International Flavor Spices Up Fiber Festival

April 30, 2009 - PRLog -- The United Nations declared 2009 the International Year of Natural Fiber (IYNF) and Shepherds Harvest Festival is flying the flag for Minnesota. The 2009 Festival, an official IYNF event, will host teachers, demonstrators and authors sharing their knowledge about international fiber history and techniques.

Entering the Wooly World of the Far East
Families can meander in a yurt, a circular portable dwelling used in Mongol and by Turkish peoples of Central Asia.  Local fiber artist Linda Johnson-Mork is bringing her Kazakh yurt in celebration. She is an experienced felter who has traveled to Mongolia to study traditional felting techniques and will provide lively demonstrations and insights from her travels using the yurt as her classroom space.

Ancient Peruvian Traditions Spring to Life
Melanie Ebertz, owner of Arts Andes, will give a presentation about the people, culture and textiles of Peru. Melanie spends over 2 months each year in Peru working with master weavers from Ayacucho and Lima. Pre- Columbian cultures placed a high value on textiles and their creation consumed the greatest percentage of labor in the Andean world. Festival-goers will learn about these ancient traditions and hear how Melanie works to keep them alive.

Fiber Sandwich Feeds Heifer International
The Fiber Sandwich Spin-in entertains and educates while it earns money for Heifer International. Saturday, festival spinners will combine a variety of exotic fibers from the world over into some of the most unique yarn ever created. The public is invited to watch the spinners as they test their skill and creativity on this surprising blend of fiber. Sunday, at 2:00 p.m. shoppers can purchase these yarns at the Sandwich Skein Silent Auction. All proceeds from the sale of these yarns benefit Heifer International.

Local Author Nora Murphy’s Spins Global Yarn
In her new book, Knitting the Threads of Time, Nora Murphy tells the story of knitting a sweater for her son through one cold, dark Minnesota winter. Her tale brings to life the traditions and cultures of Minnesota women from many backgrounds including Hmong, American Indian, Mexican, African, and Irish. Nora will present a reading from her book
followed by a discussion of the international traditions that inspired it.  

Festival hours are Saturday May 9th from 9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday May 10th from 10:00 to 4:00.

Visit http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org for more information.

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Minnesota's Shepherd's Harvest Festival is the largest sheep and wool festival in Minnesota.

Held annually, each Mother's Day weekend at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, MN, vendors sell a full spectrum of sheep and wool related items.

It offers the only fleece competition in the state as well as hosting felting, skein and photo competitions.

Its educational component includes fiber related and sheep raising classes. Demonstrations include sheep shearing, dog herding, linen-making and a natural fibers fashion show. Local authors, sheep experts, knitting designers and chefs are invited to share their sheep and wool expertise with the community.

The festival began in 1997 and is run entirely by volunteers with support from the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers Association. Llama Magic is held on the fairgrounds the same weekend as Shepherd's Harvest.