Leonardville hosts fourth annual Fiber Flurry celebrating fiber arts

LEONARDVILLE, Kan. — Fiber enthusiasts, makers and artists will gather Saturday for the fourth annual Fiber Flurry, a one-day celebration of yarn, roving, wool, alpaca fiber and handmade goods featuring vendors, classes and a fashion show.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sikes Venue, 101 West Barton. Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring current projects to work on while networking with fellow fiber artists.

More than a dozen vendors will be on hand showcasing alpaca yarn and roving, hand-dyed materials, wool products, spinning wheels, looms and finished fiber goods. Vendors include operations such as Tallgrass Woolery, HLA Fiber Mill, The Emerald Ewe, which specializes in spinning wheels and historically dyed handspun yarns, and 14 Hands Ranch, which offers Finnsheep yarn and roving.

The festival will offer hands-on classes throughout the day for all skill levels, ranging from solar natural dye jar techniques to Latvian braid knitting and needle felting. Morning sessions from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. include classes in natural dye techniques, Latvian braid knitting and felting flowers. Afternoon classes from 1 to 3 p.m. cover band weaving on a rigid heddle, mini peg loom weaving and needle felted Christmas gnomes. Class registration is available online, with payment due upon arrival.

A fashion show at approximately 12:30 p.m. will highlight clothing made from natural fibers such as wool, alpaca and silk. Anyone is welcome to enter, regardless of vendor status or age.

Leonardville is located approximately 30 minutes from hotels in Junction City, Manhattan and Clay Center. Event organizers note no hotels are available in Leonardville itself.

For more information, vendors, class details and fashion show registration, visit fiberflurry.com.