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