YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio — Fall is a time when many states host fiber shows and festivals. More and more people are raising animals that produce fiber. There are 22,000 registered alpacas in Ohio, more than any other state in the nation. There is also an estimated 3,400 sheep and lamb farms in Ohio with 119,000 sheep and lambs. There is a sheep operation in every Ohio county.

There are 200 alpaca farms in Kentucky. The greatest number of alpaca farms are located in Shelby County. There are 5,005 alpaca farms in Indiana and 5,254 alpaca farms in Illinois.

That’s a lot of fleece. And that’s music to the ears to weavers and craftsmen like Jenna Blake of Jamestown, Ohio.

“We tend to 10 sheep and five alpacas on our small farm, and the fiber from these animals keeps me very busy,” Blake said. “Four years ago a farmer near us talked us into getting a pair of alpacas as companion animals for our sheep. I never gave much thought to utilizing the animals’ fibers until I attended the Wool Gathering in Yellow Springs. Now I spend most of my free time spinning and creating items using their hair.”

Irene Lehman of Covington, Ohio admits that she’s not crafty, but raises cashmere goats and Angora rabbits to sell the hair to those who are.

“There’s not a creative bone in my body,” Lehman laughs, “but there are plenty of those who are and they’re willing to purchase the hair my animals produce. And I’m not alone. I know several breeders who don’t care about the fiber, but they should.”

While the fibers of sheep, alpacas and llamas top the list of fibers sought, people also look for goats, rabbits, bison, yaks and even dogs and cats.

Animal fleece artisans from seven states will gather this month at the annual Wool Gathering at Young’s Dairy near Yellow Springs, Ohio. This event, which is in its 26th year, offers a chance for visitors to observe sheep, llamas, alpacas, cashmere goats, Angora rabbits and other wool-bearing animals at the show.  More than 100 vendors from Ohio and surrounding states will be there for this two-day event. The event will be held Sept. 17-18.

The Wool Gathering will attract artisans from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Michigan.

“Bison hair is short, less than two inches,” says Blake, who recently began working with bison hair. “This fiber is best when blended into wool for easier handling and durability.”

Mark Priest, owner of A Yak or 2 Ranch in Mancelona, Michigan, will bring a few yaks and their hair to this year’s Wool Gathering.

Also upcoming in Ohio is the Fiber Arts Fest, to be held Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio. Spinners and weavers will demonstrate all the steps involved in turning wool from a sheep’s back to cloth. Guests will be able to watch spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting and tatting demonstrations throughout the day. There will be plenty of hands-on activities, special exhibits, vendors and a scavenger hunt.

Sara Beckley of Greenwich, Ohio, is sold on working with Angora goat hair. But not just the hair, the goats themselves. Beckley says the animals are fairly gentle and their size and temperament allow women and children to work easily with them.

“Soon after birth, these living stuffed toys become luxury fiber-producing machines, yielding 20 to 25 percent of their body weight each year in soft, durable mohair,” said Beckley, who tends to 17 goats on her farm. “This high level of production makes Angora goats the most efficient fiber-producing animal in the world and an intriguing option for today’s hobby farmer.”

Artisans in Kentucky will converge at the Kentucky Wool Festival, which is held Oct. 7-9 next to Kincaid Lake State Park in Falmouth, Kentucky. It was named as one of the top 10 wool festivals in the country. This festival got its start 38 years ago.

The Kentucky Wool Festival is focused on sheep shearing as well as fall harvest celebration. It features a petting area for kids and more than 100 arts and crafts vendors. Entertainment includes live bluegrass music, historical re-enactments, sheep shearing demonstrations and local farm product displays.

Alpaca wool is an industry that Eddie and Gale Etherton of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, have been knee deep in since 2004. The couple have transformed their rural homestead into The Shepherd’s Criations Alpaca Farm, raising the animals primarily for their very soft wool.

The fibers they collect from their herd are sent to an alpaca co-op and combined with the alpaca wool from other Kentucky growers to produce 100 percent alpaca products.

Socks make up the lion’s share of products made with the Etherton’s fiber. However, Eddie makes his own line of alpaca scarves. ”Socks is the big thing. We sell a lot of alpaca socks,” he said.

“Alpaca is warmer than wool but soft as cashmere,” Gale added.

The Ethertons frequent craft fairs and markets in Bowling Green, Louisville and other parts of the state.

Indiana fiber artisans are also plentiful. Upcoming is the Southern Indiana Fiber Arts Festival, to be held Oct. 14-15 at the Harrison County Fairgrounds in Corydon, Indiana.

On the agenda at this Indiana show will be live fiber animals, shearing of raw fleece, spinning supplies, dyes, yarns, workshops, seminars, demonstrations, live music and door prizes.

In Illinois, the top fiber attraction is The Fiber Festival, which will be held Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ottawa, Illinois.