March 18, 2011 at Overlook Farm/Heifer Project International

Before things got too crazy here at the home base, I managed to trek over to Overlook Farm/Heifer Project as the ewes and nannies were in their last days/weeks of pregnancy. No new babies, but plenty of expectant mothers . . . and rather sedate boys club of fathers off by themselves. New to me this year was the appearance of a large, older looking guard dog. I couldn't get to the llamas and piglets, but a couple of sows were lounging in their pen. I'm sure now there is plenty to capture there and I hope to get back soon.

Magyar Racka Tenyészet

Magyar Racka Tenyészet

More great info on the Hungarian Racka Sheep from my esty fiber resource. Eagerly awaiting my shipment from the motherland of this exotic fiber, due any day now!

New Sheep Breed to Love (Hungarian like me!)

From Sheep 101:
The Racka is a unique breed with both ewes and rams possessing long spiral shaped horns. The breed is of the Zackel type and originated in Hungary. The breed is used for milk, wool and meat production. Mature males may have horns as long as two feet or more. The minimum standard length is given as 50 cm (20 inches) for rams and 30 cm (12-15 inches) for ewes.


The cork-screw horns protrude almost straight upward from the top of the head. The Racka has been described as a hardy animal and is often used in crossbreeding due to its ability to pass this survivability to its offspring. The breeds unique appearance and quiet disposition would make it a desirable animal for hobby situations.

Breed category: long wool, dual-purpose

Distribution: Europe


WOW!

Showing Off

One of my favorite shots from the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival was chosen for the 2011 Biennial at ArtsWorcester. Here's the proof. Nice to see it in the company of lots of very professional works of all shapes and sizes.It fired me up to get out in the mud and early spring air and head to Overlook Farm/Heifer Project to shoot sheep, goats, and bovines. 216 images later I have some editing work to do!

Getting Photos Some Exposure (!)

Ha. Must be the coffee that's giving me the clever edge this morning.

In the past few weeks, Walking Wool portfolio images have been getting the attention I think they deserve. ArtsWorcester chose four works for inclusion in a photo installation at UNUM's corporate offices here in Worcester.

And, just this past weekend, a juror selected the favorite of mine -- Blue Faced Leicester Ram Up Close -- for inclusion in the upcoming Biennial 2011 at ArtsWorcester (over 200 submissions, and only 90 some selections made). So, feeling good about the public reception and further exposure my work is getting this spring. Onward and upward.

Feline Fiber Fun

Betsy took home a sample of the CVM I purchased at Common GroundFair in Maine last fall. This is exactly what is so much fun about Guild membership -- we get to share our discoveries and learn about fleeces and sheep we might not ever get to see.

So, of course she needed to card and spin it up right away. While letting it dry near the heating vent in her home, the freshly spun yarn blew gently in the breeze, providing irresistible entertainment for her 19-year old Growlbert. Wonder what his secret to longevity it. Perhaps . . . fiber fun?

A good fiber weekend

The news from The Salty Ewe farm was exciting this weekend. On Saturday, March 5th at 12 noon Bella gave birth to Mercy and Grace, two apparently very small black ewe lambs. The report is that all are well. Very lovely.

And, the spinning guild came to my home on Sunday. It was lovely to have the living room full of fiber women. New and old friends came and ate, talked spun, knitted, and felted. Igby said his hellos, as did Jeff. Jeric remained in seclusion, which is what he prefers. Got some nice feedback the on farm animal enlargements now hanging on our walls. I managed to do a little picking while visiting with everyone. It was what this home is meant for, to be filled up with good people and good times.

Today I am Signing Up

Argh.
Thought I would get to the free Sheep Shearing Clinic held annually at UConn in April. Well, seems it was in February this year! So, no more fooling arouond. Today I am joining the CT Sheep Breeders Association, Inc. for $20 dues fee and will get myself on a mailing list once and for all!

Our Guild really looks forward to this group's annual Sheep and Wool Festival, the first big one of the spring each year. April 30, 2011 is the date we'll be driving down to Tolland CT high as a kite on fiber love. You can bet there will be documentation of this outing to follow!

This is a photo taken at a previous festival. One of my personal favorities. Love the raw material I find at festivals.



Hosting a Guild Meeting

Oh, fun! I get to host our next Wachusett Spinners Guild meeting this coming Sunday. Very excited, and a little stressed. Housekeeping is not one of my strengths, and we have a sizable home for just two humans and two dogs. The canines keep us in plenty of dog-hair tumble weeds, and we humans are rat packers. Stuff is everywhere. Signs of intelligent minds, right? So, I've warned a few of the ladies, and Betsy commented that the Guild members were sure  to leave plenty of fiber matter behind so who really cares? Okay. I can do this.

Samples of natural dyeing experiments from last year. Note the hot turmeric yellow! Who knew?!

Have been picking my naturally dyed fiber collection while watching news and movies with Jeff in the basement home office. Multitasking in this way makes me feel  very productive. Handling the different fleece fibers is fascinating. Border Leicester compared to Southdown compared to Finn/Suffolk compared to Mohair. So satisfying. Hmmmmm, maybe today is a fiber indulgence day after all!

Barre Ewe gets published in NOFA/Mass enewsletter

It was a pleasure to hook up Guild friend Betsy with Mindy Harris at NOFA/Mass. Mindy was looking for a story about wool and spinning as the editor of this monthly publication. Betsy has a knack for capturing the joy we all feel about the subject, and has written a number of articles already on spinning and more. Mindy also asked for photos, and I was pleased she liked Barre Ewe so much as to put it on the cover this month's issue. Other photos in the article of Betsy spinning and our Guild members showing off naturally dyed fibers were happily supplied to Mindy as well. Nice commentary by Julie Rawson about her love of knitting, too.

http://www.nofamass.org/news/pdfs/newsletter02_2011.pdf

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

Not a fiber source, but love 'im anyway!

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

My canine fiber source wishes to invite everyone to vote for him and help support Spay Day 2011. Please participate.

Colin's Creatures | Collectible Porcelain Animal Figurines

Okay, Sara in ME told me about this artist weeks ago and I am only now looking at his sweet and oh so charming work. Very happy to gaze on these creations today, one of the gloomier ones weather and mood-wise. If you need a smile, visit this link.

Colin's Creatures | Collectible Porcelain Animal Figurines

Cornell Sheep Program - Shearing school

Oh, to be able to go! In my dreams I'll get there someday!

Cornell Sheep Program - Shearing school

January 22nd Visit with the Shepherds at Orchid Patch/Andes Alive

A beautiful ride in southern Worcester County brought our Guild members to the Orchid Patch/Andes Alive homestead. Alpacas, llamas, Peruvian Hairless Dogs, exotic birds and a tropical plant-filled greenhouse awaited our visit. Ellen and Mike toured us through the sights and sounds, and warmed us with their wood stove and wonderful hospitality. I am definitely in love with llamas. What's more, the shepherds plan to bring Blue Faced Leicesters to the menagerie. I volunteered to help with llama shearing this year if I'm needed. What excitement!

Weekend in Punta Gorda, FL

Snowstorms be damned!

Thanks to DirectAir, a Family Ties flight gave me save passage for a weekend visit with Mom far from the maddening winter weather at home. What's more, I managed to combine Florida creek kayaking with sightings of fiber animals. Who knew?!

Lovely llama along the creek bed.

Not sheep, but impressive and very shy.

Barbadoes Sheep (?) . . . I can only guess, but looks like what I found on Sheep 101.

 

Definitely not a fiber animal type, but very LARGE.

Lady Kayakers

Magnificent flora.

More Snow

This week has been amazingly wintry. Good for staying in the studio. And so, much accomplished. Washing, sorting, putting projects together, weighing hanks with my new food scale from Culinary Underground, organizing binders of patterns and research materials, all the while enjoying the company of peaceful dogs.

I (heart) etsy

Worked for the past two days on uploading new images to my etsy store. It's very exciting to see the work posted in this very public forum. I relive the experience of being out on the shoots and hanging with the animals. Haven't done any real cold weather outings yet, although I have sheep-in-snow images as a goal for this year. Somehow bundling up while still having fingers exposed enough to operate the camera hasn't enticed me sufficiently to give it a go. Maybe there's still hope.

So, on a very chilly day like this one I make do with perusing through file after file and making selections such as these above. Many uploaded today were from Heifer Project International/Overlook Farm in Rutland MA, just 20 minutes from my home. It is such a resource, and each year provides new faces for me to see.

Friendship

Had a nice breakfast at The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth with my dear Sara yesterday. Some laughs, some tears, and comfort food on a chilly but sunny day. She has interesting plans for the Babydoll Southdown flock at The Salty Ewe Farm this year, and it is great fun to share thoughts and ideas and encouragement.

Last year's mother and child duet.

Peeking into the sheep barn at The Salty Ewe.

Olde English Babydoll Southdown roving I have spun.

A little pee stop.

Washing Wool

Swore I wouldn't get the soap and buckets out during the winter, but I have five assorted fleeces or partial fleeces -- all dirty fibers -- to transform into clean play stuffs, and just don't think I can wait until the springtime! Cotswold, Ramboullet, llama, CVM, and Blue Faced Leicester all sitting on the floor and begging for attention. Started some yesterday and will keep up with small batches as much as possible this weekend. Really wishing for a local mill to take them away and turn them around back to me ASAP, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Surprisingly, the little guy Igby shows no interest in the fleeces, in spite of his nasty fecal habit tendencies.

 

Jeric, however, periodically likes to shove his nose into a pile of fluff, sniff, and sometimes rub his head in the fibers. Yes, this is the guy who will roll in deer or some other wild creatures poo when found out on a stroll.

Tomorrow is NOFA/Mass' Winter Conference and Guild members Betsy and Lisa will present a workshop on carding and spinning. I'm missing it, but so glad that our wool world is making inroads at NOFA.

Last weekend we learned to use a hackle, and I made carded batts, at Chris' home during our Saturday Guild meeting. I loved blending my hand washed, hand dyed with natural dyes, assorted fleece fibers into unique fiber "roll ups."

Now, looking to my LARGE collection of handspun to put some projects together for  the future.

And, hoping to get some sheep in snow photos together soon, taking advantage of the 16  or so  inches we had fall this week.

Full time fiber fun.

Incredibly Snowy December 27th

Have finished a few knitting projects with new tools (size 17 and 19 needles!) and chunky llama hand spun. Hoping to see some sheep in the snow this week for photographing. Lots of thoughts for the New Year. A pensive time.

Some favorites shot last year

Have I posted these already? Good grief, can't remember anything anymore. No matter, I like them alot and am getting good feedback on them, too.