Musings

Anyone reading this blog would think, does this woman ever do anything else but tend to her sheep? By sheep I mean, sheep, goats, llamas, rabbits, chickens, cats and dogs...but it is easier to just say sheep. Yes, I do, but moving here and living with them has enabled me to immerse myself in a shepherd's lifestyle. When I am not at work or asleep I am with my sheep and it suits me just fine. It feels just right. I am doing what I was meant to do. When lambing is over and shearing takes place I will immerse myself in preparing all this fiber for various things. I purchased a 20 year old Patrick Green carder from a shepherd friend in N.J. It has had three owners before me and I know them all from my old spinning guild, North Country Spinners. My shepherd friend Lisa Merian of Spinner's Hill Shop cards all her beautiful fiber on the same machine. When I told her about it she said, Maggie, if you don't buy it, I will. So I did. What a beast of a machine. When I got it up here and stashed it in the tractor shed I plugged it in and turned it on...yes, it works! It quickly got covered up with raw fleeces and other moving junk. I plan on getting it operational this summer. I will have a carding workshop next to the barn apt. where the carder will be set up. I will do my washing and dyeing in the milk room, and drying and carding in the work room. I wish I had a yarn spinner. I had some fiber turned into yarn last year, and it sold out. There is definitely a market for yarn, as there are only so many knitters who buy roving. All fiber processing equipment is expensive...oh well, fantasies are free!