Yipee! I’ve been dyeing wool everyday in preparation for Common Ground Fair weekend. Just as I did last fall, I’ll be heading over to the little village of Thorndike to set up with the teardrop trailer and skeins of freshly dyed yarn. My friend owns a great little antique/garden/print shop right there in the village called Garden Variety, check it out if you’re on your way to the Common Ground Fair. There will be a few of us there with homemade wares……and music playing throughout the day.
There just hasn’t been much time for wool related fun this summer. There’s been plenty of hypertufa building. plenty of studio progress, and PLENTY of gardening ( no complaints, it’s a love as well), but all things fiber related have been simmering on the back burner until lately. So fun to be dipping freshly spun skeins and unspun wool into dye pots. Right now several skeins are out drying under the arbor. Our flock of Blue Face Leicester sheep provide us with plenty of scrumptious wool to dye and spin. I truly enjoy this breed….lovely, long stapled, lustrous and nicely crimped locks of wool. Also, these Blue Face Leicester will gladly get in your lap for some good long back scratches. When we are moving their fence to new pasture, I just let them roam while we get their new area in place, then I call ” Sheep”, and they all come running! Years ago I would move them down to their summer pasture in the early spring just by having them follow me…..it was two miles down the road! There I’d be, having a leisurely walk with an entire flock waddling along behind me.
So, that’s the sheep and wool news at the moment. If you are heading to the Common Ground Fair consider stopping by Thorndike Village, I’ll be there sipping tea and spinning away! Come join me!
Sep
18
2015
Fernwood Nursery & Gardens 
I appreciate that the colors of your wool are related to the nasturtium flowers. Beautiful!
Thank you Styra….there was no plan for that, but somethings just work out!
Such beautiful colours, what did you use to dye the yarn. And what can I say about your sheep would have loved to have seen the event…. 🙂
This particular yarn was dyed with acid dyes. I use both acid and plant dyes. the acid dyes do give you a much greater range of color…..yes, my treks down to the farm with all the Baa Baa’s trailing after me was quite a sight!
I hope you have a fabulous weekend and get all the kudos you deserve for your beautiful yarns!
Thank you , Marian. We always have a great time with this very small number of vendors that set up . And yes, selling a fair amount of yarn is a boost!
Your photos are beautiful, lovely Nasturtiums. You sound like a modern day Heidi, have a great day at the Fair. The East coast is gorgeous in the Fall.
Always love being at our little vending spot outside the fairgrounds, also in a village with lots of farming history….an old mill, an old general store, the grange. Hopefully there will be plenty of folks looking for yarn and I’ll spend part of my time spinning….not a bad way to spend the weekend!
Love it all–the gorgeous colors of the yarns and the images of you as Little Bo Peep! Glad you found the time for some fiber love and I WISH i was closer, to come see you at the show!
The Common ground has quite a following and is a pretty amazing fair. after years of attending, I’m just as happy to set up shop outside the fairgrounds…..a small venue with friends, good music, and good eats! oh yeah, and hopefully some yarn sales!
Is the pink with orange available for purchase online? It is gorgeous. Gorgeous!
Hello and thank you! Most of the wool is going to the Common ground fair this upcoming weekend. I set up just outside the fair , in the village of Thorndike. I don’t sell on etsy or ebay, but if you are interested in some skeins ( pink/orange), I could send them . let me know if you are interested , I love the pink and orange skeins as well, snappy, bright, and fun! Hope all is well in Vermont….cooler temps finally!
Yes, I’m interested in getting some yarn, if any pink and orange is left–if you send me a price per skein, I’ll mail an order snail mail with payment to Fernwood Nursery address on your web site.
Hello,
Yes, the pink and orange skeins are still available, they are $20.00 per skein. I think there are three skeins of this particular color combo left. I’d be happy to send them along if you’d like! Our address is Fernwood Nursery 58 North Ridge Road Montville, Maine 04941. Hope your Fall has been enjoyable, we are hoping for rain tomorrow…it’s been awfully dry. Looking forward to winter days of knitting, although still some real work to complete before we can ‘settle in’! Thank you, denise
I know it’s a long shot since it’s been a few years, but I’d like another skein or two of the pink and orange if you have any left. I’m just now knitting up the two skeins I ordered, made a hat and am in the process of mailing a scarf… with another skein I could make it a looooonnng scarf. I know you are in Oreland, no rush at all, and just on the off chance you still have a pink and orange skein. Or two even. If yes, I will send a check to you! Safe travels!
Not only are your yarns beautiful but they feel is so luxurious. Have a blast at the fair!
Thank you , Kari…let’s hope the folks traveling the fair looking for handspun yarn feel the same way!
Denise
You do make sheep owning sound idyllic. I want sheep that come when I call and take leisurely walks with me. And wool, lots of wool. Yours is stunning.
Johnny’s family spun wool and flax and were weavers. Sadly, his is the first generation to have no one in the family doing it. I considered learning it when we first moved here, just to keep it in the family, but being a lifelong seamstress with all the equipment (and a gaggle of children underfoot) it didn’t seem a practical choice.
Looking forward to meeting you. Very excited! Talk soon, Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Do you knit? Having sheep has been a part of my life for a very long time, I can’t quite imagine giving them up. Plus…..wool to play with, well that goes without saying! I’ll bring along some yarn when I come over. Did you get my email about Tuesday, the 6th? We’ll be at the Ballinasloe fair during the first few days and then we’d like to shoot over to the Aran Islands. Does this work for you? really looking forward to meeting you as well…..again, let me know if you have a hunkering for something from your good ol’ state of Maine.
denise
Hi Denise, I didn’t get email. Hope I didn’t trash it due to not recognizing it!! So much junk comes in my mail!
That does work for me/us. Let me know what day exactly you plan to be out this way so I can be prepared, though work at hotel ends this week, then it is weekends only through Oct.
I don’t knit, but I crochet since I was a young girl. Just love it!
Will wait to hear from you. So excited!
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Which of the Aran islands are you on? Can you send along a phone number to my email….fernwoodnursery@fairpoint.net? We’ll head to the island on Tuesday, we’ll have to chat before then to figure out details. I’ll stay in touch…..looking forward to our meeting as well!
denise