News

Tips for Sellers – Auction of Spinning and Weaving Equipment

Posted: April 10, 2024

Keep in mind that there will be roughly 200 lots that need to be sold in 180 minutes. Here are some things you can do to help keep the auction running smoothly and enable your item to command its best price during its brief moment in the spotlight.

1. Label it. Attach a label, such as a half-sheet of typing paper or a 4 x 6” index card with a brief description to your item. Write or print in large type (18-20 pt)–big enough that buyers and auctioneers can read it without needing eyeglasses. Let buyers know what your item is. For example:
   “36 inch 12 dent stainless steel reed” or
   “Main bed carriage for Brother KH230 Knitting Machine” or
   “Toika ‘Ulla’ Spinning Wheel with accessories”.
   
   You may also want to include a couple of bullet points on your label to call out one or two important features. For example, if you know the provenance of great-grandma’s spinning wheel, put a “Documented Provenance” bullet point on the label. If your modern spinning wheel was made by Rick Reeves, or your loom was owned by Anni Albers, call that out on the label. This sort of information can stimulate spirited bidding.
   
   Additional information—such as the detailed provenance of great-grandma’s spinning wheel, a full list of included accessories, instructions, or a website with additional information—can also be attached to the item so that buyers can learn more about it during the auction preview.
2. Clean it up. Please take a few minutes to wipe off dust and dirt. Cleaning wooden tools with a mild soap like Murphy’s Oil Soap will make them shine.
3. Bundle them up. Bundling items into one lot makes a more attractive package. Keep the bobbins, matching lazy kate, and other accessories with the spinning wheel; keep the reeds and shuttles with the loom. If you have lots of interesting miscellaneous items, sort them into treasure boxes for different crafts: spinning, weaving, knitting, quilting. There is not a lot of time in the auction, so to be fair to other sellers, buyers, and the viewing public, if you don’t group your smaller items, the auction staff reserves the right to do so.
4. Set it up. Consider putting a short demo warp on card and inkle looms, or a partially-woven square on a pin looms, and perhaps include some weft or instructions on how to complete the sample project. Help potential buyers see what they can create. In the past, set-up looms or “kits” have commanded substantially higher prices.

Tips for Buyers

Posted: April 10, 2024

1. Preview. Before the auction, walk through the auction tent. There isn’t time to examine an item while it’s being auctioned.
2. Be prepared. Bring a tape measure, string suitable for a test driveband on a spinning wheel, reading glasses, and whatever else you think you may need to assess the items for sale. Have tools and moving blankets in your car so you can dismantle your purchases and bring them home.
3. Write down numbers. Make sure you have a pen or pencil. Record the numbers of the lots in which you are interested and your notes on a notepad, or use the handy form on the back of your auction card.
4. Ask questions. Auction staff and volunteers are not experts, but they may be able to help you identify items, and might even be able to let you “test drive.” Fellow festival goers are friendly, and may also be able to tell you more; occasionally, you might even find a seller loitering by his or her consignments.

2024 Festival Gear Now Available

Posted: April 4, 2024

A selection of 2024 Festival Merchandise is now available! We have short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved hooded t-shirts, three styles of bags, and two sizes of posters. We also have a VERY limited selection of last year’s 50^th anniversary merchandise, too!

This year’s artwork, beautifully hand drawn by talented local artist Ashley White, recognizes the supporting role of livestock guardian dogs in protecting the sheep who bring us all of the sheep and wool benefits that are represented at the Festival. There are many breeds of livestock guarding dogs, in this case the Great Pyrenees, who partner with shepherds as well as the more often recognized herding dogs. Here in the eastern U.S. we are seeing more frequent negative interactions between sheep and growing coyote populations as well as free-roaming dogs. These remarkable guardian dogs represent the method of choice for many shepherds in their efforts to keep their sheep safe from predators, so we choose to honor them this year.

There are two ways to get your gear early:

1. In store – go to the Ceresville New Holland, Inc./Sheepman Supply Co. showroom in Frederick, Maryland and select from the items on display.
2. Online – order at https://www.sheepman.com/product-category/maryland-sheep-wool-festival-online. You can have your order shipped to you, or you can save shipping and pick it up at Sheepman Supply (to do this, enter “would like to pick up at store” in “special instructions”, and you will not be charged for shipping when your order is processed). Sorry, we cannot accept pre-orders for pick up at the festival.

A note on shipping: The “guesstimated” shipping fee that is computer generated by the online sales platform at the time of your order tends to run high. Your credit card will not be charged until your order has been pulled and the actual shipping costs determined. See https://www.sheepman.com/announcement/2024-maryland-sheep-and-wool-merchandise/ for further information.

Online orders will be accepted through April 26. Lots of additional items, styles, and colors will be available at the festival on May 4 & 5!

2024 tickets and catalogs now on sale!

Posted: February 25, 2024

Tickets and catalogs for the 2024 festival are now on sale at https://mswf2024.eventbrite.com.

The deadline for ordering catalogs is March 15.

Don’t forget, registration for our 2024 in-person Fiber Arts Seminars is also open at https://www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool.

Registration for 2024 Fiber Arts Seminars Opening Soon

Posted: February 6, 2024

Registration will open at https://www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Registration for Spinning Classes ONLY will open at 12 noon ET. Registration for all other classes will open at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Click here to download the complete class list.

2024 Featured Breed: Cotswold

Posted: February 10, 2024

Cotswolds are said to have been developed from sheep brought to England by Roman conquerors over 2,000 years ago. The name Cotswold derived from “cote,” a sheep shelter and “wold,” an open rolling field. The breed was well established by the fifteenth century and became the cornerstone of England’s wealth throughout the Middle Ages. The Cotswold region’s economy was founded on wool and the profits funded the grand “wool churches” in the area.

While there are a few newspaper mentions of Cotswolds in the United States before 1832, credit for the first imported ram to America goes to Christopher Dunn of Albany, New York. Cotswolds were originally imported to cross with Robert Bakewell’s Leicester sheep. Cotswolds rapidly grew in popularity and large numbers were imported over the next half century. The first notable purebred Cotswold breeder in America was Justus C. Haviland of Duchess County, New York, who established his flock in 1836. The breed grew in popularity, and in 1876 Henry Stewart wrote in his Shepherd’s Manual (1876) that the Cotswold “has become so common in America, and has been bred so extensively without fresh importations of new blood, that it may well be adopted as a native sheep.”

The American Cotswold Record Association (ACRA), founded in 1878, was the first sheep registry established in the United States. By 1913, the United States Department of Agriculture reported 74,455 Cotswolds in the country. The Cotswold became the favored sire to cross with range Merino ewes to produce market lambs. The resulting lambs had the size of the Cotswold with the finer fleece of the Merino. They remained one of the most popular breeds until the preference shifted to smaller earlier maturing lambs and the growth of the Australian Merino wool trade.

The Cotswold has historically been a dual-purpose sheep. As is the case with other longwool breeds, their meat is mild flavored with no “gamey” taste. In recent years, handspinners have discovered the unique qualities of the wool, including its strength, length, luster, and exceptional ability to take dyes.

Although large sheep with ewes averaging 175-230 pounds and rams over 250 pounds, Cotswolds have a gentle disposition. The 1891 breed description that ACRA still follows today even mentions the eyes should be “mild and kindly.” Cotswold wool has been called “poor man’s mohair” for its luster and soft handle when worsted.
Cotswolds are easy keepers, a trait developed from their origin as the only English “hill breed” of long wool sheep. Like other long wool sheep, they mature by two years. Cotswolds are wonderful mothers with easier lambing due to the ewe’s cone size flanks and wide pelvis as well as the lamb’s relatively small head size and long neck.

Particularly in England, the breed is sometimes referred to as the Cotswold Lion, both in reference to their magnificent bearing and distinctive wool locks around the face. Their fleece has also been called the Golden Fleece, referencing both the breed’s golden luster and the role Cotswold wool had in developing England’s wealth.

The Cotswold is classified as a threatened breed by the Livestock Conservancy in the United States and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in England. Throughout its history, the mission of the American Cotswold Record Association has remained the same. The goal of that mission to contribute to the conservation, development, and promotion of the breed for all members, breeders, and Cotswold enthusiasts. Since 1878, the American Cotswold Record Association (ACRA) has maintained the original breed standard and is committed to preserving the legacy of this historic breed. In the early 90’s, ACRA added a second separate registry (Black Cotswold Registry) which allows for color in the fleece. Today there are three registries for Cotswold sheep: ACRA, BCR, and the Cotswold Breeders Association (CBA). ACRA encourages all heritage sheep owners to register and support a breed association or the Livestock Conservancy. ACRA thanks the Livestock Conservancy for their support of our conservation efforts. The ACRA board meets monthly and offers newsletters, social and educational events multiple times a year for its members.

To find out more about Cotswold sheep including a breeder’s list, Cotswold merchandise, or to support the work ACRA is doing to save a heritage breed, check out ACRA’s website at www.cotswoldacra.com.

During the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, look for ACRA in the Breed Display Barn (Barn 7-8 on the map) and ACRA members showing Cotswold sheep! ACRA is honored to be the featured breed for 2024 and looks forward to sharing the magnificent Cotswold Lion with you!

Warm up for the Festival with Winterfest 2024!

Posted: November 10, 2023

Registration for Winterfest 2024 is now open at https://www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool.

Our third annual Winterfest will once again offer two days of virtual seminars. Winterfest 2024 will be held on Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4 on the same Lessonface platform as last year.

Our Fiber Arts Seminars will feature the following instructors:

• Kate Atherley – Knitting
• Maggie Casey – Spinning
• Roy Clemes – Fiber Prep
• Shana Cohen – Knitting
• Jill Duarte – Spinning
• Laura Lineman – Knitting and Spinning
• Sarah Schira – Knitting
• Emily Wohlscheid – Fiber Prep and Spinning

New this year! Shepherds’ Seminars!

• Solar Grazing for Beginners with Emily Chamelin
• So, You’re Thinking About Adding a Livestock Guardian Dog: Here’s What You Need To Know with Rebecca Miller
• Everything But the Baaa: Maximizing Your Flock’s Value Through Farm to Retail with Sarah Campbell

Our keynote lecture on Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. will be A Year in the Life of a Handspinning Flock with Lee Langstaff. The lecture is free but registration through Lessonface is required.

Fiber Arts Schedule

Shepherds’ Seminar Schedule

2023 Featured Breed: Jacob

Posted: April 26, 2023

Our featured breed for 2023, the majestic Jacob Sheep is a special addition to flocks throughout North America. Unique, regal, useful, hardy – with their strikingly impressive horns and spotted fleece, there are few breeds that excite the interest of others as does the Jacob. Read more about this special breed here.

The Jacob Sheep Breeders Association (JSBA) was formed in 1988 through the encouragement and guidance of the American Minor Breeds Conservancy (now The Livestock Conservancy) and is of prime importance in maintaining this majestic and ancient breed in its present form, as it is considered “threatened” on The Livestock Conservancy’s list. The purpose of JSBA is to ensure the conservation of this heritage breed through inspection, registration, and education.

Learn more about the Jacob breed and talk to JSBA members in the Breed Display Barn (Barn 7-8 on the map) while you are at the Festival.

2023 Festival Gear Now Available

Posted: April 2, 2023

A selection of 2023 Festival Merchandise is now available! We have short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved hooded t-shirts, three styles of bags, and two sizes of posters.

There are two ways to get your gear early:
1. In store – go to the Ceresville New Holland, Inc./Sheepman Supply Co. showroom in Frederick, Maryland and select from the items on display.

2. Online – order at https://www.sheepman.com/product-category/maryland-sheep-wool-festival-online/. You can have it shipped to you, or to save on shipping you can pick it up at Sheepman Supply (to do this, enter “would like to pick up at store” in “special instructions”, and you will not be charged for shipping when your order is processed). Sorry, we cannot accept pre-orders for pick up at the festival. Online orders will be accepted through April 26.

Lots of additional items, styles, and colors will be available at the festival on May 6 & 7!

2023 tickets and catalogs now on sale!

Posted: February 26, 2023

Tickets and catalogs for the 2023 festival are now on sale at https://mswf2023.eventbrite.com.

Don’t forget, registration for our 2023 in-person Fiber Arts Seminars is also open at https://www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool.