Recently in Goats Category
We went to the Fall Fiber festival and Sheepdog Trails at Montpelier this weekend.We did not get as much time to watch the dogs put through their paces with the sheep but we did see some and those dogs are amazing to watch.
Colby and I were drawn there by our desire to work with the wool fibers our sheep are currently growing. We want to sheer it, prepare it, spin it and create beautiful things with it.
We saw sheep sheering demonstaration. I am certain we can do this with our ewes. Only we have hand sheers and not electric one. This scottish blackface was sheered in just a couple minutes.
The alpacas are tempting! Of all the fiber I handled the baby alpaca for me was the finest, the pinnacle of luxury.
I had my own little pack animal to haul my loot out of there.That bag contains 5 ounces of alpaca fiber for felting my homemade goatmilk soaps. Mmmmmm. Luxury.
Speaking of luxury. I bought 1.2 pounds of mohair, hand spun, dyed with natural english walnuts.I have never had this fine a yarn to work with. It is fabulous!
For those who may not know mohair is the fiber from angora goats. The goats this fiber came from are from Virginia not too far from me down in Charlottesville. I like the idea of keeping things simple and processed and provided close to home.
This big bundle looks like a giant dredlock. It really doesn't look pleasing to the eye at all. It is fantastic to the hands and a close eye inspection.
I couldn't wait to get started. Can you see how fine the yarn is when cast on my wooden crochet needle? This is the most amazing fiber I have had a chance to work with. I am making myself a shawl. This is the kind of luxury that will spoil you if you give in to the urge to use what nature provides.
Next spring when we sheer our ewes I will be spinning and crocheting and knitting with my own wool.
Who knows, I may even have my own alpacas and angora goats by this time next year.
I already got me an angora rabbit from a nice lady at the show.
His name is Peter. Peter Rabbit. Hopefully he will sire me quite a few lovelies for harvesting their fibers. These animals grow a super thick coat. They thrive in cold temperarures. He will be clipped periodically and his fibers processed and stored away until we have enough to actually process a 10lb batch.
Steve asked if I wanted a spinning wheel for Christmas.
Sigh.
He knows me well.
I am living my dreams.
I finally managed to track down one very tiny nigerian dwarf female goat for my 10 year old to show for 4H over the next year.
We fell in love with her little chocolate brown face and markings. What's not to love about this little creature?
At 6 months old she is miniscule compared to my herd of saanan/nubian does. So far they have not accepted her into the herd. They push her away from the food and won't let her lay with them. Goats are serious about head butting. I am confident in about a week she will find her place in the herd.
She is learning to show us the diva inside of her with her new fashion accessories straight from the pooch isle at pet smart.
Before anyone remarks on her horns - we do NOT disbudd. Our county 4H allows horned goats to be shown at the fair. The counties around us do not but the one we live in does. Now that is progress, people.
