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Showing posts with label fiber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiber. Show all posts
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Monday, January 18, 2010
Do you sell or need wool?
Ok my homesteading friends and lovers, I would love to know who sells raw wool, untreated roving. If you could, please leave a link to your website or blog page and let me know what State you are in
Those of you that are looking for wool, check in and see who has left a link.
Thanks guys!
Those of you that are looking for wool, check in and see who has left a link.
Thanks guys!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Repost: How to Shear a Goat
I was asked about my masthead, so I thought now would be a good time to post about shearing. This post first appeared on my blog on 5/13/08.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet Delilah
Many people and books tell you the once they are on their backs, they are passive. This is not true. Goats will spit and buck while on their backs. Just a gentle holding down of the horns to keep their heads from moving seems to be much better then some of the other techniques I have read and seen.
Starting on the front right shoulder, you cut as close as is comfortable for you. The book I have said to flip the animals back and forth, going from right to left and back again. This however, boys and girls, doesn't seem to work for these goats, for as soon as you attempt to roll them, they attempt to get up on their feet and run away.
Just curious. But, does this goat make my butt look big?
Sometimes your Angora wrangler is done for the day, even if the job isn't. It then falls on you to do the rest of the shearing. Not to worry boys and girls. The goat isn't being sat on, merely straddled into compliance. (I wonder what kind of google hits I will get from that statement)
When your goat is down, now is the time to trim hooves and look for any problems. This goat shows signs of neglect from previous owners. We are in the process of fixing that.
This goat is also pregnant, that or she has an alien about ready to burst from her stomach.
I know, I know, this was horrible. We did a bad job with the shearing, but it is our first time. We will hopefully get better as time goes on.
NO goats were hurt in the making of this post. just our pride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet Delilah
She is an Angora goat, and our host for today. You will need a goat for today's experiment. You will also need to wonder through your local farm store purchasing items such as bleed stop, sprayable iodine and bandages. Try not to look frighten as you give these items to the cashier, she/he might think you are up to something. And a nervous giggle is something you should avoid as well boys and girls. Cashier's are able to give you the evil eye without lifting their heads, it's spooky.
Now that you have your wound care, and your goat, you need a pair of shears. For educational purposes only, we have gone the route of manual shears.
Purchasing a goat wrangler comes in handy as well. Look around, it is worth it to find one to your specific likings.
The floor of your barn should be clean, no mud of straw to get into the wool. But for this experiment, we will forgo the sterile room.
Many people and books tell you the once they are on their backs, they are passive. This is not true. Goats will spit and buck while on their backs. Just a gentle holding down of the horns to keep their heads from moving seems to be much better then some of the other techniques I have read and seen.
Starting on the front right shoulder, you cut as close as is comfortable for you. The book I have said to flip the animals back and forth, going from right to left and back again. This however, boys and girls, doesn't seem to work for these goats, for as soon as you attempt to roll them, they attempt to get up on their feet and run away.
Just curious. But, does this goat make my butt look big?
Sometimes your Angora wrangler is done for the day, even if the job isn't. It then falls on you to do the rest of the shearing. Not to worry boys and girls. The goat isn't being sat on, merely straddled into compliance. (I wonder what kind of google hits I will get from that statement)
When your goat is down, now is the time to trim hooves and look for any problems. This goat shows signs of neglect from previous owners. We are in the process of fixing that.
This goat is also pregnant, that or she has an alien about ready to burst from her stomach.
I know, I know, this was horrible. We did a bad job with the shearing, but it is our first time. We will hopefully get better as time goes on.
NO goats were hurt in the making of this post. just our pride.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Fodder for Your Dinner Conversation
How was your day hon?
Fine. Yours?
nothing different. Hand me the peas. Thanks. Jonnie, stop that. I am sure your sister doesn't like peas in her ears. No not up her nose either. Just sit down and eat.. . . mmmm. . . you know that blog I have been reading? A Homesteading Neophyte?
umm. . . that the one with that odd girl fee-lynne.
Fay-lynne, and yes.
What about it?
You should have seen her post today. It was rather disturbing.
Did she talk about butchering an animal again.
No not really. She is odd, I'm not sure why I even read it. I have this romantic vision of homesteading, and then she goes and says things like she did today.
What?
She said that it was really cold yesterday.
It was freezing here.
Would you let me tell the story. She went out to milk, and her fingers were sticking to the metal of the gates, her skin came off! I just can't imagine that this is what homesteading really is.
That it? She'll be fine.
I wasn't done. Here let me get that. ok, anyways. Her goat died, and well, yesterday in twenty below windchill, she sheared the goat. It was dead, and frozen. Can you imagine. It just doesn't seem right.
Why would she shear a dead goat?
It's nasty. She said something about practice and that the hair in the middle was fine, it was the either ends that had the dog damage. She didn't cut those. She said it was hard to do, emotionally, but it was part of the life. She would have cried if her eyes weren't frozen.
hummm. . .
She scares me.
Fine. Yours?
nothing different. Hand me the peas. Thanks. Jonnie, stop that. I am sure your sister doesn't like peas in her ears. No not up her nose either. Just sit down and eat.. . . mmmm. . . you know that blog I have been reading? A Homesteading Neophyte?
umm. . . that the one with that odd girl fee-lynne.
Fay-lynne, and yes.
What about it?
You should have seen her post today. It was rather disturbing.
Did she talk about butchering an animal again.
No not really. She is odd, I'm not sure why I even read it. I have this romantic vision of homesteading, and then she goes and says things like she did today.
What?
She said that it was really cold yesterday.
It was freezing here.
Would you let me tell the story. She went out to milk, and her fingers were sticking to the metal of the gates, her skin came off! I just can't imagine that this is what homesteading really is.
That it? She'll be fine.
I wasn't done. Here let me get that. ok, anyways. Her goat died, and well, yesterday in twenty below windchill, she sheared the goat. It was dead, and frozen. Can you imagine. It just doesn't seem right.
Why would she shear a dead goat?
It's nasty. She said something about practice and that the hair in the middle was fine, it was the either ends that had the dog damage. She didn't cut those. She said it was hard to do, emotionally, but it was part of the life. She would have cried if her eyes weren't frozen.
hummm. . .
She scares me.
Monday, June 30, 2008
I'm a Rock Star!
Or at least felt like one.
Friday afternoon my mother picked me up and we drove the 2 1/2 hours to Wamego, Kansas. I have never been there before, let alone heard of it. Whirled was having her Fiber Tasting, at her new store, Settler's Farm. The trip there was gorgeous. We went through the Flint hills, everything so green.
The town itself is tucked back in a valley. Small town with an Oz Museum! Mom and I agreed, we should have left earlier in the day to have time to roam around this town.
We drove straight past the shop, and had to turn around. There seems to be a church on every corner. We walked into the shop, and one woman was standing talking to a customer, another came out from the back. "Are you Whirled?" Yes, she replied staring at me. "I'm Phelan." She still looked at me confused. "A Homesteading Neophyte" this is where I began to feel like a rock star. Oh oh! She shook my hand and looked over at the other woman and asked her if she read my blog. The woman said no and Whirled said that she should. Apparently I have another reader in the area, because Whirled mentioned that she would be disappointed that she missed me.
It was a great visit. I mentioned that my mother wanted to learn how to spin. Whirled took time to show her how it is done. We got pictures on my mother's camera. We bought fiber from Whirled's Daisy, and some already spun wool. I bought combs for my wool. My mother is going to purchase a spinning wheel from her. And when she starts classes, we plan on heading back up that way.
Before we left, I got another rock star moment, when pictures where taken. Then a long drive home.
It was a great day. I loved meeting Whirled, and getting out of my house.
Friday afternoon my mother picked me up and we drove the 2 1/2 hours to Wamego, Kansas. I have never been there before, let alone heard of it. Whirled was having her Fiber Tasting, at her new store, Settler's Farm. The trip there was gorgeous. We went through the Flint hills, everything so green.
The town itself is tucked back in a valley. Small town with an Oz Museum! Mom and I agreed, we should have left earlier in the day to have time to roam around this town.
We drove straight past the shop, and had to turn around. There seems to be a church on every corner. We walked into the shop, and one woman was standing talking to a customer, another came out from the back. "Are you Whirled?" Yes, she replied staring at me. "I'm Phelan." She still looked at me confused. "A Homesteading Neophyte" this is where I began to feel like a rock star. Oh oh! She shook my hand and looked over at the other woman and asked her if she read my blog. The woman said no and Whirled said that she should. Apparently I have another reader in the area, because Whirled mentioned that she would be disappointed that she missed me.
It was a great visit. I mentioned that my mother wanted to learn how to spin. Whirled took time to show her how it is done. We got pictures on my mother's camera. We bought fiber from Whirled's Daisy, and some already spun wool. I bought combs for my wool. My mother is going to purchase a spinning wheel from her. And when she starts classes, we plan on heading back up that way.
Before we left, I got another rock star moment, when pictures where taken. Then a long drive home.
It was a great day. I loved meeting Whirled, and getting out of my house.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
How to Shear a Goat
Meet Delilah
Many people and books tell you the once they are on their backs, they are passive. This is not true. Goats will spit and buck while on their backs. Just a gentle holding down of the horns to keep their heads from moving seems to be much better then some of the other techniques I have read and seen.
Starting on the front right shoulder, you cut as close as is comfortable for you. The book I have said to flip the animals back and forth, going from right to left and back again. This however, boys and girls, doesn't seem to work for these goats, for as soon as you attempt to roll them, they attempt to get up on their feet and run away.
Just curious. But, does this goat make my butt look big?
Sometimes your Angora wrangler is done for the day, even if the job isn't. It then falls on you to do the rest of the shearing. Not to worry boys and girls. The goat isn't being sat on, merely straddled into compliance. (I wonder what kind of google hits I will get from that statement)
When your goat is down, now is the time to trim hooves and look for any problems. This goat shows signs of neglect from previous owners. We are in the process of fixing that.
This goat is also pregnant, that or she has an alien about ready to burst from her stomach.
I know, I know, this was horrible. We did a bad job with the shearing, but it is our first time. We will hopefully get better as time goes on.
NO goats were hurt in the making of this post. just our pride.
She is an Angora goat, and our host for today. You will need a goat for today's experiment. You will also need to wonder through your local farm store purchasing items such as bleed stop, sprayable iodine and bandages. Try not to look frighten as you give these items to the cashier, she/he might think you are up to something. And a nervous giggle is something you should avoid as well boys and girls. Cashier's are able to give you the evil eye without lifting their heads, it's spooky.
Now that you have your wound care, and your goat, you need a pair of shears. For educational purposes only, we have gone the route of manual shears.
Purchasing a goat wrangler comes in handy as well. Look around, it is worth it to find one to your specific likings.
The floor of your barn should be clean, no mud of straw to get into the wool. But for this experiment, we will forgo the sterile room.
Many people and books tell you the once they are on their backs, they are passive. This is not true. Goats will spit and buck while on their backs. Just a gentle holding down of the horns to keep their heads from moving seems to be much better then some of the other techniques I have read and seen.
Starting on the front right shoulder, you cut as close as is comfortable for you. The book I have said to flip the animals back and forth, going from right to left and back again. This however, boys and girls, doesn't seem to work for these goats, for as soon as you attempt to roll them, they attempt to get up on their feet and run away.
Just curious. But, does this goat make my butt look big?
Sometimes your Angora wrangler is done for the day, even if the job isn't. It then falls on you to do the rest of the shearing. Not to worry boys and girls. The goat isn't being sat on, merely straddled into compliance. (I wonder what kind of google hits I will get from that statement)
When your goat is down, now is the time to trim hooves and look for any problems. This goat shows signs of neglect from previous owners. We are in the process of fixing that.
This goat is also pregnant, that or she has an alien about ready to burst from her stomach.
I know, I know, this was horrible. We did a bad job with the shearing, but it is our first time. We will hopefully get better as time goes on.
NO goats were hurt in the making of this post. just our pride.
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