Sheepy Fun and Llama Kisses

There is a lovely sheep farm in Estacada, Oregon called Cedar Haven Farm. It is the home to about 30 sheep, a delightful llama, peacocks, hens and roosters, and a variety of cats, including two gorgeous Maine Coons. While I was in Portland this summer, I was interested in purchasing some Shetland fiber for spinning on my spinning wheel to incorporate into a geometric knitted design technique, called Fair Isle, for a handspun, handknitted cardigan for me.

Cardigan for teaching colleague's little boy...the geometric pattern is the Fair Isle technique.

It was just my luck that the owners had some beautiful natural caramel-tan Shetland lambswool spinning fiber from a sweet sheep named Dove, and a lovely silvery gray Shetland wool from another sweetie named Dahlia. I plan to use the tan lambswool with a dark brown handspun alpaca yarn, from an alpaca in Ohio named Olivia, and a white handspun Corriedale from  a sheep named Theo at Homestead Wool and Gift Farm, a rescue farm in Munroe,Wisconsin.

Dove (brown face) and Dahlia

Olivia the alpaca (and her new baby)

Theo

Spinning fiber and my handspun yarn from Theo

It was such fun to visit Cedar Haven Farm, and probably one of the most memorable experiences was being sniffed by Haley, the llama guardian of the sheep. She would practically rub her soft furry muzzle on my face, sniffing gently out of curiosity to see who this intruder might be. The other memorable experience was the opportunity to hear the owner of the farm, Lynne, play her harp for us. Such a beautiful, haunting melody and a truly special experience.

Haley the llama

Spinning is an earthy pleasure for me, the ultimate in relaxation (other than a massage!). It is very soothing, and I become one with the rhythm of the treadling of the wheel, the whir of the flyer, and the feel of the fiber twisting between my fingers. Stress drops away for a while, and I end up with a beautiful, one of a kind yarn with which to knit something lovely or gift to my knitting friends. I love to spin on my Ashford Traditional, Rosie. For those of you who know spinning wheels, she is pictured here without the flyer since she had just been transported back from my mom's house. Mom had painted the beautiful roses on Rosie and I still needed to let them dry.

Rosie