Wooly Beards

Happy Easter to all!

Today was a very productive day, if not a wet one. Spring has finally made it to the South and it is wonderful. The goats are certainly pleased with the green and the fact that I finally have enough time to move their house and clean out the paddock. Quite a bit of old hay floating about, but it will make nice compost for the garden.We've already put out our seed starters for peppers and tomatoes and they are well on their way (about 5" tall already). We've prepped our potatoes, now we just have to set up the big beds for squash, green beans, cantaloup and what have you. I think their is some old kale lingering around the edges.



 All the buds are out. It looks like we'll have quite a few blueberries this year

After the goats were settled and some of the vegtable beds were prepped I wandered over to my friend's farm(TFM) to love on her new babies. She just had a lamb born today to her littlest Miniature Southdown.

 

 

 

 

Lucia had a one week old miniature horse filly

 

 

 

And then there were an assortment of miniature Sheltand lambs. These two were the tiniest little ones, their bodies were as big as my fist. I just can't wait to get my hands on their fleece. Don't you just want to squeeze them? She has quite a few more moms due that were bred to a Blaget Shetland ram, so it will be a suprise to see what sort of colors and patterns we get next.

 

 

 

And how can you not love a wooly beard.

 

 FYI, Tanglewood Farm Miniatures is a wonderful place to visit if you are in need of a little farm time and don't have a place of your own. (tanglewoodfarmminiatures.com)


All in all it's been a wonderful Easter day. I haven't had too much time to sit and spin or felt, but with all these farm chores to do, who has any energy left? It's time to shower and chill.

-M

Fleeces and Flurries...

Spring is in the air, or at least it was until this morning. We are in for a wintery mix this weekend. At least shearing season hasn't struck yet, or else we would be rushing to coat up our little sheep. As it is we are trying to keep the new lambs as warm as possible.

On the plus side, it is almost shearing season. That means more lucious fiber is on its way. My fiber stocks are running drastically low. It seems I need to make a run to my friend/fiber supplier's farm to stock up so I can keep my hands busy. I just didn't realize how much roving could be consumed by spinning when I started a few months ago. And I'm sure it will go even faster when I get into rug hooking. I can imagine I will be spinning as fast as I can hook. As for now, I can only dream of that beautiful jet black Shetland fleece I've seen wandering around the barnyard. I can't wait to get my hands on it.




Here are a few felted mice kitty toys I made a while back. They're just so darn cute.

 

 

-M

Hello out there...

So I just wanted to post a few words about who I am and what Honeysuckle Miniatures is.

I am a senior veterinary student and am currently finishing out my last year with clinical rotations (graduating May 2014). This means most of my time is spent doing hands on work as a vet, and very little time for day to day things like washing dishes and cleaning my house. However, I am determined to keep doing the things that I love with what little time I have, and that means being completely in love with fiber.

I am a self proclaimed Fiber Freak. I love it. All different colors, locks, lengths, and breeds. If I wasn't coming out of vet school $150,000 in debt (which is very typical for vet students, for all of you who are surprised at the sum) I would absolutely have a wool barn and a gigantic flock of sheep, goats, alpacas, and what have you. I've worked with and raised fiber and non-fiber livestock for many years now. Everything from goats, sheep, and alpacas to yaks and bison. I started working with the fiber from our animals over 5 years ago and have completely lost my mind to it.

My first foray was needle felting, and it has quickly expanded into wet felting, knitting, crocheting, spinning and soon to be rug hooking. If I can do it with yarn or roving, it will be done. And it hasn't just stopped at the fiber. I also have a secret longing to experiment with milk soaps. Possibly cheese. I'm fascinated with self-sufficiency farming, pioneer crafting, and basically any age old hand craft. Think Laura Ingles Wilder. Or Richard Proenneke (for those of you who don't know who he is, you should totally google him right now). Basically I want to preserve both the heritage breeds and the heritage lifestyle. I grew up in a house with a mother that could do anything. Where she learned it, I do not know, but I certainly want to make sure the knowledge isn't forgotten.

Commercial farming is great. It serves a huge need for feeding many people. And regardless of what the media sensationalizes, the vast majority of farmers are fantastic people who genuinely care about the animals they raise. The animals aren't abused or starved or neglected. Farmers are kind hearted people and they know that the compassion and care they show their animals will multiply in their productivity. That's not saying there aren't a few bad eggs, but what area of life doesn't have any? However, I do feel there is a way and a need for there to be small time, local farmers. And there is a way to do farming that is low impact on our resources but still productive, and I am determined to find a way to make it work.

So that is my mission and the mission of Honeysuckle Farm. Preserve the breed, preserve the lifestyle, preserve the crafts.

So here's to experimenting and learning.

-M