Fiber Fest had activities, entertainment

This past weekend I attended our local Fiber Fest. It bills itself as a celebration of the fiber arts. I think that is a rather ambiguous description of the scope of the event.

 There were plenty of spinning wheels, both in use and as displays. People demonstrated how to make thread or yarn. Talented crafters displayed yarn from sheep, alpacas and other animals, as well as offerings made from plants such as cotton.

 There were thick ropes of colorful yarn awaiting the application of knitting needles, crochet hooks or looms. There were finished products galore in a wider variety than I ever thought possible. Socks, afghans, headbands, and scarves were only a few of the offerings displayed by artisans who had invested untold hours in their creations.

One would think this would be boring for the children forced to come along by their parents. One would be wrong. There were children’s activities sprinkled throughout the venue. The recycling people demonstrated how to make a firefly from discarded materials. Almost every kid I saw had one.

The woodcarvers were set up beside the recyclers. One of them handed out free flowers made from twigs. Another had made a frog who croaked when its back was stroked. I brought along a puzzle consisting of a castle full of dragons. Most of the children in attendance put the puzzle together at one time or another.

Off to one side an elderly (read: older than me) gentleman created hand-hewn bowls using a lethal-looking instrument. He would occasionally take a break to play the spoons. He was accompanied by the girl who sat beside him. She said she was 11 and her name was Elizabeth. She smiled when I said that was my daughter’s name. She had an amazing sense of rhythm and never looked  bored. I asked the guy if that was his granddaughter and he said he had never seen her before in his life. She laughed.

All of the crafters shared their knowledge with anyone willing to listen. Everywhere I looked, people were passionate about the things they had created.

I discovered that I was not passionate about the fiber arts. What I did enjoy was watching the people who were. They went from display to display, asked questions, made comments and many of them left with purchases.

I was surprised at how many people of all ages returned to our table to make my friend’s frog croak. Every single person who played with the frog smiled. Not one grumpy face could resist a simple toy. With all of today’s technology, it was a wooden frog that captivated them.

The dragon puzzle was also a success. I’m surprised it still has any paint on it as often as it was dumped out and put back together. I found it fascinating to watch young minds work as they figured out how to get all the pieces back into place.

The kids were better at it than the adults. Either the adults were too timid to try or they were unwilling to admit when they had a piece in the wrong place. The kids would twist and turn the pieces, put them in place and not hesitate to move them around until every dragon was in its place and the castle doors were slammed shut.

 All in all, it was a good day. The Fiber Fest had a good turnout and I was privileged to watch young minds work. I may not be passionate about fiber arts but I’m glad I didn’t pass up the opportunity to meet some interesting people and a spoon-playing girl named Elizabeth.