One of the many perks of being an Oregonian is being close to the Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, OR. Magnificent vendors come from all over to sell their beautiful creations and collectings. It's a magical weekend full of so many of the reasons I love this brilliant crafty community.
I was joined by two delightful friends of mine who are also quite enamored with this sweet world of creativity and absurdly adorable animals.
I started the day with the brunch of champions -- a rice and lamb stuffed green pepper that made my heart melt. It, like the rest of the Festival, was one of those things that went far above my greatest expectations of what it would be like. Even writing this makes me hungry for more.
After the excellent food, we set out to discover all of the wonders the festival had in store for us.
We ventured across many booths, made sounds that would make any non-crafters slightly uncomfortable, and picked out things that we simply couldn't leave without.
Our adventures also took us to the barn where all of the sheep, llamas, and alpacas were housed.
I'm sad to say that no one let me steal their alpacas.
I was heartbroken.
However, that heartbreak was quickly eased as I explored the fiber lot, which was the area where people who didn't have booths set up could sell fleeces. There were many lovely things to behold, and I happened across one of the loveliest of them all.
A couple was selling these massive bags for $5 each. Oh yeah, I didn't think it was real at first either.
They recently had gone through a health scare that lead to some much needed recovery time and the need to focus on their other business instead of selling their alpacas' fiber. They were sweet and engaging, and I of course bought 5 bags because I know what moderation is. Before you laugh, there were at least 20 bags of fiber, and I resisted buying more. That has to count for something, right?
I made my way back to where my companions were having lunch and we all had a good laugh when we caught each other’s eyes as I hefted around these five absurdly large bags of fiber. We quickly dropped off the load at the car; I would be getting my workout when I carried these things to my front door.
We came back and decided to walk through the sheltered portion of the festival where I had the luck to run into two of the women that helped inspire me to continue being a part of this crafty world. We chatted for a while and exchanged hugs, and I just couldn't resist the urge to buy one of the many gorgeous rovings they had for sale.
To top off the day we visited the angora rabbits. It's funny how noble and dignified these rabbits look as little kids positively squeal with delight over how cute they are.
My comrades and I decided that these rabbits in particular looked like wise sages that would only speak in riddles and rarely regard anyone but each other (we’re creative types).
The festival brought about many joys, however towards the end of our travels, we were all tired and ready to simply sit back at home and bask in the glow of the splendid things we found.
The thing I was most impressed about in this whole adventure was that people of all ages and genders were happy to be there. I didn't see one grumpy husband or a single fussing kid being dragged around. Everyone was engaged in the activities or just enjoying the textures, colours, and smells, and it was heart-warming in a way I'm not skilled enough to put into words. So often I've seen some glum person that looks resentful and bored at events like this, and it makes me sad -- both because it's no fun to feel out of place, but also because they can't seem to be happy for the person they're with that enjoys this. It was magical to see so many people just happy to be somewhere that I've always considered fun and exciting. People were kind and talkative to complete strangers, and it makes this massive community feel like it's open to everyone. It makes it a place that people can feel at home.
Thank you for listening to my adventure. Stay sweet, stay crafty, and stay tuned.