It was Sarah’s first year at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival (aka, “Rhinebeck”) and there’s lots to share. Join us for the first of two videos featuring the fiber community: other YouTubers, podcasters, makers, and designers. People mentioned in this episode: Amber Johns Eric Lutz of Sticks...
Off-season fun in Westport, Massachusetts
This weekend, we hopped in the car for a quick getaway to Westport, Massachusetts, for some off-season fun, and to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Westport may seem an unlikely destination for a vacation, but if you like the beach (and especially if you’re fond of seafood) it’s a fun...
Spinning and Shopping at the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival
Sarah’s mother (and Chief Fiber Arts Enabler) Nancy Hart joins for a chat about the 30th Annual Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival. The Vermont festival is always our favorite of the year. Held in our home village of Tunbridge, this medium-sized festival attracts vendors and fiber fans from around...
Dye wool with Queen Anne’s Lace for a subtle antique hue
Queen Anne’s Lace has long been known as an herbal remedy and natural dye source. The shades can range from yellows to greens. In this first experiment we got a very pale shade because the concentration of plant material was quite low. Gather a larger amount of flower heads...
2018 Fall Releases: Knitting patterns and natural skincare
It’s about time! For the past several months you’ve seen and heard me allude to a few new products and I am finally ready to share more information about our 2018 fall releases. The Knitting Patterns Inspired by the scenes of Vermont near our homestead, I developed two new...
24: Mary Lake – Shepherd, Shearer, Slaughterer
These days, the sheep industry is experiencing a scarcity of slaughterhouses and trained shearers, as any experienced shepherd can tell you. So it’s rare, and wonderful, to find a woman like Mary Lake who had the interest and tenacity to learn both trades and make them into her twin...
How to Dye Wool with Fresh Lichen
There are a few species of lichen that grow prolifically in the woods around our house, and I’ve been wanting to use them for a dye for quite a while. After gathering them and preparing a fermented ammonia dye vat last year, my first experiment didn’t turn out as...
23: Joseph Morel – Sustainable Farming at Eastman Farm
Despite growing up on a Vermont farm himself, Joseph Morel of Eastman Farm didn’t think that there would be an opportunity to continue this way of life while raising his own family. But through perseverance, developing community with neighboring farms, assistance from the Vermont Land Trust, as well as...
Tasting Big Llama Bräu with Scott Russell
A few weeks ago we met up with Scott Russell at the homestead. Scott had been kind enough to develop a special beer recipe for Gage Hill Crafts called Big Llama Bräu, and we enjoyed the brew day with him. Now it’s time for the moment of truth with...
How to Dye Wool with Butternut Hulls
A few months ago, our generous neighbor gave me some butternut hulls for dyeing. Butternut are a hardwood tree that were at one time very common across New England. Unfortunately, over-harvesting for the furniture industry has led to their scarcity. It may not be possible to locate a sustainable...