Vendors and fiber artists gathered this weekend for the first annual Fiber Faire.
The first annual Athens Area Fiber Faire, held at ARTS/West, 132 W. State St., showcased not only local vendors’ wares but also a close-knit group.
It was easy to see that craft enthusiasts had invaded the venue by looking at the knitted covers on the railings leading up to the building. 130 people attended the first day of the event, said Nancy Baur, president of the Athens County Women’s Art Guild.
“I had no idea what was going to happen,” she said. “(The turnout) has been amazing. We’ve kind of outgrown this location already.”
The event was presented by ARTS/West and the Athens County Knitters. Baur added organizers had to turn away three or four vendors due to the capacity of the space. The Athens community center would be more of an appropriate size for next year’s event, she said.
ARTS/West had a variety of offerings for fiber lovers from Angora rabbits for sale to knitting circles. One of these activities was a community quilt for attendees to help complete, made up of 140 squares.
Mary Ford, an Athens resident and member of the Athens County Women’s Art Guild, said the quilt was a good way for attendees to work on something collaborative.
“It’s so easy to just sit down and tie a couple knots,” she added, demonstrating that people could easily secure the quilt using a simple stitch.
One vendor offered a type of fiber that would put a unique spin on a hat or scarf — alpaca. Marilyn Wentworth, owner of Phoenix Hill Farm, said alpaca is more of a “luxury” material.
“Alpaca yarn is very soft,” she said. “It just glides through your fingers … The hairs of an alpaca are very slick and straight.”
The Fiber Faire also included two fashion shows that took place over the weekend. Pieces made by people of all skill levels were modeled on the ARTS/West stage. These clothing items ranged from a simple pink scarf intended to showcase different stitches to an intricate olive-green shawl designed to go over a wedding dress.
The sudden drop in temperature over the weekend made displaying the cozy fabrics all too appropriate.
“(The weather) gave the event that fall feel to get people ready for winter knitting,” Baur said.
@EmilyMBamforth
EB104010@ohio.edu
