Shetland Yarn and Fiber for sale

Shetland Fiber and Yarn for sale

 

If you are unfamiliar with hand spun yarn here is some helpful information.

 

We lovingly shear our sheep in the spring, usually if possible before the ewes are going lamb.

 

 The fleeces are then processed by hand. Either by myself or by Abi of  high prairie fiber. The fleeces are washed in hot water and dawn dish washing soap to remove oil, grease and dirt. NO HARSH chemicals or dyes are ever used. They are left in the sun or dry place to air dry. Then they are carded and hand spun by myself or on Abi's machine. Because there is minimal processing involved you may or may not  find a SMALL amout of vegetable matter (hay for example) in your fiber or yarn.

This will usually work itself out as you complete your project.

 

The yarn created is as wonderful and unique as the sheep it came from.  

 

Shetland sheep have a wide color of fleeces, so there is no need to dye. However, dyeing can be a lot of fun, so you will find some hand-dyed and hand-painted yarns for sale along with the natural colors.

 

I am not a professinal photographer but do my best to capture the true color and nature of the yarn. If you would like additonal photos before purchasing, please email me bksmith@nbson.net

Please hand wash yarn or finished work in cool water and lay flat to dry for best results

This is "Smith farms Sunshine" and her lamb Trouble. Sunshine's fleece spun up into this wonderfully soft, dk weight yarn.

 

200 yards $20

 

This is Brie Holms and her twin ram lambs from this year. This is Brie shortly after shearing. She has wonderful silky soft, creamy colored yarn.

 

$20 for 200 yards

Smith farm's shillelagh holds a very special place in our heart. She was the first lamb born on our farm several years ago. She was born solid black but her coat has changed to a lovely oatmeal color with flecked of black through out. I love to dye her fleece because of the black, it creates beautiful and unique shading.

 

180 yards, hand-dyed and hand spun  - SOLD

 

 

This is Gunnar, one of the rams on our farm. He has gorgeous, soft grey fleece. Pictured with Gunnar is his 2013 roving and yarn. It has lightened considerably since last year. I have a couple skeins available of 2012's left as well.

 

$15.00 for roving

$20 for 200 yards yarn.

 

 

Gunnar's 2012 skein of yarn- only a couple left. dk weight, darker grey then this years..plus last year his fleece created this little nubs through out the yarn when spun that he did not duplicate this year.

200 yards dk weight - $20.00

 

 

 

Meet Alexandria, trixie and hermionie too- but this is Alexandria's gorgeous yarn!! (she is the brown girl in the back)

incredibly soft, I love how luxurious it feels.

 

$15 for roving and $20 for 200 yards - dk weight

 

 

 

This is "Hawk's" roving/yarn. Hawk is Gunnar and Brie's boy. I dont' have any recent pictures of Hawk.  I can't decide if his fleece tends to be grey or brown. its pretty either way.

 

200 yards of dk weight $20

roving $15.00

 

 Meet Neptune and Trouble, 2 more boys on our farm. Trouble is pictured with his mama Sunshine as a lamb and is seen here waiting to have his coat removed. Neptune is in the back, with his fresh hair cut.

 

I'd like to call this combination Neapolitan. Neptune was spun into a lace weight single. Trouble's fleece was dyed and spun from a cloud into a bulkier weight and then I put them together to create one super soft, one of a kind skein of yarn.

 

I will be spinning more of this but for now I offer this 280 yard skein of hand dyed, hand spun yarn 

SOLD

 



Our New Lenten Tradition - baking pretzels

Pretzels for Lent

 

 

This isn't much of a farm related post, but it is a bread related post.

 

Some of  you might be wondering, how do pretzels tie in with lent? Well, they actually have a deep spiritual meaning for lent. The pretzel has been used for Lent for over 1500 years.

 

Pretzels are traditionally made from three ingredients: flour, water and salt. The early

Christians were very strict in observing the Lenten fast. all things that came from the flesh were forbidden: cheese, cream, milk, eggs, butter -etc. Pretzels, were a natural replacement for regular bread that called for dairy products.

 

 

Here is a basic pretzel recipe our religious education program at church uses each Lenten season.

They are easy to make

 

1 package or scant tablespoon yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp. salt

1 T sugar

1 cup wheat flour - 3 cups white flour

1 egg

coarse salt

 

mix yeast and water together, set aside. Mix flours, salt and sugar together. Mix in the yeast mixture and mix well. Dough should be sticky. Let rise 1 hour (optional, but pretzels are better if you do) Divide dough into small balls, roll into ropes and twist into desired shape. (I got 16 nice size pretzels out of one batch). Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush pretzels with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

 

 

The early Christians crossed their arms over their chests when they prayed. Therefore, they twisted the unleavened dough into a loose knot shape that resembled crossed arms. This served as a reminder to them that lent is a time of prayer and devotion.

 

 

 

 

 

Flour and water are the same ingredients that make up the un-leavened Bread of Life (John 6:48) of which we partake at Eucharist. Jesus, our savior, is our "fit of finest wheat" our "life -giving water" (John 4:14)

These ingredients are a sign of God's life in us.

 

 

 

 

Salt is added to the pretzels to season the food and give it zest. Let it remind us that we are the salt of the earth. We are the yeast called to modify and permeate and eventually change those we come in contact with daily.

 

 

Make a batch and share some pretzels this lent.

 

 

 

 

 

adapted from:"Pretzels for Lent" by Jeanette Martino Land

 





Easiest Bread Recipe Ever- No Knead Bread

I want to share this bread recipe with you. I can not take credit for the recipe, its not mine but I can not remember where I found it online either.

 

Four ingredients. That's it.

 

3 cups lukewarm water

6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups flour

1 T. salt

1 1/2 T. yeast

 

 

Put these 4 ingredients in a bucket and stir them up to make a rough, sticky dough.

If you use a stand mixer, mix for about 30-60 seconds or stir with a wooden spoon or whisk.

 

Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 7 days.

 

When you are ready to make your bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and grease your hands. Then pull off a chunk about the size of a softball.  Plop dough onto floured work surface and shape into a log or round loaf.

 

Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sift a light coat of flour over the top. This will keep the loaf moist as it rests before baking. let this rise for 45-60 minutes. Preheat over to 450 degrees. Place a shallow pan (metal or cast iron) on lowest rack and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

 

After the dough has risen, slash the top of the bread 3-4 times with a sharp knife. Place in oven

and immediately pour water in the pan and shut the door. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Will make 3-4 loaves depending on size.

 



This bread is awesome by itself, served with soup, salad or any meal.

 

 

Makes Yummy grilled sandwiches and works in a pinch as pizza crust too!

 

 

 

Bread baking doesn't get much easier!

ENJOY!!

 



Critters...

Summer has gone by too fast. Much to fast. I realize I have been neglectful when it comes to my blog. I like to tell myself that not much as been happening to write about, but that's not entirely true.

 

This post is dedicated to sharing all the new critters that have come to live at our house over the summer months.

 

 

First was Gus.

 

What little girl doesn't dream of having a horse? I certainly did. I am forty-two years old and I finally got myself a horse. I have so much to learn about horses and so much to learn from him. Thankfully, Gus is patient with me. He is a pasture buddy to Anna's pony Maximus and my two rams, Neptune and Gunnar. They all get along very well.

 

 

Next came Hermione

 

and Alexandria

 

Then came this little guy...

Who, by the way, is growing fast and not so little anymore. We call him "Jack" because Anna loves Little House On The Prairie and that was one of Laura's dog's name. Jack is a mutt - but we are guessing he maybe he has a little bit of border collie in him from his coloring and markings.  He cried constantly the first 5 days we had him, but gradually he stopped crying. He seems eager to please, but has a lot to learn. Jack has quickly captured my heart. I pray he has enough sense to stay away from tires and moving vehicles.

 

 

And my last purchase, could possibly be the one that causes me to lose all my hair!

Trixie

 

I brought Trixie home last Friday. I built a small pen for her in the barn right next to the other sheep. Trixie, apparently did not like her pen and jumped over the fence, not once, not twice, but three times. I finally gave up and put her in with the other sheep. Who, by the way, were not as happy as I was to have another ewe in the barn. They chased her away and head butted her when-ever they got the chance.

Sunday morning,  I was outside bright and early, thinking I was going to go to church at 8, so I wanted to get my chores done. I like walking out in the pasture among my sheep and scratching their chins. Even though I wasn't anywhere near her, Trixie freaked out. She ran into the barn, cleared the fence to the pen with no problem and jumped out the  walk-in door. I spent the next hour trying to "catch" her. She just wanted to circle the house. Finally, the farmer came out and together we managed to corral her into one of the sheds. I was able catch her with no problem after that. Honestly, I was ready to put her into a trailer and haul her to the sale barn. But, I didn't. I took her into the barn and sheared her ( she had managed to get her fleece full of burrs). She was well behaved during her shearing, probably cause she wore herself out. Then, I put her back in with the rest of the flock. I'm happy to say, she has since calmed down quite a bit and doesn't run every time I go out there, however, we have a long way to go before she is eating out of my hands.

 

 

It's been a hot, dry summer and I welcome the coming of Fall.

 

 

~Blessings

Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Gotta hand it to her...

She is my little shadow. She wants to go everywhere I go and do everything I do.

She decided last night she wanted to learn to crochet.

She is not about to give up.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

I hope she perseveres.

Good Golly Miss Molly

This is Miss Molly. Miss Molly loved to fly the coop everyday. It didn't bother me but the neighbors dog as well as a few coon were enjoying my chicken for dinner far to often. The Farmer added Cattle panels to the fencing to make it taller in an effort to keep the chickens in. They all stayed in the run after this, all of them except Miss Molly.

Everyday, I would see her strutting around the yard, pecking and scratching for her dinner and every night I would see her back in the coop roosting with the rest of the chickens. I couldn't figure out how she got out or back in. I tryed to find and plug the holes but the next day, she would be out again. And then one night I noticed that Molly wasn't in the coop with the other birds. That was almost a month ago and I hadn't seen her since. I wrote her off as dinner for some predator.

Then this morning I was on my way back into the house when I passed by a fir tree out in the yard and heard some clucking noise and there she was, Miss Molly, coming out from under the tree with a brood of seven chicks.
I was dumb struck.

It didn't take long for the cats to find the chicks and we had to rescue two of them from being coming lunch. As much fun as they were to watch parading around we decided to move them into this little hutch.

 The family seems happy in their new home.

 I noticed that Miss Molly had left behind several eggs- when we picked them up we could hear chirping inside and one of the eggs was beginning to crack.

 This little guy makes the 8th chick.

Miss Molly made my morning, heck she made my week. We are all enjoying her new babies and marvel out how she managed to survive underneath that tree.

Once again, I can't help but marvel at God's creations.

~ Kathy

Wheat Harvest Begins

Today begins the first day of the wheat harvest. Its a little early but things have been so dry. We are on the verge of experiencing a drought. The wheat we started cutting today is the hard red winter wheat my husband has always grown. It is grown in what some people might call with conventional farming methods. The hard WHITE winter wheat will be harvested last. This is what the farmer refers to as "my wheat". He planted it at my request and there was a lot of legwork involved in finding the seed...but more on that later. He agreed to leave "my wheat" chemical free and I'm very anxious to compare the two, especially the yield.

Incredibly beautiful day

  

Office for the day

I'm glad I don't have to bale all that straw

 

 

God Bless,

Kathy