My day

Today is my birthday! This is where I was born. We had a dairy farm in Amherst, NH.

This is me with my brothers....

This is our family...

me and my big brother with one of our Guernsey's...

my 18th birthday...

and the rest is history! Life is good and I am thankful! Thanks for stopping by today!

Enjoy the feast!

First a few greens...(mind your manners Griffin!))

Lucy says yum yum...

Peach thinks mmm mmm good...

Della smiles a yes!

then a side dish, stalks of fresh brussel sprouts...

brussels on grass, delightful....

Dessert anyone?

this morning Luna helped me create some paper art with a punch and found one on her nose!

May your Thanksgiving be filled with gratitude, thankfulness and love.

Merging Continuums

Saturday I took a road trip with Faith and Veronica along the Connecticut River and the White River into the Green Mountains of Vermont to Rochester, a small town which the townspeople describe as "right in the center of things". The countryside was lovely as we wound our way along the mountain roads viewing farmlands and hamlets.

The destination was to see Merging Continuums, Joan Morris's solo show at the BigTown Gallery.

A brief description offered by the BigTown Gallery:
BigTown Gallery is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of Joan Morris's most recent exploration in shaped resist dyeing* on textiles and precious metal mono-printing. Morris's two-year study combining museum textiles with found and natural objects has formed a new vocabulary for visual expression in the realm of dyeing and printing. In her new work, the shadow translation of an opaque gold imprint on the wall uses light to elaborate the description of image, surface, and structure simultaneously. This work opens a fresh perspective on the distinct cultural and natural iconographies that inform the evolution of textile.





One of the striking dimensions of her work was the shadows created behind the artwork.


You can view the details about the show and Joan here. The show is open until the 21st of November. And across the street is a yummy place to eat! Take the trip, if you can!

Red Hens and Redheads

The weather has been lovely the past few days and afforded us the chance to wrap up hay for the winter months along with flock maintenance. It is always easier to get such duties done when there isn't a biting Northwest wind and no sunshine to ease the chill. Follow the sun, I say!
Hay's in, elevator put down, barn secure. Great feeling!

The hay loft is wiggle room only. I love a hay loft when the bales are more than head high. As a child I spent hour after hour playing in the hay loft on our farm, the memory is always fresh.

The hens are all grown up now and Bianca, our sole hen from last winter has taught them her tricks. They come to the shed door off the kitchen and wait for a treat. And so it's Cheerios!

When it was warmer the hens would lay eggs wherever they pleased, this was not only a clever but cozy choice.

Now that cool weather is here they are all laying in the coop each day. Good girls!

We spent the better part of a day getting all the sheep tended to for winter. We trimmed hooves, changed coats and de-wormed everyone.
Coats are ready...

Maggie and Lily ready...

As the coats came off the fleeces appeared...this is Georgia, I just love the spots!

Jack trims the hooves, while I hold the sheep. We do it while they stand up rather than setting them on their rumps. They have gotten quite used to the process, most are quite compliant. This is Jackie...behaving.

Here's Daphne...waiting for me to get a coat. Her fleece is lovely. I sunk my fingers into it and oh my!

Peach has been lame the last week or so on her right rear leg. I had watched her and treated her with some anti-inflammatory meds but after 10 days I thought a look from the vet was in order. The lambs all needed their rabies shots so Peach popped into the barn and the doc checked her over. As I expected there is no explaination other than she probably did something dumb like jump off a rock and strained it somehow. She is now on a longer dose of meds and time will heal it. Peach is a big ewe and is headstrong to boot. She manages to get to the hay and water and treats just fine!

Jack did some touch-up barn staining while the sheep were out grazing one day. Apparently it didn't dry as quickly as we hoped! For the minimal areas he stained at the winter barn, Mila managed to find one!

Now the North winds can blow...and they will soon enough.

Fiber Festival of New England recap

I am home from vending the Inaugural Fiber Festival of New England this past weekend. As a vendor there was much to like about this new show. It took place at the Mallary Complex at the Eastern States Exposition (aka the Big E) in West Springfield, MA. The Mallary is BIG! We had 200 vendors plus fiber animal exhibitors, shearing and sheep herding demos, a fiber fashion show and various workshops and lectures....all under one roof! And it still wasn't filled in all the corners. The staff and volunteers were awesome, it was organized and getting in and out to set up was almost seamless. For a new show and the last of the season I believe it has nowhere to go but up!
As usual I don't get out and about as much as I wish to shop and take pictures but here are a few shots to share:

The Long Ridge Farm booth Friday night...

and some of what I offered...


a view down an isle before the opening bell

fiber from the Loop...

my DD Faith came for the weekend to help me and we had a great time being together...her first time "working" with me....

I had a visit from NutmegOwl and KnittingKittens to see the finished shawl that Nutmeg knit with my CVM/Bombyx silk yarn as part of the Knitters Book of Wool woolalong group on Ravelry. The CVM/Romeldale was the featured breed in June. Nutmeg is incognito but the shawl is not! It is lovely and so are these two women!


Some pretty socks....

Faith knitting!

Me seen measuring out some natural dyes for a customer...

It was great to catch up with all of you who came to the show and now for the long hiatus until show season starts again in April. Back to the farm, dyeing and getting ready for winter!

Because of you

I am spurred on....

by my family, friends, blogger buds and all the wonderful people I have met at shows and beyond. Such encouraging words, ideas and enthusiasm. I have heard from natural dyers who want to link up, knitters who want to knit with my yarns and some who just want to stay in touch through a love of fiber.


As I worked in the studio all week and into tonight getting ready for the show this weekend your energy and friendship spurred me on. My entire journey creating great yarns from our flock of CVM/Romeldales




as well as dyeing successful hues to my fibers using natural dyes has been one of triumph and failure. I finally am looking toward a horizon that is bright and steady. It is your feedback and support that buoys me.


I love you all...it means everything to know you are here.

Fiber on the farm

I wanted to share a look back across this year's workshops on Long Ridge Farm. Natural dyeing and indigo were taught by me and the fiber workshops were taught by Patty Blomgren. I will post the annual natural dyeing workshops with Earthues soon!

Beginners spinning...

First plied yarns...

Basics in Natural Dyeing....


Unraveling the mystery of dyeing with indigo...

oxidizing after an indigo dip...

Luna...

Sidney...

Working on a custom dye order...

Drum carding for color workshop...

How to choose, prep and wash a fleece workshop...


Kalie...

Washing fleece...

A workshop for intermediate beginner spinners...


Look at that bobbin fly!

Finished skeins again...

Katie helping me get ready for the next show... the Fiber Festival of New England, November 6th and 7th in West Springfield, MA.

Our town spinners and knitters group, The Twisted Sisters, at the farm for a Halloween party...

It's been a fun spring, summer and fall, gathering with so many great people all in the interest of fiber, dyeing, friendship and learning.