What a month!

I will let the pictures do the talking. Family and friends in Hillsdale, new dog (Igby), new experiments with washing and dyeing in the studio, and much more still to come.


Here we go. . .

Nino, Elaine and Mom.

Oliver and mom play a board game.

Mom and Adam (does he look like Dad?)

Silhouette of Oliver in the tree house.

The young Indiana Jones?

This is Igby.

The boys are getting along quietly.

Carrot tops are easy and fun to work with.

Testing out different dye bath recipes.

The stash is growing, and growing, and growing. Looks nice in mom's handmade baskets.

Drying calendula flowers.

SO EXCITED! The new picker! Chris and I are sharing it, and the fun of using it.

Self portrait.

Just love this book.

During a break, we played Jeric's favorite game -- Shred the Twig!

Food coloring-dyed mohair freshly picked. Note the before and after samples.

Off to NOFA's Summer Conference

Four of us from the Guild met last night to discuss our presentation -- For the Love of Sheep -- at the annual NOFA Summer Conference in Amherst MA this weekend. On Sunday we'll give 1 1/2 hours of demonstration, discussion and encouragement to anyone interested in working with fiber. Betsy is our workshop leader, as she has had many opportunities to give demonstrations . . . and, she's good at it! This is the largest venue we will have appeared at as a guild. We've got the fiber map, a new business card, and plenty of samples and stories.

Old pics

Found these on my mother's computer from last summer at NOFA Summer Conference in Amherst MA. The sheep workshop had some hands-on opportunities, and I took advantage. REALLY need to look into finding a sheep shearing mentor. I just love being around the beasts.

Oh, just a few more . . .

Couldn't help but post a few more scenes from recent wool-and-dog fun-and-games.

Here's Jeric with new-ish friend Beate in ME, and Jeric keeping an eye on our dye pot.

More sheep shots from the visit . . .

And, volunteer work at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Liz is a great dog adoption coordinator. Tulip and Zeus think so, too.

Ok, this is so bad . . .

My friend Sara's new blog The Salty Ewe is a wonderful read. Puts me to shame. Here it is AUGUST, and I actually have been fiber-busy, but who would know it? So, back to posting.

Some of my July and, now early August activities have included:

Meeting with the Guild women and experimenting with a new large drum carder, and a rather intimidating (think medieval!) wool picker. We made beautiful batts as you can see . . .


And, some nice mother-daughter time at the Hillsdale farmers' market . . . something we both enjoy doing together.


Of course, spending a few days a week volunteering at the Worcester Animal Rescue League remains important to me, and so rewarding. One of my favorite girls is Bobbie Lee, a banshee in her kennel and a doll on the leash. Just a gorgeous girl.


And,yes, time with dear friend Sara in ME last month was heavenly.Jeric and I slept in her camper, went for nice walks with Sara and Beate, and enjoyed the sights and sounds and smells of the sheep and their wool. Dyeing and washing on her porch in some the nicest summer weather we've had, was, in my opinion, a gift of a day.




Big plans for August include another dye day with Sara, giving a workshop with the Guild at NOFA/Mass' Summer Conference 2010, and much more picking and carding!

Change of Plans

Today was supposed to be spent with Sara in Kennebunkport playing with sheep, dogs, fleece and garden. Maybe even a dip in the OCEAN. But no, forecast said thunderstorms and Jeric doesn't do well in them. So stayed put.

In spite of disappointment and mood, had a very good day of positive work results for clients, a little spinning, dog walking, healthy fresh lunch, and garden play. Here are some of the garden sights I enjoyed. I'm so proud of my little patch of joy.


My good boy wanders around the garden.


My first garlic crop.


It's jicama!

Canada 2010

Our trip to Montreal and the Eastern Townships (North Hatley) was restful and good for what ailed us. The photos tell it all. Got much knitting and eating done, and no spinning, or sheep photography. But, relished good times with Jeff and Jeric walking and contemplating. It was a true escape for a couple of weeks.

Anniversary

My husband pointed out that our "official" anniversary was May 22nd, the day I volunteered to serve at the Adopt a Pet event for WARL. The date came and went without me realizing it's significance to us (and it did to him as well!). We seem to be more focused on the anniversary of our first date, March 29, then on the day we signed the marriage certificate. That makes sense to me.

Just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle here in Montreal where we are vacationing. What an inspiration! Both the city and the book. I am looking forward to living and eating more locally and responsibly, and looking forward to bringing home some of the spirit of this city with me as well.

No spinning here but getting some much neglected knitting done with linen and Noro sock yarn. Dog walking in the park is also a lovely activity here, in such a canine-friendly city.

Good Dogs Make Good Ambassadors

May 22nd: Volunteered a few hours at a Pet Event hosted by Long Subaru of Webster MA. Fantasia (AmStaff) and Mandy (Coon Hound/Black & Tan) are great girls up for adoption at Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL) and made a terrific show of themselves and their fabulous social skills. Playing with the rubber ducky in the kiddie pool, greeting the visitors' dogs, and giving plenty of hugs and kisses to all rounded out the day. Thank you to the host for giving these great WARL dogs a day in the limelight.

Fiber Animals are Shorn at Green Hill Park Farm

May 17, 2010: a visit to Green Hill Park Farm to see the freshly shorn fiber flock included viewing the llamas and Romneys in a much more comfortable state for the warm summer months. The green vegetation was very, very green, and the air was fresh and clean. Who knew, in the center of Worcester, such an experience could be had?!

Fun at RI Fiber Fest May 15, 2010

Coggeshall Farm in Bristol, RI is a lovely place to host this annual event. A living history museum, the sites provides interpreters who dress up in period costume and discuss shearing sheep, processing flax into linen, and dyeing fiber with natural materials. They specialize in Gulf Coast sheep, which were commonplace in New England during Colonial times.

More good news from the flock in Maine . . .

More black lambing this spring in Kennebunkport. Sara's latest arrival is Dandylion.

I need to catch up!

Been dyeing and dog walking and consulting and census-working. No time for blogging? Have photos to take and talk about. Lovely dyeing experiences to relate and display. Oh, and add gardening to that list as well. Though, with tonight dipping into the 30s, who knows what will be left of my efforts. Will take the camera down to the studio and get caught up this week. I promise.

Oh, here's proof of my work today with the shelter dogs. Fantasia was our model,and I was prop master/canine stylist. We're going to feature WARL dogs in upcoming publicity for benefit events happening in June and July, and beyond hopefully. She was mostly cooperative. A nice photo by Lois Bourget, dog foster-er and pretty savvy canine photographer.