Working through the wool stash

Now that summer is winding down, it's time to get into the wool stash and begin washing, processing, dyeing and spinning. I'm beginning to see a problem around here with a room, basement and barn filled with wool and fiber bags.

The locks are beautiful, long and soft.

The lanolin in this wool is amazing. The water is literally beading off my hand as I worked and washed the wool

The water was the color of coffee as I began to wash it with a wool wash soap. It took about 4 rinses to begin running clear.

This is what 9 pounds of Lincoln wool looks like as it drys. Now to put some thoughts into some colorways and get busy!

Predator and Prey

You just cannot have farming without the constant threat of predators. That threat happened here yesterday with a hawk attack on ours as well as our neighbors chickens. Just as I heard the warning get calls from the roosters I quickly slipped on my shoes and spun around in time to see a red shoulder hawk come right down on this pretty girl above. As I was running our dog Autumn was right on the situation. The hawk had dragged her into a bunch of pricker bushes. Autumn couldn't get to it but I jumped in, the hawk released and flew off to our neighbors yard and grabbed one of their chickens! We quickly ran over and got the chicken away, she flew up into a tree and Autumn paced and barked. Our neighbor came out to the scene and quickly began hazing methods to get the hawk to fly off. Both chickens are fine but a little traumatized over their ordeal.

I just don't know what I would do without my side kick. She has prevented more attacks than I can count. A street dog we adopted a few years ago has become our greatest tool in the never ending predator and Prey struggle.

Making the felted cut

When the soap doesn't quite make the cut, it's made into felted soap! Odd shaped bars are just perfect for this.

With some wonderfully soft merino, the soaps are wrapped I  many thick layers, plunged in hot water allowing the wool to shrink and tightened around the soaps.

From there they are left to dry and then embellished with design.

All packaged and ready for our November show!!!