Notes from the Withers' Ranch

The Wither’s Ranch Update

Tucson Open Studio Tours 2009: I am part of the Tucson Open Studios Tour that is taking place this Saturday and Sunday, November 14-15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. I will be here at the ranch demonstrating the process of preparing fiber for spinning and felting. I will be talking about how I come up with my color combinations and what inspires me to create specific designs. My assumption is that most of you have done the animal tour and seen the shearing, so this will be the studio side of fiber process. I hope that many of you can make it.

Tohono Chul Holiday Nights: I have been invited to showcase the “Wool” Arts at the Tohono Chul Holiday Nights – November 27-28 and December 4-5 from 5:30-8:30. I am not raising my prices, so your purchases there will give Tohono Chul a 40% donation. I have invited several of my fiber art friends to come exhibit and demo with me. Look for advertisements around town and in the local papers.

4th Avenue Street Fair: December 11-13, 2009, 10-5. I am once again in the 300 series on the west side of the street in the vicinity of O’Malleys. Come visit! I will definitely have a few new designs in both yarns and patterns.

Tucson Spring Shearing Festival: Mark your calendars for the spring shearing here at the ranch on March 27, 2010 from 9-3. This year I am expanding the spring shearing to include the fall vendors and any new artists that come my way during the next couple of months. If you are an artist and have something fiber related that you would like to sell, please contact me and email photos or swing by with samples of your work. I want to avoid the “hobby and craft” label.

Tucson Wool Festival: The 6th annual Tucson Wool Festival will be November 6, 2010 9-3.

Other notes of interest:

I have a new alpaca named “Winter”, who is due to deliver sometime in December. She is super friendly and gorgeous!

Keep an eye on my blog: http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.blogspot.com/ for specials and unscheduled classes. If you have not been reading it, take time to do so. You will get a true feeling for the flavor of a working ranch. The stories I tell during the animals tours are just a taste of what life is like!

Visitor tours: They are free. My request is that, if there are more than 5 of you, and you want the area extra raked, that you call me at least a day in advance. Never wear your best shoes - this is a working ranch!

School Tours: Please give me 3 days notice and be sure that there is adequate adult supervision. I love introducing children to the animals. The younger the children, the shorter the tour will be. It is a good idea for individuals in large groups to arrive close together in terms of time. I am in business to feed the animals, so I do have to be around for the shop, unless I have enough notice for a friend to cover for me.


This is a copy of a newsletter that I sent out today to those who have given me their email addresses over the past year. If you did not receive one, and you want to be on my list, please send me an email address.