It was fitting of Motherhouse to invite sheep to our Wool Gathering this past Saturday! They were Border Leicesters, the ram, a Blue-faced Leicester; "in theory this will result in softer wool, but no proof of that yet", says Jessica Marshall who keeps the sheep on her farm in Cornwall, CT. They seemed content to spend a few hours in front of Town Hall greeting us as we entered the beautiful old building.
At the Wool Gathering, some of us made a woolen pot-holder: picking out the colors, stretching the wool loops to fit on the loom, then weaving over, under, over, under.... to reach the final step, a tricky one, of taking the potholder off the loom.
Others made knitting needles, learned how to knit, or tried crocheting!
The biggest group was around the Needle Felting table, led by Deb Curran. Needle felting is the art of sculpting wool with a needle.
Unable to attend the workshop at the last minute, Rhonda Jaacks invites anyone who is interested to come to Harlequin Farm in Lime Rock, CT. There she is raising Finnsheep, a fabulous triple purpose sheep - good for producing a lean but flavorful meat, fleece, and also milk that can be made into cheese and yogurt. These friendly sheep are ideal for family farms or as fiber pets. Breeding stock and fiber is available at Harlequin Farm or arrange for spinning & knitting instruction with Rhonda. Call 860-435-9865 or email rjaacks@sbcglobal.net.
For resources and more details, visit Hands On/Wool Gathering on Motherhouse Market.
