Aspiring Shepherdess

February 20, 2019 in Travel, The Knitting Queen

Why am I in New Mexico working on a sheep farm?
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Telling you the story of this sweater will help answer that question...
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In 2017 I took a Border Leicester sheep fleece that I’d bought in Vermont, processed it from start to finish into roving at a wool mil l, spun the roving into yarn and then designed and knit this sweater.
(I actually made a video of this process which you can watch here)
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I used to design and knit knitwear collections for a living.
It was part of my two-part business from 2011-2016 (the other part being @agirlnamedleneyphotography)
But I started being bothered by the fact that I had no idea where the yarn I used was coming from, how it was made, or how the sheep were treated.

On Hiatus

October 02, 2018 in Knitting

on hiatus. ⁣
that’s the current state i feel some parts of my creativity are in. not for a lack of passion, but simply because i cannot do everything at once. ⁣
depending on how long you’ve followed me, you might not even know that i’m a fiber artist and knitwear designer. ⁣
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i started an Etsy shop in 2011 which was part of my full time work until about 2015. it grew into a very successful side of my business. i designed seasonal collections of knitwear centered around themes of inspiration (examples: On The Road, Gypsy Soul and OOAK pieces inspired by my travels), i was on the front page frequently, became a featured shop, interviewed in a book, had pop ups with the likes of Madewell and Quirk Gallery, was featured in various publications and by all appearances had “made it” in the Etsy scene of success. ⁣

Farm Days | Beltayne Farm

September 28, 2016 in Iphone Snaps, Slow Living, The Knitting Queen

Being able to visit Beltayne Farm was a result of a connection I made through someone seeing this Instagram post of mine and kindly recommending me to their friend Sunshine’s shearing day that she and her family were hosting.

After exchanging some Facebook messages, and grabbing my friend Meagan to come along, I headed out on one rainy Spring day to see some sheep.

We had the best time and instantly connected and loved Sunshine and her family who could not have been more generous or welcoming (sending us home with a dozen eggs from their chickens, as well as a promise of some wool upon our next visit).

The Summer has gotten away with me and kept me quite busy but I hope to return to this little homestead sometime soon to revisit the new friends I made there.

The day involved me holding my very first little lamb (named Pip… whose sibling is named Squeak) which obviously could not have made my day any more than it did.

I'm grateful for the generosity and kindness of strangers that’s extended and shared even before common interests and passions are established.

Hope you enjoy a few iPhone snaps from the day!

Sheep Dreams

January 22, 2016 in The Knitting Queen

I've really gotten to the point where I'd just rather live on a farm with a bunch of sheep and fig trees and call it a day if I'm bein honest...

But maybe a farm on the water somewhere though.
So I can still go sailing.

I don't think it's any secret how obsessed I am with sheep/anything fiber related. It's a dream of mine to learn how to sheer a sheep and process and spin the wool all on my own.
I learned how to spin yarn from a drop spindle, around this time last year, which was one of the highlights of my year if I'm being honest.
But I want to learn more techniques as well as how to spin more efficiently on a wheel.

This is a photo of a sheepy friend I made last fall. In going through my archives I came across it and fell in love with it again.
Definitely hoping to make some more wooly *friends this Spring... We'll see.

*Submissions/suggestions/applications for friends along these lines are always welcome.