Author: denisemor

Thank the Sheep

I have an awful lot of things to be thankful for.

But this Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for my sheeps.

That might seem silly, but you see, I’ve had a thing for sheep from a long time back.
Long before I learned to knit, or spin.
Before I even really made the connection between wool and sheep.

I think I was about 9 or 10 when it started.
I saw a stuffed sheep toy in a shop window in downtown West Dundee, Illinois.

Beau Peep was the sheep that kicked off the craziness.
And then for a number of years, for every holiday or occasion, I was gifted stuffed sheep of all shapes and sizes.

I no longer have the original “Peep”, but I do retain a few distinctive members of my childhood flock.

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It was only once I learned to knit, then spin, and started falling down the wool-lined rabbit hole that it all came together for me.

When I was younger I felt I never had a good answer for the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

But the clues were all there.

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So I’m thankful to be able to have my very own sheep friends after all this time.
It feels like it’s where I’m supposed to be.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Taking the Plunge

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Holiday Market on Saturday. It was a nice day hanging out with other craftspeople and drinking spiced apple cider, even if it was really rainy and nasty outside.

I was able to rehome a few hats, but still have plenty of inventory, and so I’ve finally got my stuff together and listed items for sale on Etsy.

So if you still need a one-of-a-kind, homegrown and handcrafted hat for a gift (or for yourself!) please go take a look. Many thanks to The Man for taking all the photos.

I have earflap and stranded colorwork styles listed so far. Hope/plan to have the remainder listed within a few days.

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Shades of Edgar

I was doing a little housekeeping (gasp!) up in the wool room yesterday, and came across a bag of fleece that I’d forgotten I had.

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Yep. That’s fall fleece from a yearling Edgar. And look at the color!
I’d almost forgotten how dark his fleece was when he was a young-un.

Here it is carded up, and side-by-side with a sample of his fleece from this past spring

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Amazing how he’s faded out over the last 5 years, isn’t it?
I just figured that it was normal aging, and kind of like how the lighter color looks overdyed, so didn’t think a lot about it.

But check this out.
This is Edgar fleece this fall.

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It looks like he’s regaining some of that lost color. Not reddish-brown like he was as a baby, but definitely brown.
I’m wondering if it might be a result of changing the mineral that I’m giving them, as I started that in probably February-March.

Hmmm….