Archives for Craft

GIVEAWAY – Adventures In Yarn Farming Celebration

November 8, 2013 | 130 Comments

Entries for this GIVEAWAY are now closed. Congratulations to our Givewaway winner, Sara, who posted on November 12 at 8:25 a.m. – she is the lucky winner of a Sheep Shares CSA 2014 Yarn Sampler (natural) membership. Thank you to everyone who posted – and for all your kind words on the launch of my new book. I can’t believe it’s almost that time. The official publication date for my new book, Adventures in Yarn Farming is next week – is November 12th! On that date, my book will be available everywhere. I’m celebrating the official publication this month by
Read More

Evening Chores

November 3, 2013 | 10 Comments

Just back to the farm after a weekend vending and book signing at the Fiber Festival of New England at the Eastern States Exposition. Thanks everyone who stopped by my booth to scoop up skeins of Cormo yarn and to be among the first to acquire a copy of Adventures in Yarn Farming. I’m really flattered to hear the positive, warm responses from those of you who had purchased copies at Rhinebeck two weeks ago – and have already finished reading it. Wow, and wow. You made my day. Writing a book is like working in a bubble. It’s wonderful,
Read More

Fiber, Foliage & Friends – Scenes from the Day

October 9, 2013 | 2 Comments

Last Saturday a group of intrepid Sheep Shares CSA members braved the threat of showers and the back roads of western Franklin county to join us for a special afternoon. Fiber, Foliage & Friends is an annual tradition here for our Sheep Shares CSA members. The event is a celebration – with knitterly camaraderie, home-baked apple crisps and pumpkin snickerdoodles, sheep antics, donkey pats, yarn painting and some jaw-droppingly gorgeous finished projects knit from our spring share yarn – all against a glorious autumnal backdrop. Thank you to everyone who joined us. For those of you who couldn’t, here’s a
Read More

We Had Visitors!

June 6, 2013 | 3 Comments

Last weekend our Sheep Shares CSA members and their guests flocked Springdelle Farm for our annual summer social event – the Strolling of the Sheep. I love this event. There's no better time of year to showcase our lush, verdant fields and to put our flock on center stage. Here are a few scenes from the day. Of course Crackerjack, our guardian llama, received his share of the limelight. As did our mini donkeys, Cupcake, Prissy and Dulce who quickly made themselves the center of attention. The donks seemed to think any gathering is all about them. They quickly mobbed
Read More

Fleece Show at Mass. Sheep & Woolcraft Fair

May 27, 2013 | 6 Comments

Every spring on shearing day I hold aside a handful of special fleeces from my flock. Sometimes it's a fleece from a sheep who holds a dear place in my heart. And some fleeces are simply masterpieces of wool, crimp and lanolin. We keep our eyes peeled those truly special fleeces on shearing day. After a shorn sheep stands, shakes and scrambles from the shearing board we take a minute to examine the goods. If the goods are super-good, then everyone pauses to pull locks, fondle and admire. Back in March, that was the case for a number of fleeces.Those fleeces
Read More

Ready, Set, Shear!

March 24, 2013 | 5 Comments

On Friday we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on one of my favorite days in annual cycle of yarn farming. Shearing day! This year we've divided the work of shearing our flock over three days, last Friday, next Friday and then Saturday April 6 – when our Sheep Shares yarn farm CSA members will join us and pitch in. Working at this pace gives me time to be hands on with both sheep and fleece and makes for a relaxed, more comfortable day for both humans and sheep. We started with a group of ewes, below. Followed
Read More

Flock Talk – Shetlands and a Goat and losing daylight

November 26, 2012 | 3 Comments

Gypsy and Sassafras posed nicely for me in the midst of flock maintenance tasks. I don't know about you but I still haven't recalibrated my daily routine to daylight saving time and I really hate doing evening chores as darkens settles on the farm. Since the flock still has plenty to graze, they're not particularly fussy about what time we show up. But watch, that will soon change, once we get some snow cover – and that could be later this week. There are fluffy flakes swirling outside my window right now as I type. Mike has set up the
Read More

Happy 15th B-day, Cocoa! Join our Cocoa KAL

March 15, 2012 | 8 Comments

This is Cocoa – she is my very first sheep. This her special day, her 15th birthday, which makes this our flock's 15th anniversary also. We're celebrating with a very special Knit Along – and a little birthday party at the barn this afternoon. What does a birthday party for sixty sheep, three llamas and a goat look like? How do sheep and goats like to celebrate special occasions? What can you do to celebrate with us? Join our Cocoa Birthday KAL. Today is our official Cast on – but you could start tomorrow or anytime you like, as long
Read More

NOT READY FOR RHINEBECK

October 14, 2011 | 6 Comments

Yep, you heard me right. This is bad. Due to a major technical/bureaucratic glitch, I did not receive my NYS Sale Tax Certificate of Authority in time to participate in this year’s festival (despite being told on 10/3 that I would have it in time). Since everything I sell in Duchess County NY is subject to NY sales tax, I am sorry to report that I am unable to participate in this year’s festival as a vendor. I learned this yesterday morning. You should have seen the smoke coming out of my ears. So I have a hotel room, a rental
Read More

Autumn Knit Along – Cast On!

September 4, 2011 | 5 Comments

Today is the official Cast-On day for Foxfire Fiber's "Crash Your Stash" Autumn KAL. The rules are easy, and the prizes are great! There's still time to join us. "What will you create from our wool?" Up for grabs are NINE prizes – comprised of both brand new Foxfire yarns (& spinning fiber) and vintage Foxfire Fiber & Designs skeins no longer available to the public. The best part of this KAL is you get to do whatever project you want. We're calling this a KAL but projects may be knit, crotchet, handspun, woven or felted. The only requirement is you use Foxfire Fiber &
Read More