OMG GUISE THE FAIR

I went to the State Fair for the first time ever, the trip I made when I was 16 to see a concert not actually counting.

There was so much stuff that I actually wound up missing the stuff I went intending to visit (crafts, cooking, farmers' market, etc.). But I got to pet a lamb, and a heifer, and a very friendly Tunis sheep, and made a child stop tormenting the chickens, and nearly got run over by an angry yearling ewe, and, uh, bought more fleece.

It's true. There was a barn full of fleeces. Fleeces in bags, with prizewinning ribbons (some of 'em) and soft and pretty and allsorts and, oh no, a whole rack of them skirted for handspinners. Oh NO. At this point I was actually mugged and forced to purchase the above-pictured fleece, which is most likely Corriedale since that's what the Reicherts apparently raise, mugging being the only acceptable reason that I would bring another fleece into this apartment, let me tell you.

The Reicherts are, according to the good demonstrators of the Central Ohio Weavers' Guild, known for their awesome spinning fleeces. Good fleece, good shearing, good skirting, because Mrs. Reichert is a spinner herself. I cannot understand, then, why Mid-Ohio Wool Growers, who was selling the fleeces, was selling it for only $22, but who am I to argue? All the fleeces, the ones for sale anyway, were going for a scarily small amount. No wonder wool farmers can't break even...

Hopefully the Reicherts' fan club is such that the family can also sell their very awesomest stuff direct. As it is, this fleece had a ribbon on it (should have taken a picture--something like "fourth premium" or something, several fleeces had the ribbon), and I've definitely seen (and bought) worse before. It's just gorgeous. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but Corrie does enjoy being carded and spun fluffy, I know that much, so that might be how I go.