There are new sheep in town !

These are not the actual sheep. It is a picture I borrowed from a UK Border Leicester website. But I have two ewes coming home tomorrow that look like this and they are bred to a Blue Faced Leicester so I am anxiously awaiting the new arrivals so I can see what a wonderful fleecy combination that will be.
Look at those ears, are they not the cutest thing ever !
Going to the Chelsea Spinnersflock meeting February 13th and have some yummy dyed Mohair in several colors plus some very nice Romney fleece from Bubba. If I don't get any buyers then I will throw a bag together of all sorts of colors and get it processed into roving to see what I can come up with !!

I need your Vote !!

Hi All,

I have come across a grant opportunity through Pepsi. I have applied and my project is titled "Fiber, Food and Family". This grant opportunity will enable me to construct a small building on my farm to house educational presentations and fiber art projects to do with the community. I am trying to bridge the gap between family and farming, whatever type of farming you do from fiber to food products.
These grants are awarded based on public vote.

February 1, 2010 will open voting.... go to- www.refresheverything.com
Look for Fiber, Food and Family and place your vote !!!

Thank you in advance for your support !!

Mohair !

The dye pots are going ! I have Mohair that is pink on silver and white, spruce on grey, yellow on white, golden yellow on white and teal on white. Yummy !

I am trying to be good and concentrate on writing a proposal for work but the weather is so mild and the sheep and goats are running around and playing as I watch out of the window it is hard to concentrate.

Will also be harvesting some Angora soon in a variety of shades.

Looking forward to adding Border Leicester and Blue Faced Leicester sheep to my herd. What fun that will be.

Must go stir the pot !!

Ryan Musings

Hi All,

I am sitting here looking out at this snow covered world and thinking about the future and all of the plans I have for this spring and summer.

I have started shearing my Romneys and they appreciated it very much. It is the middle of winter and they have 4-6 inches on them that is so thick when I put my hand in the wool (to warm my hands) they are hot ! So I am hand shearing thus leaving on about an inch of fiber.

As I am shearing, (such a professional way to do it: Sheep tied to gate, Robin sitting on a bucket with a garbage bag to put wool in. Got the picture) Bruce Almighty (my first Angora Goat) has to visit. When I smack him away from rubbing his horns all over my back, he goes for the cell phone. After he is told many times that the cell is off limits, he grabs a mouth full of MY hair and pulls me off of the bucket. " Get the point" he says. He is one of the more spoiled ones around here.

This summer I am hoping to hold a fiber event in my lot by the road that was left out from pasture for just this purpose. My plans are to have some vendors, some educational demos and then some area for petting some of the animals, we will see. First I have to see about the big one and that is liability insurance.

My plans are today to dye some Mohair..............hhmmmm what colors can I come up with next !!

Take care all..........................

Creating New Jobs !

Winter News

Snow, snow, snow, winter is here with a Bang! We are settling nicely into the farm and I am lovin' it very much. The holidays came and went and were nicely spent. We are still trying to sell the house in Waldron and have decided to close it down for the winter. Too much heat bills to handle with two houses.

The animals are doing well and it looks like the first lambs will be making an appearance next month. Too soon for me I like spring lambs but the ewes had a different idea this year.

Had a scare last night with a llama choking, one of my best females and pregnant to boot decided to spit an another as she was eating and inhaled a bunch of grain. After the process of rubbing her neck (did not help), her foaming at the mouth, looked like the exorcist all over again. I ran into the house and got the calf tubing kit and proceeded to shove the tube down her throat about three foot- four times before dislodging her blockage. Must say scared the heck out of us both. She is not a llama that likes to be handled and when she just stood there and let me do this while looking at me with those big eyes, that about killed me.

The llama is good this morning and hopefully we will have no more incidents like that.

I will be shearing in February as long as we don't have any bad cold snaps so will have shetland and romney fiber, yummy!

Will be making some more rugs such as the one pictured above............................

Take care all