Hi, we are in Rhinebeck New York, this is the 37th Annual Wool Festival, it's a great place to meet wool enthusiasts, so let's go talk to some.

They come from all walks of life... a mechanic has been shearing sheep for over 30 years and enjoying it.

[Donald Kading, Sheep Shearer / Mechanic]:
"I have been shearing sheep probably about 30 years, and shear about 1500 to about 2000 sheep a year, and here I am doing a demonstration so people can see how people can get the fibre here that they are selling at the wool festival."

This cute animal belongs to Elyse, a lawyer who shears her alpacas once a year, and sells the yarn here. 

[Elyse Arnow, Alpaca Farm Owner / Lawyer]:
"A skean is usually sport weight, this is what you'll see at any yarn shop when you go, this is what you will see, but this is 100% alpaca, and it's from the raw fleece that shorn from the alpacas in April."

Besides alpacas, Elyse also raises sheep, but which one does she love more?

[Elyse Arnow, Alpaca Farm Owner / Lawyer]:
"Alpaca is a really beautiful fiber, it's originally from Peru, and it is a hollow fiber, which makes it incredibly warm because it captures the heat from your body."

The next process is spinning and weaving. Phil, a retiree, spins and weaves angora-rabbit fur.

[Phil Nicholson, Wool Spinner - Weaver]: 
"What I am working on at the moment is a scarf, the pattern I am dealing with is a simple twill."

This festival also provides a platform for these wool lovers to compete and showcase the finished products after the shearing, spinning and weaving.

[Jaelle  Gorgiou, Wool Knitter / School Student]:
"It took me about 6 hours to do. Pompom maybe 20 minutes, and they are a lot of fun to do cause they are just made from your own sheep that you love so much."

For an ultrasound technologist like Lydia, this is considered a fun hobby.

[Lydia Leete,  Wool Spinner-Weaver-Tailor / Ultrasound Technologist]:
"Inside is a fleece lining, it is 100% wool."

For this fun hobby of hers, Lydia gets her reward today by winning the first prize in her category.

Charles Williams, NTD, New York