Seasons

Most people think in terms of spring, summer, fall, and winter, when they think of seasons. I have come up with my own seasons here on the ranch over the past five years. Late February thru May is baby season, May thru September is design season, October thru December is show season and January is the lull before the storm.

Baby season is the most exciting time around here, as far as I am concerned. I get up earlier and earlier to try to catch the moms, who want to hide when they have their babies. Most are obliging and wait till feeding time to deliver. My adrenaline rushes during this time of the year. This is also the period in which the animals all get sheared. This past spring I held off on some of the older does because their hair was too short. The older the doe, the slower her hair grows during pregnancy. Having had to send several nights the past few weeks shearing and watching blades go dull before I could finish shearing one goat, has convinced me that I will get all of them sheared at the same time and, if I can't use their fiber, I will compost it.

It has gotten a lot quieter around here, since the snowbirds have left and most Tucsonans stay inside to beat the heat. This is the time that I spend producing yarn and finished goods for the fall shows, as well as coming up with new ideas. The picture at the top of this post is the beginning of a vest. It will have a slight freeform style to it, since I can't (won't) knit huge stretches of the same thing. I am using the first haircut off an angora goat and it is really silky. I don't get to use my own yarns very often, so when I design I always pick the nicest fiber I can find.

I have started posting my patterns on etsy. I am also creating crochet symbol charts to go with my crochet patterns. I will sell them with and without the chart for a while. Eventually, I plan to have charts for all of them and compile them into a book.

This summer, I will also be going to the Black Sheep Gathering - that is actually in a little over two weeks. I hope to find inspiration there. I have been there once and I loved it. Of course, it might have stagnated like the Taos Wool Festival. That one limits itself to vendors from three states and, in the three times that I have been, only the first was impressive. The second two times that I visited over a five year period had the same vendors and the same products. I would almost bet that some of the items were the same ones from the first year that had not sold. Marc is going with me. It will be our first vacation together in over 5 years! Next year I am planning on the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Marc has not said that he won't go, so I am putting it on my calendar. Of course, I could not go, if it were not for my friends covering the shop and the animals. Kyle will be here for brute strength, but I can no longer count on him. He is 20 and has his own life.

Anyhow, life can be exciting - you just have to make it happen yourself sometimes!