THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604100082
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
The sheep are back.
Each spring for nearly 16 years, Chesapeake 4-H Club members round up their sheep while weavers and spinners set up their looms and spinning wheels on the grounds of the Chesapeake Central Library for the annual ``Sheep to Shawl'' program.
``It's an exciting way to show that libraries are more than just books,'' said Martha Cole, children's librarian and co-ordinator of this year's activities.
4-H Club members will show and shear their sheep while members from the Tidewater Weavers Guild, the Southeast Spinners, the Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia and the Purls from the Bay Knitting Guild operate looms and spinning wheels to demonstrate their crafts.
Inside the library books and videos about sheep, wool, weaving and spinning will be on display.
The children's video, ``Charlie Needs a Cloak,'' will be shown throughout the day, and there will also be a drawing for the book from which the video was made.
Cole said currently some of the most popular, funny and often checked out children's books are ``Sheep in a Jeep,'' ``Sheep Out Eat'' and ``Sheep in a Show,'' written by Nancy Shaw.
Shawls, purses, mats, wall hangings, towels, suits and coats are on display at the library. Hats, made by guild members, that range from tasseled baby caps to a copy of a medieval wool flat cap are currently on exhibit in the foyer of the library.
The activities will take place on from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 17 at the Cedar Road library. There is no admission charge for the exhibits and demonstrations.
Cole said they expect even a greater attendance than last year, when more than 3,800 children and adults attended the one-day event.
`` `Sheep to Shawl' is not only a longstanding library tradition,'' Cole said, ``but it has become an exciting and fun community event.'' by CNB