Llama rescue....

Our Dalai Llama is furious (can't you tell??). We have a local rescue going on that finds us needing to help place over 22 llamas. They need to have forever homes, possibly foster homes so if you know of anyone local that could help, please have them email us.

Adoption homes will be screened and require a home visit but please know that is to insure the llamas are in fact going to good homes where they will now be safe--they have been through enough already in their little lives. I am not sure yet if an adoption fee will be necessary--has not been decided yet.

SO, that said, I am running behind, boxes will go out Wednesday and our update will move to Tuesday/Wednesday--sorry for the delay. Can't be helped and appreciate your patience! More updates as available and thank you for your kind thoughts for the llamas in need--you are all so appreciated! Smooches!

We're gonna have stairs?!!!

Say WHAT???? Yes, my wonderful parents are arriving this morning to help Ross (son) build proper stairs/landing outside our back porch! Yey! We have had a sturdy but narrow,makeshift set since the basement fell in last year--so will be a wonderful wonderous treat to have that accomplished! This place is getting back to normal but is still the 'land of unfinished projects'... ugh. (the model for our entry today is my sister Jenny's Olivia--what a cutie pie huh??).

WASHED COTSWOLD WOOL: Any of you waiting for orders of washed Cotswold, we appreciate your patience. I am trying like crazy to get that fiber DRY but our weirdo fall has turned back to humid/warm summer days so the fiber is NOT cooperating. Neither are the sheep by the way--those naughties don't like their 'job' of fanning the fleeces--now what could be wrong with THAT??? If you have any questions about the progress of your order please email--we are sorry for the inconvenience this may be causing anyone.... Expect special 'treats' for the wait--the sheep are of course very 'into' THAT! :0)

Update this weekend so be sure to get on our email list ok? Lots of dyed fiber and some washed too--waiting for boxes from both mills--they are buuusy.

Keep good thoughts for our HollyEQQ and Taos Martie--they need them and we are sending hugs too--thinking of you gals.... Toodles!

Bad Football and Great update!

I am sure you have heard by now it was mob rule in sheepy land yesterday so NO work got done. Those stinkers had a tail gate party that started way early and didn't end til late last night--they got so mad that the Bears and Packers lost--due to their own silliness--that the sheep just went bananas. Lots of Margaritas were had (minus the alcohol) and it was all over. :0)

However, they DID get right to work on the update this morning--hooray sheep! There are lots of new Cotswold clouds, dyed and unwashed fiber. Wanted to have more ready for this update but again, fiber is not drying so fast in the fall weather.... Will have more Lincoln locks dyed up for the next update (by 9/28), along with lots of unwashed fiber--and hoping some washed fiber too. Just been a wild fall already--great weather, lots of apples to freeze and just fun life on the farm--OH, don't miss out on our news here, we are 'helping' our friend Jen out by adopting some llamas and alpacas--do you hear my arm twisting??? OW! (oink snort is what I should say!).

The economy has found people having to choose between feeding their families--or their pets. It is a sad time in the animal world. Feed prices have almost tripled and hay is going to be high priced and sort of scarce this year. Scary times, specially for the critters involved. Jenny has so many creatures waiting to get into her place but she has a few 'special needs' llamas and alpacas that she really wants to be careful placing. Ta-da! Not sure how that will all work out yet but keep an eye here for all the fun! Cheerio!

It worked! You guys are great!

Hooray for good thoughts from the Homestead fan club--thank you everyone! Monte will be fine and his foot is already healing up nicely. What a scary day to find him on three legs and hurting like that. NOT allowed! However, he and Casper are in a 'hospital' care area now that is MUCH smaller than the 25 acres they roam on a normal day. Casper is specially unhappy--the pasture they are on now is right next to the driveway--across from our bedroom windows. Needless to say, antenna ears Casper hears EVERYTHING and is quick to let us know how unhappy he is that we have not been out to feed him EARLY--you know, like sun up?? ha! (and the picture of Casper is his 'winter look', in the summer he is sleek and shiny like Monte).

Big update tomorrow, hoping to get the sheep in gear so they can have their tail gate party before the Bear's game. :0) They are staunch Bears fans (we are from Chicago you know) but Jim (from WI) is as big a fan of the Packers. The sheep have to admit though, we are all rooting for Aaron Rodgers--new quarter back of the Packers. He has been a rock through all the crap dished by Brett Favre pre-season and has shown his ability to lead his team and win games! SO, aren't WE the good fans? Take it from the sheep--Jim, not so much--he would rather DYE than root for the Bears..... Says a lot don't you think?? ha!

The update will have lots more unwashed fiber, dyed fiber and still working on pictures of 3 Chic Knit finished items. Fun fun football Sunday! Toodles!

Send some good thoughts for Monte....

We have some trauma going on here this week so please bear with us while we get things back under control-- our Diamonte (Monte) has a severly injured hoof and we are scrambling to keep him comfy--and full of pain killers of course.... We think he stepped on something sharp but darned if I can find what it was. have looked everywhere and the offender is nowhere in sight. Wish he would share that fact with me.

The vet is scheduled for this afternoon so keep good thoughts for him ok? He is 33 years old and is a smooch--and Casper the honkey donkey's best bud. Off to worry myself sick as I always do when my 'family' has issues!

Rainy days and updates......

Noodle has the right idea don't you think?? It has rained for three days straight--hooray for sheepy rain dances! That would be a SIGHT don't you think??

This is great weather for an update--and it is a big 'un. Be sure to browse around, lots of new dyed fiber, washed and unwashed wool (alpaca & mohair too)and a bit of roving/clouds. Yeeha!

The sheep are busy showing Avi & Val (our new McNair Romney girls) the 'hotel' and pastures. They don't seem to mind the rain when it comes to new friends! More pictures of the girls when it is a better day to take the camera out! Be sure to browse the site--lots of new fiber fun! Caio!

Apple high!

Get in my belly! Magpie LOVES apples and she was very worried yesterday that we would empty the trees and not share any more! However, there are so many apples, our little applesauce bonanza yesterday hardly dented our bumper crop! Plenty to go around Magpie! The sheep are coming down from the apple 'high' and getting to work on another update for this weekend so be sure you get on our emailing list ok? That is the first letter we send out immediately after the update.... :0)

Quite a FUN day at the neighbors yesterday, the Calaways are amazing! Linda and Bill, and four of their six wonder kids were the leaders, and Ross and I learned how fun it was to do this together--have always done canning/freezing on my own and have not been able to do anything since our cave in last year.... Everyone had a job and away we went--we started boiling apples at 1045 and by 11 we were running them through the food mill and making applesauce! We finished at 130 and had 5 ice cream pails and a stock pot to bring home for us to freeze, and Linda had a giant bowl to keep in the fridge for the kidlets AND 28 quart jars canned up! Wowee! We are planning several more bonanza days too-our trees have a bumper crop and three here, five there.... fun fun on the farm!

The two sheep pictured are Avi and Val--we are purchasing from the infamous McNair Romney flock--can never have enough of them I swear! They did not have babies this year so they are retiring--aw shucks and twist my arm--and oink snort! More about the girls when they arrive, this weekend maybe?

Keep an eye on the site--mucho more wool soon soon! Off to get the dyepots moving again!! CHop chop chippy!!

My kind of laundry day--oh, and an update???!

Got my pictures turned around and lazy me, here we go!! First want to tout the fact that we again have Humphrey's camel fleece to play in (oops, I mean with)! Yey Humphrey and thank you Humphrey's mom! I am sure you all read about Humphrey last year but here is the short version of his story. Humphrey was in desperate need of a home and landed with a good friend--with a broken hind leg. That was about 10 years ago and he is now healed (not many can now spot that his back leg healed a little shorter than the other) and a very happy babysitter for the rescue pony babies. He is a hoot and I wish he lived much closer!! Someday a camel for Sandy ok?? :0) (just don't tell Jim!).

I have listed on the site some washed/tumbled fiber from Humphrey and the rest headed to the mill for de-hairing/carding into clouds. This will let some of you get to try camel fiber for a little less cash and see how different it feels before the guard hairs are removed--this fiber comes with lots of karma and Humphrey hugs! The yarn picture is the yarn heading back to this family and I dyed Humphrey fiber clouds, then spun the fiber adding in random dyed Corriedale wool. I plyed it with a soft shiny thread to get as much yardage as possible for them. Wheeee and giddyup!

The update is also done, including our Miette's Angora lash yarn--be sure to check it out--and her! Miette has been here for a little over a year, she arrived as a teensy, ill goat and has kicked it all to be a very sassy, beautiful goatie with soft, luxurious locks that are just to well, 'dye' for! We adore her sassy self and are happy to see her healthy. There is also lots of roving on the site too--like the Watermelon Crawl (the sheep promised me they have NEVER had to do that!) so be sure to browse around ok?

Oh, and laundry day? We also added scads of new yarn to the site--from lash yarn to two ply, crazy quilt and singles! yey! This is the picture of some of the yarn waiting to be washed--now THAT is my kind of laundry day don't you think??? :0) bwaahahahahaha!

Please keep a good thought that Hurricane Ivan will go back out to sea where it belongs too. What a season already and it doesn't officially end til the end of November. Ugh. We are going to update again later in the week with lots of unwashed and dyed wool--have to go get those sheep to knuckle down again--ha! Cheers!