"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Mouse and Fairy

 Fairy and Mouse live in my wool room here at Laughing Dove Farm.
 There was a small rectangular hole my husband left behind after installing the electrical workings of my new wool workshop. He was going to neatly cover it but before he could get around to finishing the wall a fairy and a mouse moved in , thus claiming their own little place in my wool shop.

Actually, our daughter's oldest daughter ( far left) painted my new little wool shop residents, and I am happy to have them nearby as I weave and work with the wool of my flock of sheep. ( Picture is of our daughter and her husband's 4 children.)

Saturday, February 11, 2017

The Waiting Game



Inga stands on a pile of snow that slid off the barn roof blocking the entrance to the stalls, looking out on a snowy day. Inga is due to lamb any time now, as are 14 other ewes.
 Jonas is the sire of my 2017 lambs. He stands out in the weather wearing a thick white blanket of snow over his warm wool coat.
My husband holding a newborn ram lamb. We're just waiting for a dozen or more, enjoying the lamb season's waiting game.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Lamb Season Begins

 Lamb season began February 4 this year with the birth of twin lambs to my ewe ,Cedar Pond's Tovah. I was not expecting lambs so early and am very glad Tovah is a pro at lambing. She found a warm and snug place to have her little ones under cover , chasing all the other ewes away first. When I discovered the lambs she'd already cleaned them up , they were on their feet and trying to nurse.
 Lambs are just too cute !
That is a wall of white snow on the other side of the chain link fencing around the lamb pen.
 Tovah had a ram ( boy ) lamb and a ewe ( girl) lamb, a perfect set of twins !

Only 15 more ladies- in- waiting left to have lambs.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

 Best Christmas present , my first pair of overalls. Never mind the clutter of Christmas packaging and new gifts of much appreciated wool socks behind me , my new overalls are amazing. I just slip into them all the while still wearing my pajamas and voila , warm and ready for chores outdoors in the below freezing temps we had for awhile here at Laughing Dove Farm . I do believe me and my new overalls will be inseparable for awhile , even into February. Yes, they are the gift that keeps on giving, thank-you Jim !

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

My New Wool Workshop



 Here is my new wool workshop in the snow . Our new home has had snow since the Sunday after Thanksgiving and it is simply beautiful , but very cold. This shed was delivered in late September as a shell and my husband just finished insulating, wiring, sheet-rocking, and painting it. All for me, and well ... kind of for him too. I'd begun to set up my wool working items ~ looms, and lots of other stuff I need to work with the fleeces my sheep produce in his new garage / shop. It does not fit into our new home so where else was I going to put it ? My husband decided to give me a place to set up my wool works in a new little shed just off our driveway before you reach the house. This works for both of us and I am loving all the thoughtful and hard work he put into this. ( Most of this stuff was in a an upstairs hall landing and spare bedroom in our home at Cedar Pond.)
 As you walk in the front door of this little shop you can see an old hutch , shelves of wool fleeces, weaving shuttles, and other bits and bobs I use to weave , plus some items of comfort every workshop needs.
 My floor loom is in the front of my wool shop and why we chose this particular shed model with extra windows. The loom fits here with room for me to walk around it as I am warping ( threading) it and also affords me a lot of natural lighting.
 My husband installed shelving above the windows. I've placed some house plants from our previous home on it , along with baskets for storage. The windows to the right of the loom look out onto pasture where my sheep graze when there is grass instead of over a foot of snow.

 The shed has 2 lofts. This loft holds all my bins of handspun yarn, Wee Little Sheep ,fiber, and other products I've made from the wool of my sheep to sell. There are also bins containing supplies I need for the set-ups where I sell my items at bazaars and farmer's markets. I put a few pumpkins and squashes from last fall's harvest there to store for later use too , along with my dollhouses and misc. spools of yarn for weaving. My husband is going to make me a special ladder to keep here so I can access the lofts easily.

 We put an electric heater that looks like a woodstove in the corner . We did install fireboard around and underneath this electric heater so we can install a real woodstove later on. The teakettle is electric so I can brew tea, coffee , or hot chocolate whenever I desire. There is a table loom to the right of the heater I am in the process of warping.
 Anyone for tea ?
The door to the shop . I hung warps for weaving on pegs on the wall by the table loom.
I am so thankful for my new wool workshop . I never in a million years would have thought to have such a sweet little place to call my very own and plan to spend many hours happily busy weaving and crafting the wool of my spotted sheep , all the while striving to follow this admonishment ( and often failing) "But we urge you , brethren, to  excel still more , and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly towards any outsiders and not be in any need." I Thessalonians 4: 10-12