PRINEVILLE —

From sheep to scarves, all things fiber were celebrated Saturday at the 20th annual Fiber Market Day at the Crook County Fairgrounds.

Vendors inside Carey Foster Hall at the fairgrounds showed off their hand-spun yarns, spinning equipment and exotic fibers, including buffalo, camel and yak wool.

Outside, local farms brought their sheep to be pet and admired by the visitors.

Prineville resident John Tombleson joked the event gives a whole new meaning to fiber optics.

Tombleson and his wife, Lexie, brought their two grandchildren, 5-year-old Audrey Tombleson and 6-year-old Henry Tombleson, of Redmond.

“We thought they would enjoy seeing some livestock, and learning how it goes from wool to yarn,” Lexie Tombleson said.

Lexie Tombleson, who is retired after working at the Prineville School District for 22 years, and her husband, who works for the Stinger Transport trucking company, knew their grandchildren would be thrilled to spend the day petting the sheep.

The two children excitedly ran around and stuck their hands through the fence, sometimes getting licked by the sheep.

“They are so soft and fluffy, and they are so cute,” Audrey said.

Two of the sheep belonged to Shirley DeMaris, who has been raising sheep on her property near Tumalo for more than 30 years. She has brought sheep to Fiber Market Day since the first year two decades ago.

“I’ve had sheep since 1983, when my kids got into 4-H. Then they grew up and went away, and the sheep are still here,” DeMaris said.

DeMaris brought two English Leicester sheep, which are known for their distinct wool that curls at the end. But, she said the most popular are merino sheep because their wool is clothing quality and can be worn comfortably against the skin.

DeMaris has 14 sheep and nine lambs on her property. She breeds her animals and shears them regularly.

She teased the two sheep at the market Saturday that they have to work for their hay.

Her two sheep sat together in the pen and allowed children to pet them.

“It’s way more fun for the kids,” DeMaris said.

Inside Carey Foster Hall, Elise Cain and her friend Izzy Baptista sat at their spinning wheels and taught passersby how to spin fibers into yarn.

The two women are a part of a fiber-spinning guild in the Mount Hood area.

Cain, 57, said she started spinning fibers about two years ago, after spending years working with felt. Through the guild, Cain has traveled to fiber fairs and shows around the state, but had never made it to Fiber Market Day until Saturday. It is a well-known event around the state, she said.

Larger county fairs are fun to attend, Cain said, but she preferred the low-key atmosphere of Fiber Market Day.

“Because it’s small, you get to do more talking to people, and it’s pretty renowned,” Cain said.

“These events are dedicated entirely to fiber.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7820,

kspurr@bendbulletin.com