HELLO,
THE SHEEP
The sheep are busily growing new wool for next years yarn. I am planning on bringing 2 years of wool to Green Mountain Spinnery after the Crafts of Colrain. The yarn will be from my two dark sheep, Sally and Lucy. I am saving this years clip from Maude and Carol K so that next spring I will have 2 years of their fleeces. I am designing a simple vest pattern to make kits with, dyeing some of the white wool. I really would like to get something going for the small farmers in the area. There are many of us that just have 5-10 sheep. My friend Lisa has a group and I hope to catch up with her soon and see what we can do.
In the past I have sold Wilbur yarn, the tag on the yarn was a picture of him on the front and a short story about the farm on the back. People loved the soft yarn and were glad to know the sheep. I will do the same with Lucy and Sally’s, and Maude and Carol K’s yarn. I plan on making posters of the sheep with their yarn to display near the yarn for sale..
EGGS
For the first time in all my years of raising hens I am buying eggs. I am buying organic but clearly my fresh eggs are so much better. I think it’s the fact that they are so fresh. Eggs that sit around in the store lose their freshness. Come on gals let’s get with the program. Morticia and Mrs. Brown are still laying but not daily. The three new gals should be laying this month or next so that will help.
THE NEW ENGLAND FIBER FESTIVAL
I enjoyed my visit to The New England Fiber Festival, there was lots of booths with many interesting things. I met my two friends named Lisa, the first Lisa from Cranberry Moon Farm I met when I first arrived. I had no sooner started walking down the animal isle when I saw her. We had a great chat, last year she started a small group called THE FIBER SHED, promoting wool and small farmers. We will meet during the winter about getting it up and running, she introduced me to a lovely woman who lives in the Berkshires who raises Merino’s and works closely with the Hancock Shaker Village, I would like to get to know her better. Lisa of Spinners Hill was next on my list. We chatted between customers. Lisa is a warm, loving person who raises sheep and promotes sheep on a daily basis. Her roving and dyed locks are the best in the business. I won’t see her till the Massachusetts Show but we keep in touch a couple of times during the winter. I hope you enjoy some pictures from the show.
SPINNERS HILL FARM
JENNY BANNOCK OF DIVINE BIRD SPINNING ON A COLORFUL CANADIAN PRODUCTION WHEEL
FLEECE SALE
HOOKING STUDIO FROM VERMONT WITH DELIGHTFUL PRIMITIVE WORK
NORWEGIAN SLOW TV
On the way down to the show I listened to Vermont Public Radio as I do most days in the car. The talk was of Norwegian Slow TV. Its was an experiment that has gone wild. Last night there was 7 hours of knitting. The first few hours of the knitting program were talking about knitting, showing how its done etc. The last remaining hours were of a Sheep to Jumper like in the Sheep to Shawl contests we have here, starting with a sheep and through the carding, spinning and then finally the knitting of the Jumper. I am hoping to find this somewhere on the internet. Other shows they have had were 18 hours of Salmon fishing, following a cruise sheep etc. The shows have all been wildly successful much to the surprise of everyone. Sounds like TV I would enjoy, just plain every day things. I would subscribe to something like this and give up the Netflix.!
Many thanks for reading my blog today, yesterday was an interesting and educational day for me, I hope you have a wonderful day today. Carole
Whispering Pines Farm 