Friday, March 25, 2011

Nitty Gritty Goods

The calendar says it is spring – but the return of two and three foot drifts of snow mid- week clearly remind me that it is still winter.  We are nearly finished with lambing – only three yearling ewes yet to give birth – and they may be several weeks off.   The 24 baby lambs are learning to negotiate the snow, picking their feet up carefully and baaing plaintively when mom goes farther beyond the snow drifts than the babies want to go or want their moms to go.  I just turned the last two ewes – Lyric with her twin white ewe lambs and Isabella with her triplets out into the group pen.  


Yesterday, with the sun shining brightly, even with the temperatures just barely above freezing, we brought out a couple of the newly shorn fleeces and began skirting.  Skirting refers to the process of removing the short belly wool, felted and dirty neck wool, dung and lanolin tags from the rear and then carefully inch by inch removing sand burrs, bits of hay and second cuts.  The skirted fleece is then carefully folded and rolled and boxed or bagged for shipping or further processing.  Our hands got cold but the lanolin in the wool did wonders for late winter hand chapping.

I’ve been recuperating from a fairly bad case of spring fever these last few weeks and one of the ways I self-treat is by spinning wool.  I’ve been working on an oatmeal colored fleece – all hand teased and drum carded – then spun and two-plied.  I’m down to six rolags of roving left to spin – with 6 skeins of finished yarn so far.  Hopefully I’ll finish the yarn by the next weekend – and then I will rinse and block the skeins and when they are dried, I’ll wind them into knitting balls. My plan is to knit a gansey style sweater with a pine tree motif for myself from the yarn. 

Just a reminder to potential Wool CSA Members – if you buy a share this year – you get your choice of fleece (remember I can help you choose) and also your choice of two classes free.  The classes will be held at Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm and will include a delicious farm lunch.   Watch the blog for class additions as the season progresses. 

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About our WOOL CSA

As a Wool Community Supported Agriculture shareholder, your membership helps support our flock.
Each Wool CSA member will receive:
1. One raw skirted fleece ready to be further processed for handspinning, felting or crafting.
2. Any two classes from the class list below. Members may also attend additional classes for a reduced fee.
3. Farm visits: Spring shearing day at the farm, Lambing time at the farm (March and April), and the three Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm farm festivals (the first Sunday in June, August and October). Additional farm visits with pre-arrangement.

And now the Nitty Gritty about $$$

Each Wool CSA share costs $130. Upon receipt of your membership form and payment you will receive your fleece and coupons for two classes. Class coupons must be used in the year that the CSA share is purchased. Your fleece will be available for pick up at the farm or mailed to you – whichever you prefer. Sign up with the registration form. You can either copy it and send a hard copy to us with your $$, or paste it into an email with your check in the mail. Make checks out to Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm.