Nothing Says Spring Like a Trip to a Farm!

I almost snuck this little guy home....

Well, spring is FINALLY in the air!

I am very lucky to live in a nice city that is very close to many small family farms. My friend Chris has one such farm. She's a spinner and has a small heard of beautiful shetland sheep, and guess what!? They are having lambs... So cute! I had to go out and take a little visit! I was even lucky enough to score a bag of fleece that is going to be lovely to spin with... the bonus is that I get to break out my *new* Alvin Ramer wool combs to do it!

And now - PICTURES OF LAMBS!!!

Protective mom...

Boomer even got in on the action!

The "black sheep".

Old Molly.

Fun in the sun for these three week old lambs!

Fall 2012... The Lost Posts...

It's all about friends!

I had a great fibre-y fall, as autumn is usually full of fibre-y things.  I'm way behind (obviously) on the Rhinebeck post and my fun two day workshop with Lexi Boeger AKA Pluckyfluff!

Arriving at Sheep and Wool!

As usual, The Sheep and Wool Festival was amazing. I got to hang out with my pals Cal and Jill, meet some new friends like Sonya Philip (of 100 Acts of Sewing) and Laura Nelkin (of amazingness) among others! 

Friends new and "old"!

I saw lots of cool animals and amazing yarns and fibres! I bought some roving to spin up to make a sweater for next year.  I've got four skeins done so far.

In addition to the festival, I got to visit Lagusta's Luscious and the Tuthilltown Distillery as well as the Hodgepodge Farm animals - Gertie, Trice and the Chickens.

The other fun thing I did was attend a two day workshop with Lexi Boeger with my buddy Andie L at the Niagara Artists Centre.

A beautiful Early Fall morning!

The workshop was an amazing break from our OHS homework (which is totally great but by the book).  In Lexi's class we got to be truly free in our spinning and learned some fun techniques. It felt great! 

From table of fibre to crazy bat to crazy yarn!

From fluff to auto-wrap to fluffy yarn!

Even yarn made of FABRIC

I've learned to share my Instagram photos directly to my blog, which is going to be fun but, not being super "tech savvy", the pics show up as links, not actual pictures.... oh well, can't have everything! 

Annual Hodgepodge Farm Residency Number 1

Cal and I wearing our new cowls!

Well!  I have been back from my two-week long dyeing (and more) residency at Hodgepodge Farm for about a week now.  It was amazing and I have so much to tell...  so much, it will require multiple posts!

AMTRAK coffee is sooo gross...

This is the second time I've taken the train to visit Cal and it's a fine journey.  It can get a little caught up at the border, but an 11 hour ride is great for doing some crochet and watching movies or having a nap and reading a good book.  I struggled with my luggage though, the biggest case I had was full of undyed yarn and fabric.  I also brought a sheet of rubber and carving tools to make some stamps.  I had a tiny case for my clothes and then my backpack with all my train food and computer, books, projects, etc.  Hauling all that by myself was difficult but I got there in the end!

The red one is FULL (like I had to sit on it to close it) of undyed yarn and fabric!

It was so great to be upstate NY in August.  It was gorgeous weather, which allowed us to do most of our work outside.  We set up a dyeing station under an "easy-up" tent.  

Swimmin' Hole.

It was wild mushroom season and Smith foraged for some beautiful Chanterelles as well as supplying us with delicious Shitakes that he grew himself on some old logs.  Yumminess all around.  Also, the Swimmin' Hole was open for business and refreshing to our toes...

Wild Chanterelles - yum!

Smith's mushroom logs.

We had a few fun outings!  I finally got to visit Lagusta's Luscious Chocolate shop - deeelicious!  We also went to White Barn Farm to visit Paula's Cormo sheep and fancy chickens...  it was knit night, which was great AND they get a visit from Farmer Dave who brings an array of fresh veggies to sell to the knit-nighters.  Talk about service!  Paula was wonderful and gave us lots of advice about nature dyeing.  We got a great tour of her farm and shop!  I also got to visit with my pal Hanna - who is an amazing artist and rescuer of dogs (and animals in general)!

Lagusta's Luscious Chocolate - I can't even tell you...

Hanna, Cal and myself.

Paula's wonderful farm/yarn shop!

Cormo feeding frenzy.

Farmer Dave's Knit Night Bounty!

Speaking of animals - Slinky Malinky loved her some hand-dyed yarn, Gertie is cute as ever and the Hodgepodge Farm's chickens are curious!  My new favorite is Olivia "Livers" the chicken.  

Slinky Malinky and the big stretch!

Gertie - fine as ever!

Livers.

Lixolux was kind enough to think of our needs and sent us a wonderful package full of chocolate and fancy spinnin' fibre all the way from San Francisco.  She's been participating in Verb's Seam Allowance group - which sounds amazing!  I will be participating remotely and in spirit...

Lixolux bounty!

Cal and I also finished the cowls we started in April when she was here.  Made out of beautiful Indigodragonfly silk/merino yarn - soft.  I (finally) started and am about half way done my Crochet EPS sweater out of Jill Draper's Empire yarn.  I will be done this sweater by Sheep and Wool!

Just a little newt.

Night pigs... blurry pic, but worth seeing...

There's going to be a flurry of blog posting because this is just the tip of the iceberg!  Next post.... Nature Dyeing at Hodgepodge Farm...

Stay tuned for more Hodgepodge Farm fun!

Dutchess County Sheep and Wool AKA Rhinebeck

Oh boy! Did I have a great time with Cal Patch and Jill Draper and all the other lovelies at NY Sheep and Wool Festival this year!

Since there are so many blog posts about how amazing the event is - I'm going to say it with pictures!

Cal and I in our finest - Day 1.

Cal and Chris from Into the Whirled!

Cal spinning in her Spinning Guild's booth!

The first tea and scone.

Cal doing some Saori Weaving - I am obsessed...

Cal and Jill!

A sheepy terrarium...

In our finest - Day 2.

Testing out HAND TUNED crochet hooks at the Willette's booth!

Award winning Cotswold Ram.

This is a close up of his gorgeous fleece.... ahhhh....

A funny sign.

Judging some Angora Goats.A toasty pile of Shetlands.

The next two pictures I love because the sheep look so smart.

The next few pictures are especially for Sel et Poivre. She really wanted to see the new Hodgepodge Farm chickens. The first picture is of the "older girls" roosting - notice the black blob under the branches? Those are the "new girls" (well one is a rooster!). They are not welcome to hang with the big kids just yet. The bottom picture is just of the newbies. Two hens and (what was supposed to be a hen) one rooster. He has a very teen-aged and crackly "cock-a-doodle-doo" going on.

In other news... there is still availability in some of my classes at Greenwood Quiltery - check them out for info.

Also, I'm going to be starting to teach at the most amazing new art space for kids! It's called, "The Children's Art Factory" and they are amazing. Some really great people and some great ideas! I will keep everything posted! In November, I'll be teaching Beginner Knitting and Beginner Drop Spindle Spinning for kid-os ages 6 - 9! I'm also going to be doing a Monster Making workshop there in a few weeks - I'll post more very soon.....