Notes from the Withers Ranch in Tucson

I just sent this out to my email list, so if you did not receive it and would like to be added to my list, please email me. Contact info is at the bottom.

An added note - last two lambs for the year were born yesterday. Two Moorit Shetland rams.

Notes:

This has been a quiet summer in terms of business, but very exciting in other ways. I did a show in Albuquerque at the end of May that caused me to look in other directions for my inspiration and I took a trip to Del Mar for the White and Colored Angora Goats Shows that reaffirmed my love for the angora goats.

My first love is spinning yarns, but I have come to realize that what sets me apart from other spinners and designers is the fact that I raise my own animals and have cottage industry sized equipment that lets me express my color sense when dyeing and carding my fibers. I control the quality of what I sell and produce – so it is always my responsibility to ensure that what I sell is the best. I was incredibly excited to discover that my goats have among the finest fibers available.

My friend, Scott of Southwest Acres, borrowed 20 of my goats and entered them at the Del Mar shows. I took the opportunity to go visit my son and watch the judging. It is hot here in Arizona, so my goats are always going to be smaller than those of cooler regions. The other breeders were all from California and can breed to have kids born whenever they chose. I have to wait for it to cool down sufficiently for the buck’s semen to be viable. I am lucky to have babies born in January. My first kids were born February 29 and most were born in April. Despite the fact that my kids were two to three months younger than the other contestants, my whites won pretty much everything - my yearling herd sire won Supreme Champion. In the colored competition, my goats took first or second. If they did not take first, the judge always mentioned that he preferred their fineness, but that they needed a little more growth. I do not plan to artificially inseminate to compete and I won’t be showing my animals, unless Scott wants to do it again next year or at some other venue. It is very exciting to know that I can recognize quality and can hold my own against breeders who provided my original stock.

Due to feed expenses constantly rising, I have decided to focus on the animals that produce the best and most fiber. This means that I will be seriously downsizing my Shetland herd and focusing more on the Merino sheep. I bought two Merinos while I was at Del Mar - a new white ram and a lovely Moorit ewe. I have ordered a black ewe that will arrive sometime next month. They are already friendly and eating out of my hand.

I will be at the Pasadena Gem and Bead Show from July 27-31, 2011, so the shop will be closed. I have applied to a few other shows, so it is always smart to call ahead, if you have a long drive. My website and blog will keep you current on my whereabouts.

The Tucson Wool Festival will be Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 9-3. Due to inclement weather this past spring, we are adding Sunday as a rain date. Not all vendors will be able to stay the extra day so, if you are just wanting to shop, do come on Saturday. The animals have to be sheared and I plan to keep as many dry as possible, so there will be shearing on Saturday, even if it does rain.

New Products:

I am now carrying size 35 needles that are 32 inches long that are perfect for knitting a rug or landscape. They are a great way to use up roving or yarns that are not so nice. Come see what I have been doing with them.

I have a complete set of elastic yarns for core spinning, as well as a small selection of metallic threads. If they prove to be of interest, I will stock an entire line. I am using both types to create art yarns.

Classes:

August 13, 2011 10 a.m-1 p.m. Pin Weaving $45 for the instruction, a foam pad, needle and warp and an additional $20, if you do not bring your own stash.

August 16, 2011 10 a.m-1 p.m. Crazy/Abstract Lace $45 for the instruction and 10% off any yarn you buy that day.

August 20, 2011 10 a.m-1 p.m. Nuno Felting $50-70 includes the use of my felting kits to make a scarf or shawl.

September 1, 2011 10 a.m-1 p.m. Freeform Knit and Crochet $45 for the instruction and 10% off any yarn you buy that day.

September 10, 2011 10 a.m-1 p.m. Nuno felting $50-70 includes the use of my felting kits to make a scarf or shawl.

Freeform Spinning Group – Learn to drop spindle or just hang out – August 6, September 3, and September 17.

Private classes may be scheduled by calling 520-572-3758 or emailing jmarckathy@aol.com.

For a continuous update on events at the ranch and online items for sale, check out my blog: www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com and etsy shop: www.uniquedesignsbykathy.etsy.com.

Kathy Withers

www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com

jmarckathy@aol.com

520-572-3758

So many projects

I started knitting this landscape two months ago. I am back to working on it in between sessions of spinning dog hair (no picture of that since it is white and not spectacular!) I am using size 35 needles that are 32 inches long and using 12 strands of either a single or a two ply that is between fingering and sport weight. I now have the needles available for sale in the shop. They are $52 plus postage, if you do not live locally. It is a great way to use up yarn. This is going to be a wall hanging. The next one I do will be a rug - the idea is to use up the roving and yarns that are not next to the skin in an artistic manner. I have challenged myself to spin the yarn colors required for a specific design to see how well I can follow it. I am pleased with how it is turning out.

Mounds and a Shetland in the arena are both pretty close to delivering. Mound has definite udders and her backside looks loose. I can't believe that she could just be fat. Her shape is too off!

I have almost finished a freeform vest from the yarns that I bought in Del Mar. I spun eight skeins of my own yarn to go with it and decided to just use four of them, since I don't need them all. The other night I pinned the pieces to the pattern that I had modified. Good thing I did because some of the pieces just barely fit. Now I am filling in the rest. I decided to wait to publish a photo once it is complete. Probably by the end of the weekend. It is an addictive project, since is is laid out on my table and I walk by it every time I get up. I made sure that I picked colors that I love, so I would be sure to finish it!

Elasticity and Color

The yarns above were all spun from the batt below. Changing the color of the core yarn seriously affects the final look and so does the texture. Starting at the far right - the batt was pulled in strips so both the top and the bottom were represented equally. It was coiled over a pink cotton. The super coil immediately to the left was spun from just the pink part of the batt. The third from the right was spun with strips of the batt with both colors being equally represented again, but the core thread was a teal. The textured yarn at the left is a single from just the blue, knotted over a yellow core thread and then plied to a blue thread. The knots did not stay where I wanted them, so I plied with the blue. Turned out quite interesting.
Below are two skeins that show how different fibers behave. The skein on the right is 100% kid mohair off Dainty- one of the red kids from last year that got bottle fed. I love the deep chocolate color. Most of the red goats tend to have paler mohair.

The skein on the left is the same red kid mohair with white kid mohair dyed red and white Merino. In the wash, the 100% kid mohair kept its original length. It is best suited for shawls or items not requiring elasticity. The blend with the Merino shrunk. When knitting, the yarn will stretch back out. Anything made from this skein of yarn will require blocking.

A Shetland ram was born yesterday evening. No photo till I am sure that he will make it. Too depressing otherwise. He was a lot larger than other lambs born this year and his mother had a hard time pushing him out. He feels nice and sturdy. Due to the heat, I am supplementing him with a bottle. We have seen him drinking off mom. Mom bellowed for hours after his delivery, so we put them in a pen in the barn and closed the doors to give them a chance to bond - and to cut down on the noise. Talk about loud! I am told that I am overly sensitive, but .......

Busy, Babies, and a New Project

My wet felting Saturday became a nuno felting Saturday. I made the shawl on the left while teaching the class and, since I was already set up, felted the navy one. The wind started to kick up while I was laying out the second one, so I had to keep wetting it down. I have decided to clean off the back porch and felt there when I am on my own. It is a little more protected.

My trip to Del Mar last weekend included the purchase of three animals to round out my herd. The Merino ram on the left has an issue with his front legs, so I needed a replacement. I will keep him for his fleece and as a companion to the new one on the right. The Mendenhall Ranch has the finest fleeces that I have ever seen.

The moorit in the foreground is another Merino. She is already friendly and roams with Mounds and the other Merinos. The white one in the background is the baby ewe born in February. The Merinos are always right at the feed wagon, when I bring it in. They are so hungry that they let me pet them and part their fleeces.

I also bought a red buck. He placed third, while mine placed first, but I need new blood and he is large enough that the older does are not going to fight him off. He is 6 months old and already as big as my yearling bucks. He is not enjoying our heat.

I noticed yesterday that this ewe (277) had udders, so I was not entirely surprised to find an ewe lamb in the barn this morning. Her mom is a first timer and won't stand still, so we put her in a pen and I fed the baby, so she won't dehydrate. Since we now have electricity in the barns, I also moved a fan in. I plan to supplement and bottle feed, if necessary. The baby has really pretty colors. Her mom was impregnated by the white Shetland/Border Leicester cross. Her fleece will be a mix of fibers. Looking at her, I can tell that she has sections of very fine and then coarser areas. She has the more primitive Shetland characteristics. (Note added on June 28, 2011 - She is not going to make it. Oxygen deprived at birth? She has not opened her eyes, so something is definitely wrong.)

Mounds is my only Rambouillet now. I was afraid that she had not gotten pregnant, but I have noticed udders developing over the past week. Since she was bred to the crooked knee Merino, I am very curious to see her lamb. I am assuming just one, since she is not huge this year. The Rambouillet that I bred her to last year was big and gave her a normal sized baby and a 16 pounder that did not survive. Merinos are a lot smaller, so I expect her to deliver without going into Ketosis this year.

This is one of my huge batts. I started with the reds and yellows and moved to the blues and greens. I am spinning it right now since it is mostly kid mohair and will post photos of the yarn once spun.

I have been asked repeatedly for the pattern to the black shawl that I knitted in crazy/abstract lace. I am using some commercial mohair blended with man made fibers - polyester and acrylic. The yarn is a lovely color, but not as soft as true mohair. Commericial carders and spinners cannot handle true kid mohair, so they have to blend it to make it strong enough to hold together.

I am using Knit Visualizer to chart the pattern. It is very random, but left brain knitters have told me that they want a pattern to follow. Personally I would go crazy. I have to sit at the computer to enter the stitches in as I go. Bet the person following the chart won't be able to duplicate it! I am bound to have a few typos in there somewhere.

Del Mar Angora Goat Show and San Diego Beaches

I got to the fair and almost did not recognize my goats. Scott had oiled their horns and applied some humidity to their fleeces and they looked great. Dry air in Tucson makes their hair hang straight until the monsoon arrives. Scott has been showing goats and sheep for years. He had to sell his herd last year, so he borrowed mine to show. The white goats won everything and this guy - my herdsire for next year, won Supreme Champion buck. I debated photographing the pile of ribbons and posting it on my blog, but I thought that would be a bit much. I was really excited.

The colored angora goats placed first and second in their categories. They are smaller than the goats from the California breeders. With the heat in Tucson, the goats don't breed until late October through December, whereas in California they can breed pretty much any time. That allows the breeders there to schedule births to maximize their placement based on show dates. I have to take what I can get. The hotter it is, the later my kids. I was very happy with their showing since, when they placed second, the judge would talk about fineness of fleece and say that mine would have been first if they had a little more size.

All of the attention and petting wore the goats out. They were back in the pens for less than five minutes when I took this photo.

This kid was sleeping with her eyes open.

Even the older goats racked out immediately. The red doe has only one udder. I had thought that would count against her, but Scott assured me when he picked her that they don't care. If she can feed her kids, more power to her. She placed second among aged does.

Every trip should include some artist time. I hit the three yarn shops in the 25 mile radius, although The Grove is not technically a yarn shop. Common Threads was in a horrible location, so I was aggravated by the time I found a park. It was not worth the visit, since they were very traditional yarns. The Black Sheep is awesome. That is where I picked up the yarns below. I tried to pick mostly mohair, so I could compare them to my own yarns. The brown up top looks horrible knitted up, so I am splitting the two colors and knitting/crocheting them separately. The other brown yarn is so fine that I will ply it to one of my yarns, so I can add it to this project.

Kyle and I visited three beaches and three areas of town. Above is a photo of downtown. I liked Old Town and the Coronado beach the best. I could not believe how different the sand was from one area to another.

Kyle will be starting his doctorate at UCSD in the fall. This is his building.

And this is his view from his office. Kind of awesome how close he is to the beach. I am not a beach person and the wind was always blowing which I hate, but I can certainly appreciate the view.

We were on the Mission Beach Saturday evening and I caught this bird getting ready to take flight. We were going to wait for the sunset, but it was too chilly. Nature has it right - all blues and my favorite bird photo of the trip.

Del Mar and the Angora Goat Show

One of my friends is showing 20 of my goats at the show in Del Mar tomorrow. I will be getting up before dawn, so I can be there by 10. I am interested in seeing how they rank amongst other breeders' goats. I will be back on Monday. Marc will be here Friday and Saturday, if you need something, or you can call my cell 520-401-6117.

I am also using the time to visit my son, Kyle, and maybe visit a few of the local yarn shops. Kyle wants me to check out the university that he will be studying at next year for his doctorate. And, any trip to the San Diego area requires a walk on the beach.

Wildlife, Batts, and Getting Older

This is the third Gila monster that we have seen and the first this year. It is a lot smaller than the two I saw last year. It crawled across the arena and into the old duck pond area.

Among other wildlife sightings has been an old gray coyote. He was seen in our driveway last Friday morning and then Marc and I saw it sneak under the front fence on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it is not possible to fence all of the way to the ground and an electric fence is just too dangerous to consider. This guy has been traveling on his own and is way too tame. I have gone back to creative spinning. I spun these two beaded yarns, while I was doing paperwork for the Pasadena Bead and Gem show which is July 28-31, 2011. I am looking forward to going and have already scheduled a hotel room in the same building, so I can teach evening classes and not have to worry about rushing from one place to another. Let me know, if you are going to be there and are interested in a class.

I am featuring batts this month. They are all on sale. In the two above, the shimmery colors are created by mohair locks randomly thrown onto the carder. The fronts and backs are never the same, since I get bored as I am feeding the carder. Felted they will look a lot like what you see. If they are spun, you will get a variegated yarn and the colors on the backside will pop out. Gives them the Impressionistic look.

This is a progression of batts that I have carded over the past few days. I started with the bottom one and then changed colors on each batt. I ran out of the green, so it became more peachy, added some reds, then an almost pure red (the back side has natural colored white Shetland in streaks,) and then a really thin batt that is mostly white with dashes of kid mohair in colors.

Those of you who know me or have been following my blog are aware that my Dad passed away in March. Both he and my mother died from heart disease, so I felt the best use of my insurance money was to invest in my health. I have diabetes that I have been controlling by diet and exercise. Stress has been causing me problems recently and I just could not force myself to go to the gym. It is two minutes away, but the hassles of getting changed to go and then the reek of the place was just a total turn off. I want to be able to exercise when I want and having the equipment here will make it more likely that I will. I can beat the post prandial desire to snooze with a few minutes of exercise so, if you don't see me in the shop, figure that I am here, if the shop says "open" and that I am putting in a few minutes. Call the house number (on a sign next to the door) and I will be there, or feel free to shop and then let me know that you are ready. My next investment will be some kind of bell that lets me know that someone has driven into the driveway!

Happy knitting, felting, weaving, etc. and don't forget your health.