A Day at the Farm

A couple of weekends ago, thanks to a heads up from a friend, I stumbled across something really fun! Our local forest preserve district operates a historical “living history” farm called Kline Creek Farm. Recently, they had their Lamb and Wool Festival, and I was able to go.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, not too hot and not too cold, and even just the scenic walk outdoors was lovely. There were blue skies, wide open spaces, and the windy, burbling creek that the farm is named after.

Kline Creek Farm

Just outside the welcome center, a sweet black dog gave a demonstration on sheep herding. It was hard to get a picture because he was moving so fast.

Sheep herding - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

There was a shearing demonstration too, and even a couple of new lambs!

Shearing - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm   Lambs - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

At the dying station, kids could place pieces of wool into a sandwich bag with some food coloring and vinegar to dye it.  There was someone boiling wool in a big pot over a fire as well. I’m not sure but I think he was preparing the wool for dyeing.

Dyeing - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

It was the lamb and wool festival, but of course there were other animals as well. I saw beautiful horses and a whole bunch of chattering chickens. There were bees too, and natural honey, but I decided to stay well away from that area since I’m allergic to bee stings.

chicken - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

Inside the farmhouse, there were demonstrations of various fiber arts, including quilting, knitting, crochet, weaving, and lace making. I was completely enthralled by this stunning bobbin lace demonstration.

bobbin lace - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

I made my way back to the welcome center, and stopped to see this exhibit on natural dyeing. It was a matching game, and I tried my best, but I failed miserably! Can you do it? Check out the instagram post (by clicking on the image) for all the answers, courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners!

A post shared by Pia Thadani (@stitchesnscraps) on

Inside the welcome center, I met my new friend Mickey. She was there to demonstrate spinning, and she let me sit with her and spin! I wasn’t exactly dressed for the event, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone.

 

Mickey - Lamb & Wool Festival - Klein Creek Farm

So many visitors, mostly children, came by that afternoon to see what we were doing. I was enjoying telling them all about the spinning wheel and drop spindle, and Mickey even let them try out a drum carder! I did manage to get a good amount of spinning done, despite the activity. The afternoon flew by and before I knew it, it was over. I definitely want to go again next year too. Will you be there?

 

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.