Farming is not just animals

In three days, my plants grew 3 to 12 inches. I did a show in western Pennsylvania, which is not worth doing again, and came back to find my garden is almost a jungle. Some seeds from last year sprung up as volunteers, so the chickens will have more to enjoy. wouldn't you figure that they would be the vegetables that tasted horrible? Lots of pumpkins! 

Winter and Thanksgiving are due at the beginning of August They are getting testy, so we are keeping a close eye on them.

The chickens that I bought for feathers are doing well. I love the color variations. I am fairly certain that a few of them are hens.

The latest project on my Majacraft Dynamic loom. Using a 10/2 in the weft sure adds time to the weaving, but the end result will be worth it.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Very weird on in terms of weather.

Catch me on Facebook

I am still waiting for my new computer to arrive. Hopefully, any day now and then the laborious task of downloading everything off an online system that we had been storing all but my photos to. I think I lost two months of pictures, but the best have been stored on my remove able disk and I had not deleted from my cameras for ages.

Trees branches are still everywhere and more keep flying with each thunderstorm. The goats keep eating the leaves, so it does not look as bad as when it first happened.

I really enjoyed my class with Esther Rodgers of Jazzturtle Creations. I am back to my own style of spinning with a new twist or two, but I was really inspired by the weaving portion of the workshop. I bought a Majacraft Dynamic loom for the workshop and was really impressed by the fun variations that you can get. Look for some new designs and styles. I have been posting on my Facebook page: Kathy Withers. You are welcome to follow me there. Unfortunately, my iPad will not allow me to post photos on this version of my blog, so I will post a few when I am finally up and running again.

I am now spinning a series of yarns that include large beads and texture. It is a slightly modified version of my freeform yarns. If twisted, they make gorgeous necklaces. I am trying to keep the yardage down, so they will be more affordable.

Tomorrow morning, I am off to New Castle, PA, for an art show at the Hoyt Arts Center. It is open from 4-8 p.m. in the evening and then Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. If you live in the area, please stop in.

Hope everyone is having a more settled summer than we are!

Always something

I just finished designing a new shawl and I have actually spun two different color ways for it. They will all be listed as soon as we get our computer back.

We had a tornado touch down yesterday night and several trees were taken down. The electric line coming into the house had the neutral destroyed, so lots of circuits got burnt. Most of the surge protectors were burnt out. The one for the computer worked for all but the hard drive. My studio door was shattered and so was the windshield on the Avalanche. It will not keep me from heading out to the Jazzturle workshop in Oxford, CT, today. Marc will drive me to a friend's and she and I will drive her car.  Terrible of me, but I feel no guilt leaving it all to Marc. I had wanted one of the trees cut down because every time the wind blowed, it sounded like a freight train was in our room. When we had all of the trees trimmed in mid April, the arborist said it was a healthy tree and would not cut it. That is the tree that landed on our upstairs porch and had huge branches fly across the roof to land on my truck.

The animals were up in that area and Chowing down on leaves as it poured. I spent half hour checking under all of the tree to make sure none were stuck under. All are well! Will post photos when I get to the hotel. Verizon wireless on my IPad is just too slow!

Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival

 We have two geese that have decided that we are not going to bother them. They now wander all over the front yard with the chickens and watch me as I work in the garden. They lost their nest to the flood and must be bored.

 Finished knitting my last collar. I was hoping to finish putting together the pattern, but I could not get motivated. Allergies are making me weary.

This is my most recent freeform yarn. It is mostly Merino and some black kid mohair and all from my animals. The fiber is so fine that an 11 US needle will be too large. I sure hope there are artists in Massachusetts!

Flooding and New Class List

Since the barn and small shed areas are flooded, the sheep are back on the far pasture and the angora goats with kids are in what most people would call our front yarn. The kids are loving the tree stumps, steps and the rocks around a small spring. We plan to leave them these despite the hassle of having to open and close gates as we arrive and leave the property. This weekend, Marc is going to put moveable fencing around the surviving fruit trees, so we can let the goats into the only area that we have kept them off. The grass is several inches there, so they will be happy.

In preparation for the Maryland sheep and Wool Festival, I have drawn up a list of the classes that I teach and put dates to a few of them. To sign up, I need a 50% deposit. Let me know and I will send you an invoice and my Paypal account info.

Art Spinning  May 13 10-3 $100 includes supplies

Freeform Knit and Crochet May 28 $75 10% off yarns on class day.

Nuno felting May 31 10-1 $75 includes supplies

Wet felting a bowl/bag June 7 $25 instruction fee plus materials fee

Wet felting a landscape June 14 $25 instruction fee plus materials fee

Beginning Spinning on a wheel $100 for 2 hours.

Abstract Lace $55—set your own date.

Art Weaving—set your own date.

Call to set up your own class. Art spinning and weaving minimum of 1 student, all other classes 2 or more.

 

 

 

Around the Farm and Maryland sheep and Wool Festival



 In preparation for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I wandered the farm looking for the perfect picture to use on my banner. This photo appears to be close, but I found a better one. Come check it out. I will be in the sheep dog area in the northwest section of the fairgrounds.

 The kids are enjoying  being out on the front yard. they are running around climbing on rocks while their moms are grazing.

 This mom had twins. They are really heavy kids. They were among the first born. All are keepers.

 The Shetland sheep were also out. The two little white blobs are twin lambs belonging to the sheep at left. The sheep and goats are in the same fenced area but they hang as separate herds.

And there always has to be one. This doe is one of my oldest and she got pregnant last. She never got pregnant by the black buck, so I put her in with the white buck. She is a drama queen and waited till the second round to let the buck catch her. Kids any day now?

I am busy pricing roving, carding large batts and spinning art yarns. I am down to one freeform yarn, so I need to sit and focus. Good thing that it is raining, so there is not a lot of temptation to run around the farm. Marc was kind enough to do all of the feeding and milking this morning.

I have a new flock number for Maryland. Ran out of the Arizona tags and finally found the right place to order new ones. Another part of my past life is being left behind.

See you at MSDW!

Off to Powhatan Fiber Festival

Was supposed to set up my canopy and grid wall this afternoon in Powhatan, Virgina, but thunderstorms and tornado watches made it impossible. I am in a local hotel, so will get up super early to go set up. If you are in the area, stop in and say hello.

Next weekend is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I will have a 10 by 15 tent in the sheepdog area.  I am looking forward to it, since it is one of the largest fiber shows in the US. I live only 10 minutes from there, so I am hoping people will come visit the farm. I will be bringing lots of roving, handspun yarn, patterns, batts and some mill spun yarn. Think color!