the New York Sheep and Wool Festival…it’s such a wonderful place. Little babies wrapped head to toe in hand knits! It’s the highlight of fall in our house!