Just Hanging Out!

Wild Rose Farm Ewes Resting 

The weather has been going from hot & sunny to hot & T-storms over the last week or so.  We've managed to get the grazed sections of pasture mowed, but it has been too wet to plow the garden area. Hmmm … not sure when we'll get any veggies, herbs, & flowers planted! The ewes and lambs have started to get out for grazing so we'll have some pictures of them soon.
We paid a visit to the Great Lakes Fiber Show over Memorial Day weekend to drop off and pick up our processed wool items. I'm starting to clean and put together the old Sears & Roebuck 6 harness Hearthside Loom out in the studio … it looks like I'll have to order a couple of reeds and then figure out what the first project will be. This will be fun (I keep telling myself)!

Wild Rose Farm Fleeces For Sale @ Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest!

Our skirted fleeces sold well at the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest. They are sold with a washed sample lock and the ewe's micron test ... there was a lot of interest in the Rambouillet micron tests this year. The hand spinners were comparing the tests and the "% of Fibers > 30 Microns". Fibers greater than 30 microns are the indicator of the comfort of the wool, since 30 microns is where the famous "itch factor" creeps in & becomes important!  I am planning to go to the Lawrence County Wool Pool next week to drop off fleeces that we don't need for processing this year. This pool pays the day of the pool and they will be grading each fleece out of the bag.

Just Routines!

Wild Rose Farm - Done Grazing Here!

The ewes & lambs have settled into a routine now that everyone has been processed with ear tags and they're out grazing. They spent the evening & overnight in the "hospital pen" near the barn to graze it down. When you do a graze with high stock density in a limited area, they say it's a third, a third, a third. One third eaten, one third trampled, one third remaining.  That looks about right, lol, and now we'll mow off the stems & seed heads.  The sheep were off to the pasture on the other side of the Loafing Shed ...
Leading up to the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest, I noted that we were running low on our Rambouillet combed top and needed to have more made. We quickly skirted and took 20 pounds of raw fleece out to the Great Lakes Sheep & Fiber Show in Wooster, Ohio over the Memorial Day weekend. We dropped it off with Zeilinger Wool to be processed ... yay!  They make a lovely combed top for us and we'd sold a bunch at Waynesburg.  

Busy Holiday Weekend!

Ewes & Lambs Head To Pasture Sunday Morning

We had several sheep & wool related trips over the Memorial Day weekend. After the Friday night Girl Scout visit, we dropped off 35 lbs of Rambouillet fleece to be delivered to The Mill At Meadowlands in Maryland. The plans are to have some yarn made - "thinking" of lace weight and some worsted weight singles at the moment. The wool was delivered Sunday morning.  Ruth at the mill called me to talk about it while I was roaming around at the Great Lakes Sheep & Fiber Show in Wooster. Once the wool is washed, we'll talk in more detail about what it wants to become ... :).  Don't you just love fiber artists? Meadowlands had a representative at the Waynesburg Sheep & Fibe Fest to pick up fleeces, but we're in line behind the wool from Maryland Sheep & Wool, so stay tuned.
The picture above was taken from the driveway as I departed for the show in Wooster, Ohio. It's off to the races for the ewes & lambs in the morning!

Barb Originals - Mini Looms!

It wasn't as hot on Sunday as it was on Saturday & there was no rain in Wooster ... it made for a lot of fun checking out every building!

Say It With Sheep - Crib Full Of Sheep Dolls! 

Ursula's Alcove - Fabulous Felted Hats
"Books & Supplies For The Medieval & Fiber Enthusiast"

Pictures from Ursula's Alcove came out with too much glare, but what a great booth if you're into reenactment, patterns, & period fiber tools!

Champion Rambouillet Sheep - Auction Sale 

There were around 350 sheep in the shows on Saturday & the auction was held on Sunday --- I stopped in to see the Rambouillet sale, but wasn't buying this year!

A Trip To Wooster!

Seen At The Great Lakes Fiber Show!

Last Saturday, we took a trip out to the Great Lakes Fiber Show to a visitor, not a vendor!  The show was really busy and the weather was cool which makes for a good fiber day.  Here is one of my favorite booths ....... I just loved the felted lamp shades.  What a great idea. 

Felted Lamp Shade From Sweet Heart Suri Alpacas

Sweet Heart Suri Alpacas had some very nice yarn too, but the lampshades really caught my eye!

More Goodies From Sweet Heart Suri Alpacas

Here's another look at a shade & some candle hurricane glass covers ..... very nice!

Sweet Heart Suri Alpaca Booth

What You Missed!

Here's the crowd at the Rosefield booth .......
If you didn't make it to the Great Lakes Fiber Show over the weekend, here is a sampling of what you missed!

A booth full of beautiful roving and another booth with gorgeous buttons and yarns!

Meanwhile, back at Wild Rose Farm, we took this picture of Rambouillet ewe #315 and her twin ewe lambs on Sunday.  They hadn't been painted yet.  This evening we finished ear tagging and refreshing the painted numbers on the lambs.  After the downpours on Monday, the lambs were looking a little faded ....