Goat Bridge, Lots of Rain and New Ventures

 Earlier this year we had the rest of our property fenced. It is a woodsy area with two streams and a waterfall. here were ways to get the animals over to our newest pasture, but a bridge would make it much easier. This week we had a bridge built over the stream just below the waterfall. One goat looked at me suspiciously and followed me over. In seconds the rest had made it over. I will have to haul a chair out next time and leave it. There are too many vines and predators in the area, so I do not feel comfortable leaving them out there by themselves until they have cleared it out some. Much cooler under the trees than in the pasture.

 Spinquest is changing their format this year. I will be going both as a vendor and a teacher. As soon as registration opens, I will let you know and provide a link. In case you have not guessed, I will be teaching a mini class on dyeing.

 We have been getting lots of rain this year. We got three inches yesterday. I took a sunset photo just after the rain last week. The barn makes a great focal point. It won't be long before we will be remodeling this barn to make it climate controlled. Then I will be working out of the barn and teaching more classes. So much space!

 Last weekend I taught a freeform spinning class. This is the yarn that I finished. It has been listed on my etsy shop: www.uniquedesignsbykathy.etsy.com.

While in North Carolina the week before I found the depression era green dish. It makes a great way to lay out my novelties before spinning. They sure make me look more organized than I really am!

Around the Farm and New Colorways

 This week the angora goats and Shetland/Merino Crosses are mowing the front yard. Next week they will move to the lower garage pasture. I hope to keep them parasite free by moving them to taller pastures frequently.

 A close up of one of the moms with her kid. It was a pain to have all of the animals in the barn  over the winter for delivery, but it paid off. All of the kids and lambs are much healthier this year. They have well formed horns, lovely fleeces and are much larger than they have been since we moved to Maryland.

 We had a fox in the newest pasture, so I hung out with the goats while they browsed. The alpacas decided to join us. You can see how tall the grass and other plants are. Five of the goats were so happy, that they refused to return when everyone else did. The above photo is of one of the streams running through our property. We have a nice soothing waterfall just above where I took this photo.

 I am listing lots of roving on Etsy. This is a different color than the previously listed fuchsia orange mohair. You have to read the specifics to know the fiber content. This one is a blend of kid mohair and Merino.

 This is a batch of wool and mohair that I just took to the mill. I carded and spun some up and really liked the combination. The Merino Shetland cross was white, gray and had white tips. I dyed it along with a white kid mohair. Can't do without my mohair. The sheen takes yarn to a new level.

 I am experimenting with a tutorial on spinning gradient yarns and how to use them. I will be publishing a pattern called Watermelon Shawl as soon as I finishing proofing it.

I still have a few Shetlands for sale. They are purebred, but I will not be selling them with papers. They are intended to be a spinning flock. They are all of the more modern style with very soft fleeces and lots of crimp. I also have two East Fresian dairy sheep for sale. Not enough time to make cheese. Email me at jmarckathy@aol.com  

I will be teaching my Spinning Freeform Yarns class on June 20. This will be the only time I offer it this summer. I teach how to spin a novelty yarn with loads of texture in it without tying knots in one skein of yarn. They are my best selling yarns. Anyone, who can spin a decent (not perfect) single, will enjoy this class.