I think I left you hanging in February after I learned to hand spin. In an effort to catch you up, entertain you, and take you along on this journey of mine as I continue to learn to spin, I... Continue Reading →
We are neck-deep in fleece again! Shearing is in full swing. Beautiful fleeces are dropping daily. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure. Feta Sheep Tzatziki Delphis
I've been busy hand spinning like crazy since January 6. After getting a blizzard that dropped 17 inches of snow, being essentially snowed-in, and not seeing many people for weeks, I've finished spinning a few hanks of yarn! I've been... Continue Reading →
We are about a third of the way through shearing now. It takes us a couple of weeks because we not only shear each sheep, but we also do a health check, vaccinate, trim hooves, and then we skirt, grade,... Continue Reading →
Since I am inundated with elderberries, I decided I should dye some yarn. I am very interested in natural dyes and have previously dyed with blueberries (see my previous post Blueberry Yarn). I would love to dye with indigo, but... Continue Reading →
It feels so good to be done with shearing! We feel so accomplished. We figure this must be how it feels to finish a full marathon. The sheep have all been shorn, vaccinated, and had their hooves trimmed. They are... Continue Reading →
It's been an interesting shearing season! We've sheared in the cold, after the rain, in high humidity, in extreme heat, and surrounded by cats. The cats were there to annoy us every step on the way. They love the smell... Continue Reading →
We started shearing, but it has been really dreary, cold, and rainy. We took a couple of days off to let the sheep dry and now it's sprinkling again... The weather just doesn't want to cooperate this year. Sunday was... Continue Reading →
Nope, black sheep baby fleece. I'd been inspecting Raven's baby fleece from last year, and when I walked away for just ONE moment, that's all it took. Then the cats started fighting over it. One would kick the other out... Continue Reading →
It's only 52 days until Christmas! This year I am endeavoring to make homemade gifts for as many of my family members and friends as possible. It's like Santa's workshop around here. There's wool, cat hair, and paint everywhere. I... Continue Reading →
I've FINALLY finished staining this darned thing! The Husband was curious, so I let him put it together while I watched. The spinning wheel was partially a 2018 birthday present from my father - thanks, Daddy! Now I just have... Continue Reading →
Mulch is absolutely a must for gardens here in NE Kansas. The last thing I mulched my garden with was wheat straw, but unfortunately, wheat started growing! I won't use that again. Enter: wool! This year I grabbed some of... Continue Reading →
I've been meaning to crochet a hat, purely out of our Gulf Coast Native (GCN) wool, for my physical therapist (PT) for about two years now. With the hay put up, the sheep out to pasture, and the hot days... Continue Reading →
So, it has been a LONG while since I have worked on the spinning wheel and I want to finish staining it and putting it together. I looked at the shipping invoice and it is dated February of 2018! That... Continue Reading →
I wanted to introduce you to the patriarch of the next generation: Heron the Ram. He just turned one year old. His fleece is AMAZING just like his brother Hawk's fleece. They are both out of Tzatziki (very crimpy) and... Continue Reading →
Well, it's over. I'm done. Today was my last day. I'm no longer employed by anyone but myself. I feel like I just hurled myself off a cliff! It was a long time coming and it was a hard decision,... Continue Reading →
So, last Wednesday the Husband told me, "You're dyeing on Saturday." I'm like, wait, "What?" He had registered me for a virtual dyeing class with Shepherd's Cross, which was where he learned to shear. I didn't know much about what... Continue Reading →
I've decided I want to learn to needle felt. I was aiming to make a penguin for my first project. However, before I could begin, I needed to dye my wool to get all the colors needed. I already had... Continue Reading →
The shearing is done, the ewes and lambs have been turned out onto spring and summer pasture, and I don't have to feed hay anymore! Yay! If you are interested in fleece, let me know!
The sheep wish you a non-monochromatic year of adventure, change, and new grass! We are missing Mother Nature's color and vigor as we now head into the depth of winter. Throw some wool on and stay warm!
Am I the only one who travels with fleece-in-the-grease? Actually, probably! When I knew I was going to be at Walter Reed for prosthetic and gait training for 4-8 weeks I knew I was going to be homesick. So, I packed Ixora's entire fleece, my combs, and a diz!
My surgeon's nurse was fascinated by the knowledge that I had a flock of sheep. She let on that she liked to knit and shyly let on that she wanted some yarn. So, I was on a mission.
My husband sheared a couple of hoggets by himself, but he ended up doing adaptive shearing with me where he would tip and shear belly wool and get legs started, and then stand them up, and I would finish shearing the rest of the sheep from a sitting position while he held them. It was definitely a team sport.
I'm so excited - the shearing is all done! Yay! And now I have a mountain of fleece in my storeroom....
Some shepherds hire a shearing team, and others do it themselves. Well, I'm definitely a DIY kind of girl. This year I have 14 sheep to shear!
I love, love my new Valkyrie combs. They are so nice and easy to work with. Kudos to my friend who found them first and pointed me to them as well!
Well, it has finally happened - I ordered a spinning wheel! My father was so kind to add some birthday moolahs to my piggy bank, making the purchase of a spinning wheel possible. I am very grateful!
