They are growing up...sigh

This morning it was clear and dry, so I sat in the paddocks with my camera. I find that peace with my woolies especially soothing on a Sunday morning. Perhaps it is the biblical link of "lamb and God " or perhaps it is because the usual hum of traffic on Rte 1 is somewhat non- existent in the wee hours.

Here are Marigold - now 6 weeks, and Moon Pie - now 10 weeks. Moon Pie has kept his terrific spots, and Marigold is exhibiting a great Babydoll beard. I am so enjoying watching them grow and learn more and more that they can trust me. Eventually I will become to them a fellow sheep in the paddock. Like the older sheep they will know me as friend.

The WEENIE MARTINI

Poor Pirate... yesterday he had a tumor removed from his hind-end. The surgery went great but unfortunately he has to wear the E-Collar since he pulled out 7 of his 16 stitches and had to be stapled back together this morning.

Being two inches off the ground is not easy wearing one of these things. Everything in his path is scooped into the collar! My husband thought he looked like a martini glass so felted him an olive and he reluctantly posed for this shot ...THE WEENIE MARTINI! :)

The Dog Days!

I guess the dog days of summer aren't here yet, but they will be soon. Being the owner of two shelter dogs, I am always looking for ways I can contribute to my local shelter. I donate old towels, food and other needed items at drop off centers, and even held a fundraiser here at my farm last fall. But I always want to do more. Soooo ... for every can or bag of dog food you drop off at my shop, you will receive $1 off any yarn purchase of $10 and up. Let's see how many dogs we can help feed through the summer. Bags of treats count too!

Comet Jumps Over The Moon

This pattern was designed with our bunny Comet in mind. He is grey Rex bunny that we adopted from a pet shop. He jumps higher than any rabbit I have ever seen. My daughter said she bet he could jump over the moon. Of course it would have to be a carrot-orange moon!

This pattern is available in our Yarn Shop.

Lawn Mowers

The grass is getting tall with all of this rain. The lawn mower won't start.

Plan B ....

Shop Shots

Here are a few more shots of the yarns and other goodies I am offering this year in my yarn shop.

Almost Ready!

The dye pot has been bubbling and I, in my witch's hat ( I am thewoolwitch after all ! :):) ) have been creating some great colors for all seasons! My shop will be officially OPEN next week!

Hours are Mon- Fri 12:30-6 and most weekends. Best to call ahead if you aren't sure ... I am here most of the time ( when I am not delivering kids to baseball and girl scouts) and welcome you to visit!

This year I have found a new passion ... Dyeing and working with wool fabric! I have hand-dyed small strips for appliqueing and hooking. I also have my own patterns for sale!

And speaking of patterns I have ordered some very nice patterns from Cabin Fever and Knit Spot. I have chosen projects for we " knitters on the run", easy beginner projects, and patterns I felt would work best with our worsted and bulky weight yarns.

Green Mountain Spinnery spun my worsted weight yarns. The whites have been dyed, and now I await the browns to be finished. I also have an assortment of hand-spun hanks spun by yours truly. Sunshine Pottery has provided me with some wonderful and unique stoneware buttons, and Betty Stover of Spinnakees' Farm is preparing some wonderful roving blends from her farm. We have yarns from Grandview Farm and yarns from The Stonehouse Farm. You won't believe how much I have packed into this old pony barn! :)

Hope you will stop by. Directions are posted on my website.

http://www.romneyridgefarm.com/.

Yello-Gold, Pumpkin-Orange

My fingers are yellow, gold, blue and purple ... but I don't care. I am surrounded with color!!!!!!

Winter seems so dull as it draws to an end. Even when the daffodils and the tulips bloom, I am happy to add more color to my life with help from the dye pot. This year, Green Mountain Spinnery spun our fleeces into a beautiful worsted weight yarn. This particular day was yellows and golds day.

Marigold

When something beautiful enters your life, you need to give it a beautiful name. This is Socks's sweet little baby ....Marigold. She is a beautiful Olde Babydoll Southdown lamb.

Moon Pie ...again

Well I just have to share this sturdy little guy as he grows....what a doll! Can't decide wether to keep him or not. Socks finally had her baby two nights ago. A little white ewe. It was a rough delivery, but both mom and baby are thriving. I am happy to say ... lambing is over ...whew!

Meet Moon Pie!

Our first Olde Babydoll Southdown ram lamb!

Look closely...he has a half black, half white tail!

We Are In Hobby Farms Magazine!

On a cold February day, a wonderful photographer named Dusty Perin, and her husband visited us to take pictures for the May-June issue of Hobby Farms Magazine. It was during one of this spring's cold snaps and I was shearing the next day...and hoping for warmer temps. She spent a great deal of time taking pictures of my Babydolls and then joined us for tea and cookies to warm up. Joker, my ram was a fairly good boy, though her husband played matador for a few minutes while we picked hay off from the ewes heads to make them look presentable.

In the end, it was Joker and I that made the cut. Thank you Dusty and thank you Hobby Farms Magazine! :)

Lamb #5

Without showing any signs of having her baby, Lucy ate her grain and laid down. A few hours later she delivered a ewe lamb. It has to be the most lively lamb I have ever seen! It is black and has a few tiny little white sprigs of white wool on it's head. We are waiting for it's owner to name her....I think it might be Penelope. :)

In this photo she has dirt on her nose that makes it look white.

My How Fast They Grow

Well, our first two sets of twins are a week old. They are gaining weight, bouncing around the paddock and quite curious! Lucy is close to lambing. The signs are there and she is quite restless. Socks and Annie, our Olde Babydoll Southdowns are both due on the 14th.

It is snowing hard here and I am praying that they wait until this storm is over! :)

Pictured here is my daughter Kathryn holding a fast growing Issabelle. This lamb is a Romney/Babydoll Southdown cross.

Introducing.....

Wallace ( black) and Gromit ( speckled) !

10 pounds each! Well done Judy.

Lambs!

After great anticipation ... we have lambs! And it was not Judy who lambed first, but Millie! Two, black, ewe lambs. Isabella ( in the front ) and Fiona ( in the hay) .

WIDE Load

Well here is Judy ... and we are still waiting .....

What do ya think? Twins? Triplets? :)

Thinking Ahead

I am still waiting on those lambs to be born. Fortunately there is always something to be done around here to keep me busy.

The planners of The 7th Annual Maine Fiber Frolic have been doing a great job organizing classes, and have asked me to teach again this year. I had so much fun designing the vest ( look a few posts back January I think) I made from my photos, that I decided to teach a class on my technique.

These photos show a finished pillow and a knitting needle holder in progress. I will also be teaching this class at The 2nd Annual Fiber College in September. Now... off to the greenhouses to go look for some babies!!

Mud Season

Well it is officially Mud Season here in Maine. I hope you can see the legs and feet of our oldest chicken Ethyl. I had to laugh when I saw her on my deck this afternoon.

Adapt and Overcome

Well winter has reared its ugly head for one last time. My poor frozen sheep and had to adapt and overcome the cold with a little help from Old Navy and L.L. Bean. I sure hope the predicted 40 degree temps arrive on Friday. I spent last night hooking up heat lamps in the greenhouses to try and create warm spaces for my shorn sheep. We certainly get spoiled quickly when mild weather appears early in the game.