Barb's Profile | Typepad

Lambing and Lactating and Crashing and Burning . . .

Let me tell you about lambing season. It has been quite an intense time. Things got off to a rolicking start a full week earlier than expected and the pace is only now starting to ease up. I'm coming up... Continue reading

Posted Apr 24, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

14

Name the Lambs Contest Winner!

I am pleased to announce a winner to our Name the Lambs contest. Mike and I narrowed down the list of potential name themes to our five favorites: types of tea, candy, National Parks, Disney characters and Shakespearean names. We... Continue reading

Posted Mar 30, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

2

First Lamb!

Meet our first lamb of the season, a singleton ram born early this afternoon to Cormo ewe Papaya. I came home from the grocery story to find him in the barn, on his feet, all cleaned up and sturdily nursing.... Continue reading

Posted Mar 23, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

6

Contest - Name the Lambs

COMMENTS FOR THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT SUGGESTIONS. CHECK BACK ON SUNDAY TO SEE OUR SELECTION. Spring has sprung. Sort of. Here in the hillls a sheet of sleet and slush marked its arrival. Which... Continue reading

Posted Mar 20, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

130

More Shearing Day Scenes

I had way too many photos for one post. Here's another round of pics showing moments throughout the day. We stopped mid morning to celebrate our shearer Andy Rice's birthday with a delicious cake baked by Sheep Share member Pat... Continue reading

Posted Mar 16, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

2

As the Wool Flies - Shearing Day part one

Yesterday was our Sheep Shares CSA member shearing day. I couldn't have asked for a nicer group of helpers, better weather or prettier fleeces. Mike and I thank everyone who came to pitch in. We accomplished so much in one... Continue reading

Posted Mar 16, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

0

Gypsy gets a vet check and new friends

The vet was running late. It was a shivery 45 minute wait in the barn Monday afternoon. Thirteen degrees, wind chasing snow ghosts across the field. While I crouched and rubbed my hands together between my knees, Gypsy enjoyed my... Continue reading

Posted Feb 1, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

8

Our Goat was Kidnapped

If Gypsy, our dear Angora doe, could speak she'd have a heck of a tale to tell about the last 72 hours. First of all, Gyspy is okay. She was returned to the farm yesterday by two of the three... Continue reading

Posted Jan 26, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

23

This is about Sheep Shares

There's still time to join us for 2014! Sheep Shares is my farm's yarn and fiber CSA. It's a way for you, wherever you are, whatever you do, to participate in the life of a working sheep farm - and... Continue reading

Posted Jan 13, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

3

Passages

This is Cocoa, the oldest, dearest member of my flock. Cocoa is one of the pair of my very first sheep. My flock started with her. Cocoa will be 17 in March which is very old for a sheep. She's... Continue reading

Posted Jan 11, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

12

Wild and Windy

The farm's survived the wild and snowy night. By mid morning today we had patches of blue sky and everyone came outside to stand in the sun. But warmth - not so much. That didn't stop me from taking a... Continue reading

Posted Jan 3, 2014 at Sheep Gal

Comment

3

New Year's Wishes

Thank you for visiting our farm this year. Wishing you happiness, health and peace in 2014. Continue reading

Posted Dec 31, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

5

Sheep & Snowfall

Saturday's storm brought twelve inches of snow to our farm. The sheep dined al fresco Sunday morning. They needed a little coaxing to leave the barn, but once outside they seemed to enjoy ranging around the paddock. I distributed hay... Continue reading

Posted Dec 18, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

3

Thanksgiving

Sending my truest wishes for happiness, health and warmth on Thanksgiving day. With my deepest gratitude for your fellowship, Barb photo courtesy Ben Barnhart Continue reading

Posted Nov 28, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

9

GIVEAWAY - Adventures In Yarn Farming Celebration

Entries for this GIVEAWAY are now closed. Congratulations to our Givewaway winner, Sara, who posted on November 12 at 8:25 a.m. - she is the lucky winner of a Sheep Shares CSA 2014 Yarn Sampler (natural) membership. Thank you to... Continue reading

Posted Nov 8, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

130

Evening Chores

Just back to the farm after a weekend vending and book signing at the Fiber Festival of New England at the Eastern States Exposition. Thanks everyone who stopped by my booth to scoop up skeins of Cormo yarn and to... Continue reading

Posted Nov 3, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

11

RAMBITIOUS!

Today is "big love" day at the farm - we're turning our boys in with their ladies. Moorit ram, Chai, can barely contain his excitement. This post is brief because I have lots to do at the farm this morning.... Continue reading

Posted Oct 25, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

4

Flock on a Fall Day

A gorgeous but intensely busy Columbus Day weekend here at the farm. I'm up to my eyeballs in the dye studio, getting ready to ship our Sheep Shares fall shares and simultaneously dyeing skeins for the New York Sheep &... Continue reading

Posted Oct 15, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

2

Fiber, Foliage & Friends - Scenes from the Day

Last Saturday a group of intrepid Sheep Shares CSA members braved the threat of showers and the back roads of western Franklin county to join us for a special afternoon. Fiber, Foliage & Friends is an annual tradition here for... Continue reading

Posted Oct 9, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

2

My Book Launch - Coming Soon!

Yesterday I received an exciting email from my editor at Roost Books. The very first cartons of my book, Adventures in Yarn Farming, have arrived at the warehouse. Any day now, I will hold a copy of my own book... Continue reading

Posted Oct 4, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

13

Hay Scene

This was the scene in the hayfield on Sunday afternoon. Norm was mopping up the last windrows with the round baler. Zoe and Farley cavorted through the behomoth round bales and chewed on stubble. It's been a tricky summer haywise.... Continue reading

Posted Aug 28, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

5

We Had Visitors!

Last weekend our Sheep Shares CSA members and their guests flocked Springdelle Farm for our annual summer social event - the Strolling of the Sheep. I love this event. There's no better time of year to showcase our lush, verdant... Continue reading

Posted Jun 6, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

3

Fleece Show at Mass. Sheep & Woolcraft Fair

Every spring on shearing day I hold aside a handful of special fleeces from my flock. Sometimes it's a fleece from a sheep who holds a dear place in my heart. And some fleeces are simply masterpieces of wool, crimp... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

6

Wool Away!

"Wool Away!" is the command given by the shearer to the "fleece-o" to pick up the freshly shorn fleece after a shorn ewe exits the shearing board. In the lingo of a "down under" shearing shed, the "sheep-o" pulls sheep... Continue reading

Posted Apr 7, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

3

Another Day in the Shearing Shed

These photos were taken during last Friday's shearing. We were fortunate to have more spring-like weather and luckier yet to have Holly and Meg pitch in for the day! We still have about a third of the flock left to... Continue reading

Posted Apr 4, 2013 at Sheep Gal

Comment

1