Maryland Sheep & Wool - May 1, 2010

Maryland Sheep & Wool was sweaty hot and totally crowded, but I was a good girl and I didn’t spend any money. Next year, though, I think I’m going to go back and do some damage.

Actually, I was more interested in buying hand-made baskets than I was in buying yarn. Baskets used to be ridiculously priced a few years ago. The better ones still aren’t cheap, but a creative, well-made small-to-medium sized basket can now be had for $55.00 to $60.00.

Maryland Sheep & Wool is a Maryland institution. It is held at the Howard County Fairground every May 1st over both days of a weekend, and it brings in people from all over the country.It is the largest sheep & wool festival in the United States.
Hand-made brooms and potted plants are also big sellers.

There was plenty of beautiful yarn there, don’t get me wrong. But the crowds are overwhelming by 10:30 am on Saturday. If you are going, go early and get there at 8:00 am. The Boy Scouts and their leaders do a great job of getting everyone parked. There are great lamb dogs and shish kabobs and basically any kind of lamb product you could want for lunch. The homemade soda merchant is on hand for an old-fashioned soda (although they were sold out of sasparilla by the time I got to the head of the queue). There is a line for EVERYTHING by 10:30 am on Saturday, be warned.

The girl on the left is my friend Cinnamon. The lady in the center is holding a bag of just sheared wool. It was full of lanolin, and very oily to the touch. Folks in the sheep industry euphemistically refer to this as a “buttery” texture – yeah, its buttery all right.



The sheep motif is used on everything sold at the festival – it is overdone and gets annoying, but there are some very cute things available, like these beeswax candles made to look like a flock of sheep.





This is a view of the entrance around 8:00 am, before it starts to get crazy. You’ll see some women wearing old-fashioned dresses here. The whole vibe is very Slow Foods, until it gets going, at which time it shifts to a vibe more like WalMart on Black Friday.





This prize-winning afghan caught my eye because the whole thing is patchwork pieces -much like the summer octagon afghan I am working on. The level of skill is far more sophisticated on this piece, but I was able to learn a few things by looking at it.