Clarifications.....

Recently it has come to our attention that another wool vendor is following our business model, both in the pattern of our chosen ethics and by designing a website that can easily be confused with ours. While this IS America and we do enjoy the right of free enterprise, we are concerned because in this instance, the seller is claiming to be an ‘animal friendly farm’ when it truly is not, at least not in the sense that we are.

For clarification, the term ‘animal friendly’, in the case of Homestead Wool & Gift Farm means that our animals are safely grazing the rest of their lives away here at our farm, on pastures, never separated from their ‘families’ and friends. They are not eaten, sold, given away or allowed to have babies—unless they arrive here pregnant. They are part of our family and our biggest blessing. Their happiness and good care are our utmost concern. We are proud to be at the forefront of this new genre of fiber producers.

We have dedicated our lives to what we feel is an honorable and ethical animal rescue/sanctuary. We love our animals beyond words. As you are able to see by our very fair pricing structure, we are not in this for the money, but rather to find a way to keep our farm in business so that we may continue to provide shelter for the many animals who may otherwise not have a chance to live out the remainder of their lives in peace. For more information about us, please see Lexi Boeger’s new book ‘Intertwined’ or visit our site http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarm/.

We appreciate your support and want you to know that when you shop with us, you are, TRULY, supporting an animal friendly farm.

The Ryan Sheeps

Update and project fun!

Hello everyone! Just finished up another update on our site that includes unwashed and dyed wool--be sure to take a look! Our 'meet the sheep' is Jolly, a 1 year old Romney lamb I got for Christmas from my family. Jolly lives up to his name, as a newborn, he strangely learned to walk backwards? He is right as rain now and a very happy boy! He has some of his first ever shearing on the site that is called 'Flame' so be sure to check it out!

The picture of the pink knitting project is the first of two blankets I am creating for our twin nieces. They are four and wanted blankets for their beds. I spun up a very bulky single from some Superwash Merino, plyed it with a cotton thread, then dyed it a shocking pink! Now I have one blanket almost complete and have plenty of yarn for the next one--now deciding if it wants to have fringe or not....

The second yarny picture is one skein of my single ply, one from Eling and a skein of two ply from Eva. I am creating a scarf that will be warm and soft. It will be travelling to Russia with a customer of the sheep in June--now how fun is THAT?! Three different spinners all the way to Russia.... :0)

Be sure to check the update, will have another by the weekend, sorting fleeces every morning! Happy Tuesday!!

Cool Wheel!

How cool is THIS wheel?? It is handcrafted by Gilbert Gonsalves of Maine and called the Robin-and the sheep's friend Julie M spins fantastic yarns on it! You can read more about it here. Love the look of the wheel and the large bobbins--lotsa yarn a spinnin'! ha!

Working toward an update this weekend, it is humid and more rain in the forecast so trying to get the wool DRY!

AND for the best news ever, my Mom is done with her chemo as of May 27!!!! Yey and way to go Mom--you are amazing and I love you dearly. She has been through the wringer and come out stronger and if possible even more wonderful--and what gorgeous hair! Again, yey Mom! Hug your family everyone--every day!

Web Update! The Sheep are back in Gear!

Yey sheep! Update mission accomplished! We have been dealing with MORE water/flood issues outside so appreciate your patience--sheep safety out there comes first over anything else.... They are fine, just have to watch the water level on the 'river Ryan' run off areas. We live at the bottom of a hill and with all the moisture we have had, there is no where for water to go right now. Scary to have such spongy ground too..... I am ready to be done with Spring and we are not even there yet! ha!

Lots of great fiber on the site today including unwashed Romney wool from Fender (pictured) and it is his first ever shearing! He is a peach, he was one of five lambs we purchased from Kendra's flock--they were my Christmas present--what a great hubby Jim is huh? :0) They are from the McNair Romney flock owned by friends of ours so you all know how great the wool will be!

Also tried something new (well something I forgot I loved to do) and added some hand dyed Firestar to the dyed fiber page. I added the fiber into the Bluebird and Spring Corriedale dye pots--wa-la, matching firestar!! Too fun! Watch for more of that because it is too cool!

Also have lots of new roving and a few Crazy Quilt batts--be sure to have a browse! Hope all is well and that you are all enjoying a fibery peaceful weekend! Cheers!

PS-- be sure to check out our Holly's site tonight, I hear she is updating too! She is a color wizard for sure!

A gigantic thank you!

The sheep want to thank all the generous fiber folks who donated and shopped our Circle The Wagons campaign to help our friend Holly! You have all made a terrific difference in Holly's circumstances, giving her much needed peace financially (together we raised $1,926.40!!!)--I decided she put it best so here is a few words from Holly herself via her blog:

"Circle the Wagons, for those of you that are so WONDERFUL (which I think includes everyone) and donated to this fund, I really wanted to say thank you again. I don't know what I would have made it through the last few months without ya'll. And I have to tell you it is a huge stress relief to know I have funds to pay for the trip whenever they finally get off their hineys and get this sucker scheduled. I would be in a total panic right now about money but instead I just have to worry about the docs/my liver/ surgery in general/ and Lazy Ass. I am actually remarkably calm considering! :)I have set most of the funds aside to be used when the actual double surgery takes place (travel, hotel, food, etc). I used a little bit to buy fibers that I could dye now since I am not supposed to be working so hard and locks are hard work... so you will continue to see some rovings from me when I am tired. They just require less bucket hauling and dumping, so I have no choice. But as long as I can still lift locks, I will dye locks. I am trying to take it easy but it is hard to sit still so I try to find balance.I can't tell you how I appreciate having options. Your generosity has overwhelmed me and the support I have recieved has literally kept me from ripping my hair out at times. It is so hard to even describe how much this means to me. I can't thank you enough or even properly. Oddly - the best comment came from my mother when I first saw this and was in total awe of the wonderful woman described (yes, I still have a hard time realizing it is me you are talking about). She quickly replied through her tears - but honey, you would be the first one to do it for any one of them. Odd how sometimes parents can get right to the source of things. I know it is true, but it is still overwhelming when that kind of generosity is sent your way. I do believe my calm through this storm is because I am wrapped in this huge wave of love. Corny I know, but it is the only thing that makes sense. I graciously thank you, each and every one."

If you missed the CTW sales, just go have a visit to Holly's gorgeous website! I believe she is updating tonight too--wheeee!

As for our site, I am still sorting fleeces, plan to take pictures tomorrow and update on Tuesday--remember, if there is a fleece you want to share with me (and believe ME, I am a fiber piglet but did learn to share at some point in my life-ha!) please email asap and let me know so I can get it on the sorting list. Hope you all had a great weekend and again, thank you for once again demonstrating how a group of people who have most often never met face to face, can pull together to help a friend in need. You are all way beyond wonderful!

Mission Accomplished!

This is our Laura sheep--pre-shearing! My poor sheep are probably wishing for their coats to be magically back again! Dratted weather is a bit raw but they seem to be less worried than I am--part of my charm maybe?? Meant to worry--sounds like a song! ha!

Laura is a McNair Romney we purchased from the McNairs a few years back--her mama is our Abigail so that makes her sister to Abi's twins Piper and Baaxter..... Fun fun all in the family. She has a beautiful silver/gray spotted fleece that is just soft soft.

We sheared on Tuesday and David the wonder shearer did a great job as usual. He is a peach. We started out about 730 am, and Jim & Ross were back in the house about 8 pm. I pooped out around 630. What a wimp huh?? ha! Lucky for me I was more organized this year. I had made up a list of 'dibs' fleeces and those that I wanted to send to the mills right away. Set those aside to come inside to be sorted first. Then the rest went to join what I have hung onto (oink oink) from last year's shearing. I have a stash that would make most of you cringe--but love it anyway!

If there is a fleece you would like to try or share with me, just email and let us know. I am off to plow through the first 40 or so fleeces and look forward to the update this week--lots of fun in store!! Cheers!