May 2025 Show Program by Wool and Fiber Arts

MEET THE TEAM

Withoutourteam,noneofthis wouldbepossible!

FounderEllen Zawada; OwnerofWoolandFiberArtsLLC

Vendor Team - Heather Campbell, Lorna Violet (Mentor Program), Jean Story, Danielle Lefor Wallace

Customer Team -(anything that happens publicly in WAFA) - Erika Lindgren, Heather Campbell, Lizette Hopkins (craft-along), Mary Dillon, Katelyn Dunn, Jessica Holt Pack, Amy Olshewski Bowling

Marketing Team - Raven Reynolds (social Media) Ellen Zawada, Tedi Jansen

Inclusivity Team - Liza Q Wirtz, Alaura Pittman, TeDi Jansen, Vidya Gopalakrishna Travis, Maddy McLendon

Education TeamTeDi Jansen, Alanna Wilcox

Wool and Fiber Arts Show Program

Editor in Chief

Graphic Design

Ellen Zawada

Tedi Jansen

Vendor Schedule

Pages 4-6

Vendor Interview with Jennifer Bain

Page 8-10

WAFA Book Club Page 14 Alpaca

Page 16-17

Vendor Guide

Page 24-29

Palette of the Month

AriBo Arts

Grilliant Creatives

Photo by Kiana Lawton

Wunderful Pines Farm

Yarn Hoarder Goods

Hidden Pastures Luxury Fiber

Schedule Friday's 23rd 23rd

FIBER FESTIVAL

EST/PST

12:00 pm/9:00 am

12:30 pm/9:30 am

1:00 pm/10:00 am

1:30 pm/10:30 am

2:00 pm/11:00 am

2:30 pm/11:30 am

3:00 pm/12:00 pm

3:30 pm/12:30 pm

4:00 pm/1:00 pm

4:30 pm/ 1:30 pm

5:00 pm/2:00 pm

5:30 pm/2:30 pm

6:00 pm/3:00 pm

6:30 pm/3:30 pm

7:00 pm/4:00 pm

7:30 pm/4:30 pm

8:00 pm/5:00 pm

8:30 pm/5:30 pm

Vendor

Spindle and Spoon Homestead

Flannel Cakes Fiber

Annie Morton Designs

Wunderful Pines Farm

Rusty Spur Ranch and Creations

Hens-N-Chicks-FiberArts

Cedar Hill Fiber Farm

KnitzAndPearls Fiberworks

SpinGlitz

NATURAL CYCLES FARM, LLC

Gritty knits

Alpaca Pines Llc Farm Mill

Mitten State Sheep & Wool

The Knitting Centipede

Fat Lady’s Song

Macedo's Mini Acre

Knitspin

JessieJavete Fiber Arts

FIBER FESTIVAL

EST/PST

12:00 pm/9:00 am

12:30 pm/9:30 am

1:00 pm/10:00 am

1:30 pm/10:30 am

2:00 pm/11:00 am

2:30 pm/11:30 am

3:00 pm/12:00 pm

3:30 pm/12:30 pm

4:00 pm/1:00 pm

4:30 pm/ 1:30 pm

5:00 pm/2:00 pm

5:30 pm/2:30 pm

6:00 pm/3:00 pm

6:30 pm/3:30 pm

7:00 pm/4:00 pm

7:30 pm/4:30 pm

8:00 pm/5:00 pm

8:30 pm/5:30 pm

Vendor

Leaf Livestock Wool Co

Melissa's Yarn Barn

Atomic Fiber Studio

Hidden Pastures Luxury Fiber

Greenwood Fiberworks

TLD DESIGN CENTER & GALLERY

Sown From Stars

Curly C'ewes

Bluebelle's Fiber Arts

Three Birches Homestead

Ewe2me2u

Yarn Hoarder Goods

Create Yarnworks

Carole Makes

The Spinner's Stash

Neauveau Texture Apothecary

Zen Fiber

Dunn Spunn

FIBER FESTIVAL

EST/PST

12:00 pm/9:00 am

12:30 pm/9:30 am

1:00 pm/10:00 am

1:30 pm/10:30 am

2:00 pm/11:00 am

2:30 pm/11:30 am

3:00 pm/12:00 pm

3:30 pm/12:30 pm

4:00 pm/1:00 pm

4:30 pm/ 1:30 pm

5:00 pm/2:00 pm

5:30 pm/2:30 pm

6:00 pm/3:00 pm

6:30 pm/3:30 pm

7:00 pm/4:00 pm

7:30 pm/4:30 pm

Vendor

Whirlwind Ranch Inc

Marie Feathers Fiber Crafts

AriBo Arts

3L&S Farms

GrilliantCreatives

Wool-E Farm

Zephyr Creek Farm

Wine and Wooly Design

Katie's Fiber Connection

Jubilee Farms

Blue Savannah

Jehovah Jireh Farm and Fibers

Clear Sky Fiber Arts

Faith Hope Love Studio

Wild Hair Studio

2Bewe

JENNIFER BAIN

Wunderful Pines Farm

WHEN AND HOW DID YOUR BUSINESS GET STARTED?

I first got involved with llamas through 4-H in 2001 Like many young girls, I wanted a horse. Instead, I purchased my first three llamas in 2002 and I have had llamas ever since. In high school, I showed my llamas around Michigan. It was at one of those shows that I was introduced to spinning. I was bored and waiting between classes. A group of ladies that were sitting nearby, saw me, put a drop spindle in my hands, and said "let me teach you." The rest is history.

College and veterinary school slowed my involvement with llamas for several years, but with the help of parents that like llamas more than they'll admit, I continued to maintain a small herd throughout my schooling. I have used llamas for everything from breeding and showing, to packing and pleasure driving, to fiber production and public events

My husband, Ben, is a city kid who met a llama girl in college. We became a couple in 2008, and Ben decided that the llama girl was worth the llama work He is now a dedicated barn and pasture builder, poop shoveler, hay hauler, and occasional veterinary assistant.

Wunderful Pines Farm was established in 2017 when we purchased our first property in west Michigan The name Wunderful Pines is a nod to one of my original geldings, Wildflower's Wunderkint, and the plentiful red pines on that property. We have since moved the farm to Battle Creek, Michigan. Ironically, our current property doesn't have a single pine tree, but we are planning to remedy that. Shetland sheep were added to the farm in 2020. The small size and friendly personality of Shetland Sheep, along with the fine fiber in 11 different natural colors, captured my attention as a handspinner. Plus, I like that if my sheep don't want to move somewhere, I can just pick them up and carry them.

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS GOAL?

Wunderful Pines Farm is a small, fiber-focused family business in southern Michigan. We breed and raise our llamaswith the goals of qualityconformation and fine, dense fleeces. Our dual-registered Shetland sheep are bred for their gentle disposition and exceptionally fine fleeces in a varietyof natural colors.

By TeDi Jansen

WAS THERE SOMEONE WHO INSPIRED YOU IN YOUR FIBER ARTS JOURNEY?

I don't think that there was one person who inspired me in fiber arts. It was more like a collection of people who have guided my growth in fiber arts My 4-H leader taught me how to crochet over 25 years ago Several other people had attempted to teach me knitting and crochet, but she was the first one that made it click for me. Instead of teaching me how to make a washcloth or some other square that I wasn't interested in, she showed me a stack of pattern books and said "pick something that you want to make." So, I picked a nativity scene for my first ever crochet project! However, instead of saying "that's too hard for a beginner's first project," she said "ok, let's start with the manger." That inspired me to never think that something is too difficult to attempt

In high school, when I was bored and sitting at a llama show, some ladies handed me a drop spindle and said "let me teachyou."That inspired me to learn how to spin and also to teach others how to spin. When I was first married and living in Indiana in a new area with no one that I knew, I met a client who was part of a spinning group. She found out that I was also a spinner, and invited me to join. We met at an Amish lady's house, and I met some really wonderful friends there who taught me more about spinning, felting, dyeing and raising sheep. When we moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, that group inspired me to start my own spinning group. Through my spinning group, I met Theresa Wojnar of Triple F Hobby Farm. At the time, we were both just starting to sell our fiber products, and we decided to team up and share a booth at an in-person fiber show. Now, here we are, both WAFA vendors and attending several in person shows eachyear.ore than they'll admit, I

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIBER ANIMALS

We raise llamas and fine fleeced Shetland sheep. I could tell you sooooo much about them! I have raised llamas for over 20years. I started showing them in 4-H. My herd has mostly been small at six or less animals until just recently We are now up to 10 llamas and hope to continue growing our herd. We focus on breeding llamas with fine, dense fleeces. We have utilized a lot of Argentine genetics to accomplish this goal. Argentine llamas trace their lineage to llamas that were imported from an area of Argentina where the locals do not have alpacas. So, llamas have been more specifically bred for fiber production than they have been in other areas of South America. Argentine llamas are known for their fine, dense fleeces, shorter, more triangular shaped heads, large feet on stout legs, and laid back, friendly personalities They are often referred to as the "draft horse of llamas" Not all of our llamas have Argentine genetics, but all of our llamas are selected for their fleece characteristics in addition to correct confirmation and friendlypersonalities. We have raised Shetland sheep for about five years. We started with two ewes and leased a ram for breeding purposes. After our first ram lamb was born, my husband said that if we really wanted to raise sheep, then we were going to need more ewes. Well, he didn't have to tell me that twice! This spring we had 12 lambs born from six ewes We also have three yearling ewes, a ram and a wether Shetland sheep are known for their variety of natural colors and patterns. It is always such a surprise to see what the lambs will look like. I studied microbiology in college and really enjoyed genetics. Shetland sheep color genetics are such a fun topic for me - don't get me started unless you're ready to hear way too much about it. We also select our Shetland sheep for personality. We were lucky to start with some very friendly ewes, and we have kept back the friendliest of lambs Most of our sheep will walk up to the fence line for chin scratches and back rubs Several of them have been to schools, day cares, churches, and historical festivals as well. We love to share our sheep and llamas with ourcommunity.

HOW DID YOU LEARN YOUR CRAFT?

Learning to crochet was my gateway into fiber arts. I learned to crochet from my 4-H leader over 25 years ago. Next was spinning. At this point, I had already started raising llamas. I had all of this fiber and knew that it could be turned into things, but I didn't really know what to do with it. Then, I learned how to drop spin from some ladies at a llama show when I was in high school. That really threw me into the fiber arts world I attended my first fiber show and fell in love with spinning wheels, but they were a bit out of my budget in high school My parents ended up buying me a spinning wheel for Christmas my senioryear of high schoolan Ashford Kiwi. I took it to college with me and mostly learned by trial and error (Youtube existed but wasn't as much of a learning tool at that point). In college, I also decided that I wanted to learn how to knit, so I bought a book and taught myself (Youtube has helped me learn a lot more in the last few years). I learned to dye from the spinning group that I was part of in Indiana, and felting came about from Youtube and a few fiber show workshops I haven't dabbled inweaving much yet

WHAT MAKES WAFA SPECIAL FOR YOU?

WAFA has been truly an amazing opportunity for our farm I have three young children and a full time job and the farm, so finding the time to go to in-person fiber shows can be challenging. WAFA allows me to market products from our farm without having to pack up and spend a weekend away from the farm and family. While I really enjoy in-person conversations and interactions, the amazing community of WAFA has allowed me to continue that communication when I otherwise would have been unable. Plus, it has provided me with an opportunity to share my knowledge through live demos I reallyenjoyteaching others about fiber arts and WAFAhas provided a platform forthat aswell

IF YOU RAISE OR WORK WITH THE BREED/FIBER OF THE MONTH, TELL US ABOUT YOUR ANIMALS, THEIR PERSONALITIES AND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK WITH THE FIBER.

The fiber of the month is camelid, and I have lots of experience working with llama fiber. A lot of people say that llama or alpaca fiber is hard to spin, but I learned how to spin on llama fiber. So, ifyou want to try it, try it! Llama fiber doesn't have crimp like you find in traditional sheep wool. It is more similar to a long wool or mohair. There is very little memory in the spun yarn, but loads of luster and drape. It's important to keep this in mind when you spin llama, because if you add too much twist or push out a lot of air in a worsted-style of spinning, the yarn can become heavy and rope-like. Try to maintain air in the spin and utilize a more woolen-type draw when you spin llama. Blending llama and wool together can give you a nice blend of drape and memory. I do this frequently with fiber from my llamas and Shetland sheep. It makes a reallylovelyyarn.

The other thing to rememberwhen selecting llama fiber is that there is quite a variety of llama fiber types. Llamas are originally from South America where they were bred as pack animals. Personality and athleticism were more important traits for this purpose. Consequently, fiberwas not the focus of selective breeding in llamas. Modern day llamas in North America have been more selected for fiber production, but there is still a variety. So, you can find llama fiber representing anything from the traditional doublecoated pack llama (called ccara) to dense, fine-fibered llamas like Argentines to silky, single coated llamas to llamas with suri fiber (similar to suri alpacas). When you are considering llama fiber for purchase, make sure to examine the fiber or ask questions about what type of llama it came from. There are lots of options to expore!

MACEDO’S MINI ACRE

LIVE Friday at 8:00 pm eastern

Knitspin is a small dyeing business, we dyed in small bathes for better quality.

LIVE Friday 8:00 pm eastern

BOOK Club

Book: The Valkyries’ Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic: Host: Tonya Hale Caudle Zoom Meeting

This June, we're diving into The Valkyries’ Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic. This fascinating book explores how textile work often overlooked in history was a source of influence and power for women in Norse and North Atlantic societies. Through archaeology, mythology, and material culture, the author weaves a compelling narrative about women ’ s roles in shaping both cloth and community. If you loved Women's Work, this is your next must-read! Goldman), Daina Taimina, Cecilia Vicuna and Carolyn Yackel. Raw Jun 23 7pm eastern

May 2025 WAFA Vendor: Leaf Livestock Wool Co. is a proud repeat Wool and Fiber Arts Vendor. We are so grateful for the friends and opportunities that this community has created for us! We raise Merinos, Polypays, and Natural Colored Rambouillet/Columbia crosses and Merino/Targhee crosses. Our lamb pen is a menagerie of sizes, colors and patterns all beautiful. Our sheep, in collaboration with midwest mills, create the finest combed top, roving, varieties of yarn, and core spun yarn. I would love for everybody to enjoy the finest spinning fiber and yarn I am privileged to grow and use for creating. The physical and emotional rewards that accompany raising lovely sustainable wool goes far beyond the beauty of the final product. Please join me for my May show!

LIVE Saturday at 12:00 pm eastern

One of a kind handspun yarn, including art yarn, handwoven accessories, and magical fiber art notions!

LIVE Saturday 5:30 pm eastern

Alpaca

Yarn Hoarder Goods

Wunderful Pines Farm Wild Hair Studio

The Spinners Stash AriBo Arts Macedo’s Mini Acre Fat Lady’s Song

Alpaca

Whirlwind Ranch The Knitting Centipede

Leaf Livestock

Alpaca Pines

LIVE Sunday at 1:30 pm eastern

AriBo Arts

Fiber (batts & rolags), handspun yarn, handwoven textiles, hand-dyed garments/accessories, & jewelry

LIVE Sunday at 1:00 pm eastern

Turning Sunlight Into Food and Fiber

Cotswold/Merino X

Merino

LIVE Sunday at 7:30 pm eastern

Bluefaced Leicester

Cotswold

CVM

Gotland Crosses

Zephyr Creek Farm is proud to feature Rodanthe Combed Top this May! Sourced from the climate-beneficial Shaniko Wool Company, this beautifully processed wool is a dream to spin—soft, springy, and sustainably grown in the USA. Elevate your fiber stash with something truly special!

ZEPHYR CREEK FARM

VENDOR GUIDE

Wool-E Farm

We raise Romney sheep for the beautiful wool fiber

Raising Romeldale/ CVM and Teeswater/BFL Sheep in the Thumb.

WAFAYouTube

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