We had a great time at our first Garden State Sheep & Fiber Festival, an event with a small-town and agricultural focus. Big thanks to everyone who came by to say hello and chat with us – it’s nice to be able to do that at some of these smaller shows. Links to the organizations,
Articles with the Tag Wool
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 careers. Join us for a look
Dyeing Yarn with Jewelweed, Native to North America
Jewelweed is a native North American plant that grows in many climates, usually near wet areas and along river banks. In the video, I share a method for creating beautiful natural tangerine dye using this abundant natural dye source. I first learned about jewelweed as a dye source from a friend and fellow fiber farmer,
5: The Felted Gnome Knows: Susi Ryan’s Felted Fantasy
Susi Ryan and her love of magic and fairy tales is reflected in her fantastical creatures and whimsical artworks. Using the technique of needle felting, where wool is painstakingly built up and embellished, Susi creates creatures, figures and even hats with a charming personality all their own. From an impromptu purchase of a felting kit
3: Tammy White, Fiber Farmer at Wing & A Prayer Farm
Like so many farmers, Tammy White does a lot. She’s a fiber specialist, raising sheep, angora goats, alpaca and other non-fiber animals as well. She’s a teacher and facilitator, opening the farm to workshop participants and taking her classes on the road. She’s a baker, a gardener, a marketer. She’s a collaborator and co-conspirator with
Spring Shearing 2010: Shearing the Pregnant Ewes
With lambing around the corner, its time for spring shearing and we had our shearer out last weekend. Spring is the most common time to shear, for several reasons. The sheep are less likely to suffer from overheating in summer, and for pregnant ewes its convenient to shear them before birth to keep the fleece
Freshman Farm: A Year of Being Shepherds
Since our last post, we’ve gotten our little freshman farm business off the ground. In the spring we fenced a second pasture to give the sheep more room to graze. We sent our first batch of wool to Green Mountain Spinnery in August, and sold yarn at the Tunbridge World’s Fair and the Vermont Sheep