Loving partnership; barnyard fun!

Introductions.

Katie’s horses meet Katie’s goat kids!

 

So God made a farmer

 

The author is unkown, but, USA Today reports that this Paul Harvey monologue was originally given to the Future Farmers of America (now FFA) convention in 1978. Harvey, who died in 2009, was a longtime radio favorite in the Midwest.

America’s Historical Yarn

Barnyard Help

My mom, Rose, is visiting me for a week or so (she’s 90). Better put her to work: barnyard therapy! Don’t judge me… my two remaining kids (‘pet’ wethers) will be moving to their new home soon. In the meantime, I can still spoil them with a bottle!

I couldn’t get my mom to milk “our girls”. She said her mother (my Oma in Austria) always milked their goat, “Lisel” (for the sole purpose of feeding their pig).

Have a great weekend!

Showtime!

James Rebanks on The Shepherd’s Life

Reversible: twice the goodness?

I played a bit more with my Shetland wool roving (that’s surprising, wink!). I used two individual girls’ wool: Brenna’s ‘black’ and Reese’s moorit.

First, two layers or more of one sheep and then another two or three layers of the other sheep’s naturally colored wool.

See, reversible! Twice the goodness!???

The slight difference in each fleece influenced the wet felting process and final character of the project. I added Lincoln ‘fringe’ to both ‘ends’.

Always fun to explore (play) with wool!

therapy

Wet felting (playing with wool) is my go-to THERAPY.

Is that a sheep in the bath tub??? Why YES, it is! (Ugh! Laying over the tub is difficult on the chest!)

My apprentice, Luna, inspecting my ‘work’? I don’t know if she loves the wool or WATER more???!? Rub-a-dub-dub, kitty in the tub!

The ‘finished’ wooly product: my Shetland wool with my friend Chris’s Lincoln raw wool staples as fringe. I haven’t decided whether to needle felt a few sheep on it… or not? Hmmmm…

Cheap therapy for the heart and soul!!

forced blooms

Mindless wet felting; playing with wool to create Spring blooms!

No real ‘method’ to my felting madness. Grab a wisp of this and that hand dyed wool roving, layering as you ‘stack’ colors. The more layers/wool, the thicker your finished piece.

If you’d like additional texture, add little pieces of scrap yarn or wool snippets to the mix, before felting. Working over the kitchen sink or dishpan, rub a little (hand made) soap onto your hands (or directly onto the wool). Alternate hot & cold water and a little rubbing action/elbow grease. An old vintage wash board works well and suits my purpose!

Blot with towel and air dry. Once dry, embellish with a few beads, buttons or embroidery stitches. Add a pin-back and viola!! Sweet blooms!!

Oh, happy day!