By Patricia Morrison Coate
Olympic Peninsula News Group
SEQUIM — If you’re looking for unique diversion this weekend, head up the hill from Sequim for a celebration of fiber at the fourth annual Dyefeltorspin at the Happy Valley Alpaca Ranch, 4629 Happy Valley Road.
Owners Mike and Linda Gooch, their relatives and employees are focusing on “female power in action” during the festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday — from the females in the herd who will be sheared Sunday to the couple’s 8-year-old granddaughter spinning alpaca fiber into yarn to professional photographer Cindy Marie Kern who will wrangle the alpacas — and children, too — for family portraits.
Visitors can sign up at the welcome table to secure photo session time slots and enter a contest to win a free one-hour family portrait session.
Those purchasing a portrait will be able to join the alpacas in their pen for a one-of-a kind image.
Other visitors are invited to get up close and personal with the curious alpacas over the fence. Kern also will sell scenic photos of the Olympic Peninsula and close-ups of the alpacas, revealing their individual personalities.
In addition, Kern’s handmade jewelry featuring local sea glass will be available for browsing and purchasing.
“I try to capture their interesting personalities — some are super friendly and others are more shy,” Kern said. “They’re really intelligent.”
Kern said the festival is great for a free family outing.
“It’s really fun to meet the animals and watch the fiber process of seeing the shearers in action, cleaning the fiber and then seeing the finished product,” Kern said.
“I really enjoy seeing the whole process. When you buy a sweater or scarf, you can meet the animal that grew it.”
On both days, visitors can watch sorting, carding, dyeing, felting, spinning and weaving as demonstrated by local Olympic Peninsula artisans and visit the ranch’s gift shop, which has a new group of wall hangings crafted by the Gooches’ daughter and granddaughter, Megan and Chloe Schmidlkofer, respectively, who just learned to spin yarn and weave about six months ago.
“The wall hangings have alpaca and Merino fiber, silk, mohair locks, feathers, ripped fabric — all kinds of things,” Megan Schmidlkofer said.
She recently revived her glassblowing skills, put on hold as life intervened for 10 years, and her jewel-tone art glass is for sale in the shop. Other vendors will present fiber demonstrations and their own crafts.
Schmidlkofer also will offer either weaving or felting activities for the youngsters.
Another professional is Amy Chan of Digital Guava Design, who recently redesigned the Happy Valley Alpaca Ranch’swebsite to make it sleeker and more streamlined. If you’re a local small business with marketing and webpage needs, chatwith her during the festival.
Lunch will be available by Curbside Bistro, with gourmet hot dogs, sausages and gyros.
“It’s just an all-around fun event,” Kern concluded.
There is ample parking at the ranch. To find it, from Sequim, take South Third Avenue to Happy Valley Road and turn right. Watch for the “Alpaca Crossing” sign on the left.
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Patricia Morrison Coate is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishingnewspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at pcoate@sequim gazette.com.
