The Black Sheep Gathering is an annual fiber and sheep show at the Lane County Fairgrounds. If you know Kim, then you know it's one of her favorite events. She went when it opened on Friday to grab the best of the yarn bargains, then again with me on Saturday to walk through and look at the sheep. On Sunday, she went to a spinning class that was part of the fun.
Pictured is Moses, a champion Shetland ram. We were lucky enough to talk to Moses' owner who told us how wonderful Shetland sheep are. They produce wonderful fleece, good milk, and you can eat 'em, too. He also told us to pet sheep under their chins and not on their heads. If you pet them on their heads, it makes them more likely to butt.
The black sheep gathering is centered around less common breeds and colored sheep. This one lives up to that goal. I have no idea of the breed or sex of this sheep, but you have to admit those eyes are quite captivating.
In addition to colorful sheep/goats, you get some with strange characteristics, such as extra horns. This little devil has 4. Usually we see at least a few with 6 horns. I will skip the obvious jokes about amorous goats.
Life's not all grazing and hanging out in the pens. There was no dignity for this one.
There are various competitions for fiber arts. These include weaving, knitting of various categories, spinning, felting, and needle felting. This is a needle-felted alpaca which is not only charming, but a good segue into...
The Alpaca Marketplace is at the Fairgrounds the same weekend as the Black Sheep Gathering. It is sponsored by The Emerald Valley Alpaca Association.
We always enjoy seeing the alpacas. They are members of the camel family from South America, and are closely related to llamas. Their fleece is wonderful for spinning. This year we learned that adults reach about 200 pounds, the hair on top of their head is left after shearing for "vanity's sake", and if you have 3 spare acres, you can raise about 25 of them. Be prepared to spend about 2 hours a day scooping the manure, if you do, though. Conveniently, they tend to all poop in the same location.
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