At long last… the new yarn has been fetched from the mill, and it’s gloriously SOFT. A replacement for the former natural and sold out “OATMEAL.” I need a new name so no one gets confused, least of all myself!
Certainly NOT a bright white, these photos are living proof of how difficult it is to image for color. Some suggestions have been SAND, FOG, CREAM OF WHEAT… what’s yours?
THE GREAT REVEAL will happen this weekend at the Fiber Festival of New England in Springfield, MA at the Big E. I hope you can come! If you’ve never been, let me say the indoor footing its a joy, with wide aisles and no weather to worry about, plenty of parking, and NO TAX ON YARN IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Meanwhile… back at at the ranch… The gorgeous fellow below has been chosen to be this year’s baby daddy to these lovely ladies. Lambs are expected to start dropping March 24-ish, so if you are interested in beholding any part of that magic, the Cuckoo’s Nest BnB is the perfect spot to hang out in comfort, watching spring unfold, as March goes literally out like a lamb. Will continue to drop for about a month, so plenty of time to make your spring break.
Though the weather is turning fast here, today was a toasty topless field day, even the dragonflies were “dancing!” Joined by singing crickets, dogs, and geese flying south, what a joy to work up one more sweat while bringing in hoses and breaking down fences so critical to the constant rotational grazing that makes my soil and grass so juicy and delicious, so it sequesters more carbon under permanent cover. “Dressed” with composted manure cleaned out from barns and confinement sheds, the equipment has also been pressure washed (an awesomely dirty job) and “put to bed.” Always bittersweet, I do believe the fields and I have worked hard and are ready for a well deserved rest.
LAST but certainly not least… She who has never left the farm for more than a few days since coming here in the late 80’s, is headed to New Zealand Nov. 6-26! The place where I had once trained way back in the way back machine, I am eager to have a last visit and lots of fat hugs with the Farmer/Mentor who taught me so much about pretty much everything, and his amazing wife who taught me to spin and choose great fiber genetics, for both color and hand. I will also attend the 10 World Congress of Black and Coloured Sheep and plan to deliver a paper on the Polwarth breed program and what’s been going on here to develop a small scale production/processing/merchandising system of soup to nuts prosperity. Then I will head to the high country to meet the folks who were crazy enough to believe in this complete stranger, to choose sires to quarantine, to collect from and ship “genetics” back in 2017. We will choose more Polwarth “Donor Sires” to keep adding fresh breeding lines as I continue to endeavor to develop a new breed and registry for the US Wool industry. SO many good people for whom to be grateful, so much good will to honor, so much work yet to be done to save the planet with Wool Power.
All that said, I will NOT be able to fill web orders till I return, but fill them in time for the holidays I WILL! With 48 hours of sitting on a plane, I will FINALLY have time to put the long awaited images online of all the fabulous new Mermaid Nappers. Of course I am also bringing three knitting projects I expect to complete, while writing a grant for submission on the 12th… Always such high hopes of accomplishment when I actually sit down… without falling asleep.
Enough about me. Hope to see YOU in Springfield, and if not, please offer a yarn name if you want, and I’ll let you know the candidates so you can vote accordingly. If you want to stay posted about NZ adventures, please pop on insta or FB. I will also do my best to keep you posted here, without spamming or boring you to death. NOT a fan of spam… but maybe you’ve already figured that out!
Happy Day of the Dead. Who will YOU celebrate? CHEERS!
~Nanne
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