QUILCENE | OCT 12 EXPLORE IT ALL FROM SHEEP TO SHAWL

Where else can you stand in one spot and witness a sheep being sheared, a Celtic harpist and jazz guitarists strumming rich melodies, and a Skokomish tribal weaver creating Salish art? This and more can be enjoyed at the Quilcene Fiber Festival in Worthington Park, Quilcene in October.

The Park will open its doors from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is free to the public for this third annual celebration. The Festival showcases regional fiber artists and the local wool industry. Past vendors unanimously declare this the best event of its kind on the Olympic Peninsula. There will be many new vendors joining them.

All will be demonstrating animals as well as skills including spinning, weaving, and knitting across the ten acres of Worthington's landscape.

ABOVE The very popular Olympic Peninsula Alpaca Rescue will return again bringing two sheep to shear – and a few more alpacas for adoption.

Traditional Skokomish Weavers

The fiber festival once again hosts weavers from Skokomish Tribe. The weavers demonstrate the Salish style of hand weaving, which is used for blankets and shawls. Demonstrations will take place in the restored mansion. They will offer a land acknowledgment at the start of the day.

All of the spinning demonstrators are returning from last year, representing a spectrum of methods – from a great wheel, spindle, traditional treadle wheel to electric spinning wheels.

Workshops

In addition to demonstrations and performances, there are opportunities for visitors to learn fiber arts in workshops held throughout the day. These educa- tional activities will include knitting, crocheting, needle felting, and weaving. Felting and weaving were the most popular last year, and everyone can take their creations home with them!

Wool Walkers Return

The Wool Waulkers will again grace the Linger Longer stage performing their favorite traditions – “waulking” the tweed or “fulling” newly woven cloth, and singing songs while beating the cloth rhythmically on a table.

Waulking songs are a musical form that is now unknown outside Scottish Gaelic culture. These songs were developed purely to accompany the work of waulking and are traditionally sung in the Gaelic language by women while waulking (fulling) cloth. This practice involved a group of women, who traditionally prepared the cloth, rhythmically beating newly woven tweed or tartan against a table to lightly felt it and shrink it to better repel water. Simple, beat-driven songs were used to accompany the work.

A waulking session often begins with slow-paced songs, with the tempo increasing as the cloth becomes softer. Audience members will are invited up to participate in the waulking.