Apologies to Hungary

Some time ago (this spring???) I discovered an etsy seller from rural Hungary who had local sheep and their fleeces for sale. Here is the documentation of  the shipment that arrived, just one week after I  ordered it (my how things have changed since I was a student and shipped things to and from Europe!). The white and black fiber samples smelled richly of the beasts upon opening the envelope. That too was a treat!

But the staple! Sooooo long. Like, 8 inches? More? After taking these photos of the still dirty fiber I did wash it. Then, I got a combing lesson from my friend Chris and learned how to get these exotic long lengths into order for spinning. Only now am I actually working up the little birds' nests of roving into yarn on my wheel. It just slips through my fingers. I think it will be very strong, not much spring, but lush and special. 

Now, I have to find someone selling german sheep fleece online and so satisfy that side of my family tree.

Not exactly woolly

Unrelated but important to me, a few scenes of my Mom enjoying Acadia National Park this month with some friends. On the water and on land, having a grand time. 

Summer from &*()^%

I'm probably not alone in feeling this way, but a little self-pity now and then is normal, no?

Posts to this blog have been nonexistent since July . . . that should tell you something. My wheel was down, my family was in chaos, storms were strange and menacing, and fiber time was on the back burner.

The good news is there are new portfolio photos, new business cards and postcards, a few fiber excursions made, and a revitalized spinning wheel. Plus, collaborating with the Salty Ewe Farm shepherd on promotional materials has kicked me back into gear.

Living so close to OSV (Old Sturbridge Village), I escaped for a couple of hours last Sunday and hung out with the Gulf Coast Native sheep, the dyers, the herb garden, and a couple of exceptionally handsome and friendly Randall steers. Really nice to have such a charming resource 1/2 hour away.

The Gulf Coast Native sheep,which would have been popular, along with Merinos, apparently,  in New England during the  19th Century.

 

Woad!

The Randalls, heritage breed steers who like attention.

A friend spots sheep in Mallorca

Daniel, a german friend I've known for a long time, recently travelled to Mallorca and sent back a few shots of sunny images from this magical spanish island.

Coming up this weekend in Maine

I highly recommend this lovely annual July fiber workshop produced by Saco Valley Fiber Artists. Two days of great teachers, pastoral setting in Maine, wonderful home cooked eats, and a community of like-minded fiberistas. Have done it 2x and if not for "mi vida loca" this summer, I would be there again. One of my favorite sheep shots, My Maine Ewe, was taken at the hosting farm. Do investigate.

http://www.sacovalleyfiberartists.com/shearbrooke.html

Teaching friends to knit

http://e1.interweave.com/dm?id=B9F4ED11FA996A57930D9530122AF82D77AE180CF45FB311

Olde English Babydolls' Summer Look at The Salty Ewe

Halcyon Yarn in Bath ME

The Halcyon Yarn store is just down the SAME street from where we are staying in Bath this time. Met some nice ladies at Knit Night of all ages and life experiences. Could easily slip into that social group in no time!

Purchased a couple of ounces of Black Welsh Mountain and Blue Faced Leicester (separately) roving to try spinning on a store wheel. Only just tapped the vast browsing selection at this destination fiber store.

Spun some of this guy's hair during Spin In night last week at Halcyon. (Isn't he handsome there, posed with the Bath bridge in the background?) I aligned the fibers first with his little grooming brush, then rolled them off into a mini rolag. It spun up rather well. I used a new Louet S10 double treadle that was shiny and quick! A nice group of Mainers attended and the conversation was fun.

Although this guy is shedding up a storm right now, I'd need to blend his hair with something else to spin it. Oh well, he's a looker, not a fiber provider.

And this guy, definitely a looker, but those white facial hairs won't be tested out on my wheel. I prefer them exactly where they are.

Meadowcroft Farm | For a future with a pasture.

Meadowcroft Farm For a future with a pasture.

Saw Nanne again today in Bath at the Markings Gallery, just celebrating its 1st anniversary. Her wool garments are absolutely stunning. The gallery is delightful and full of marvelous Maine made objects. More reason to love Bath.

A Kindred Soul

http://henrythefelinefiberartist.wordpress.com/

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