Fiber in the Boro Brings Together Weavers and Knitters

Interest in fiber arts is growing. Being stuck home during the pandemic lockdowns, more people became interested in weaving, knitting and felting. Recently, those in the fiber community gathered to sell their wares, pass on their skills, and show those new to the field how wool is turned into beautifully colored yarns and artfully designed finished products.

Fiber in the Boro began as a part of Cannonsburg’s Harvest Day, developing into what it is today. It began with Beth Collier of Three Creek Farms, Jan Quarles of What Nature Leaves, Meredith Kermicle of Knaught Knitter and Darlene Dralus in the small livestock barn at Lane Agri-Center.

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“We got in touch with the extension service,” explained Darlene Dralus, one of the event organizers, “and they helped us out the first few years. Then Christina Consiglio got involved, and she has mad project manager skills.”

It eventually grew into filling the Lane Agri-Center Community Center space, as it did this year. They are now 12 years old and have more than 50 vendors attending, coming from all over Tennessee, as well as Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama and Kentucky.

Fiber is truly a community, with lots of hugs and mutual support between those who own the farms and make the yarn, and those who make goods out of the yarns. After a year of no events in 2020 and a smaller event last year, this year things are back in full swing, including classes being offered in a number of activities, like drop spinning and carting by long-time pros.

“I didn’t even know how to knit when I first got involved,”. Explained Dralus, “I learned from Meredity.”

Displays of crafted items were plentiful, and much was for sale. There were items spanning Halloween and Christmas, as well as lots of whimsy, like felted snails and towering witch’s hats. Another felt artist had made bowls. There were also beautifully dyed silk scarves and unique woven shawls.

Cathy Smay has been coming to the event for about five or six years. She custom hand dyes fibers, spins, weaves, knits, crochets, tatts, felts and sews. She says that Fiber Art is her passion, texture and color her obsession, and nature is her inspiration. Her booth offers felted and sewn Christmas trees that are made of crocheted triangles that are then felted, rolled, wrapped, and then decorated with tiny pearls, shells and ornaments. This is the last year these highly labor-intensive items will be offered, so whoever takes one home will have a treasure.

“This is one of the best pre-Christmas shows for us,” explained her husband, Ed Smay.

Eve Berg of Everrich Farm makes felted hats and purses. They, too are special. Each obviously contains a bit of Berg’s bubbly personality. She was enjoying the conversations she was having with her customers as much or more than selling her one-of-a-kind hats.

“What make this so special is the wide range of people it brings together,” explained Dralus. “You are not just going to see your silver haired grandmothers, you are also going to see purple hair and tattoos, too. It is all about fiber and doing.”