Sheep and Wool Ex
IF your feet need a break at this year’s Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg, head to the Sheep and Wool Expo. Take a
seat on a hay bale and be entertained by sheep-shearing
demonstrations and fashion shows, or if you want to get
more involved, take part in the spinning, dyeing, knitting
and felting workshops on offer daily. And for any visitor
who wants to do their bit for the “67 Blankets for Mandela Day” movement, a special space has been set aside —
with free wool, needles and looms — for volunteers to
help knit blankets to keep people warm this winter.
There is also a range of products perfectly timed for
winter, and visitors can buy wool slippers, women’s
clothing, knitting yarns, scarves, hand-knitted jerseys,
pullovers, hats, mohair blankets, shawls and much more.
This popular interactive exhibit is a firm favourite with
children and adults alike, and the Sheep and Wool Expo
has been an ongoing success at the Show. As one of the
exhibits that demonstrate the Show’s tradition of introducing town to country, its popularity is largely due to
the fact that it covers all aspects of sheep and wool, from
conception to consumption. It is a unique kind of expo,
in that the raw and retail products, as well as the animals
they are derived from, are seen side by side.
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) will have an
interactive display at the Sheep and Wool expo too this
year, with livestock as well as displays of some of the
projects that this institution is currently running. A variety of indigenous sheep and goats will be on show at
their stand.
The Indigenous Veld Goat Club’s display will complement ARC’s exhibit at the Sheep and Wool Expo, with
outstanding examples of goats and kids on view.