By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

WOOSTER, Ohio — It’s everything a sheep lover could ask for: More than 80 vendors in a trade show, national and regional breed shows, high-quality rams and ewes for sale, workshops, demonstrations, kids’ activities and more - and it’s free.
The 12th annual Great Lakes Fiber Show will return to Wooster on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-27, at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.

According to Linda Reichert, show organizer, this is the biggest show yet for the event.

The show will encompass three commercial buildings at the fairgrounds as well as the 4-H building Additional vendors as well as alpaca and sheep displays will also be located outdoors.

In addition to the fiber show, the event also features the National Tunis Sheep Show and Sale as well as the Eastern Region Montadale Sale.

“There are 250 entries: 100 Tunis and 150 of all other breeds, which include Rambouillets, Corriedales, Columbias, Border Leicesters, Natural Colored, Finnsheep, Cheviots, Dorsets, Montadales, Southdowns, Shropshires, Hampshires, Suffolks, and crossbreds,” said Greg Deakin of The Banner magazine, which is coordinating the sale listing for the event. “All sheep breeders and those interested in crafts and spinning and the general public would be interested in this event.”

Activities will be taking place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days of the event, including the fiber market, “Just for Fun” activities, and workshops. Skein judging as well as fleece judging and sheep show will take place on Saturday.

Sunday will feature the used sheep equipment auction as well as the sheep sale.

In the market, vendors will be on-hand selling raw and processed fiber from sheep, alpacas, llamas, angora goats, angora rabbits and even buffalo. Fiber processors will be there to take fiber to be made into batts for comforts, roving for spinning, and yarn for knitting, crocheting, weaving and other projects.

Vendors will have materials encompassing the entire fiber industry. Some will have equipment for using the fiber, while others will sell finished items. One vendor will even have watercolor paintings and sheep prints for sale.

While the “Just for Fun” activities were designed with children in mind, adults are welcome to participate in these events as well.
These activities will take place in the Industrial Building and are most free of charge throughout the day; some may require a small materials fee. On Saturday, activities will include solar jar dyeing, basic spindle spinning and intermediate spindle spinning. Sunday’s schedule of fun activities include making a felted lace teddy bear scarf, basic spindle spinning, Hallelujah dolls and intermediate spindle spinning.

Registration is required for all workshops, and a fee applies to most, including workshops on creating a Side to Side Sweater by Frances Crowell and Linda Wolfe; Fancy Fluffy Feathery Fun by Pat Maley; The Shepherd’s Rug by Letty Klein and Ann Brown; Wet Felting by Marlene Gruetter; Skein Dyeing No. 1 and No. 2 by Penny Myers’ Tips and Tricks in Spinning by Maley; and Fun with Needle Felting by Kathy Ketrick.

In addition, Faith Gernhardt will teach two free workshops on Saturday on an introduction to spinning.
A schedule of events, including workshops, is at www.lovellservices.com/GLFS

A workshop registration form and list of trade show vendors is also available online. A copy of the sale catalog is available at www.bannersheepmagazine.com