December 2022

inter and the upcoming Solstice


The past two months have flown by, and the days are so busy that they are over before we had a chance to get everything done.  The short days and long nights make us appreciate every moment of sunshine that we can spend outside.  The sheep have settled into the winter routine, they eagerly wait for their morning hay and spend the rest of the day munching on veggies before their evening hay arrives.  The Icelandic sheep prefer to stay in the barnyard and paddock, and the Cheviots can often be found out in the larger pastures searching for grass hidden under the snow.  I have really enjoyed their different patterns and personalities now that the two flocks are together.  I've even noticed that the Cheviots have started to eat the veggies we get from our neighbor!  We were a bit worried initially when they didn't eat the veggies, I think they watched the Icelandic flock enjoy it and decided to take a bite.  
The Icelandic ewes are starting to round out and look heavy with lambs, it is hard to believe that this cycle is starting again!  We had a very good lamb crop this year and many of the lambs have gone to freezer camp to feed other families.  The Cheviots, with their tall legs, are not showing as much, but if I did my job right they will have lambs before the Icelandic flock.  This means we could expect lambs in late January!  The shepherd who sold us this flock said "shear them during that perfect week in January when it warms up, they will lamb soon after".  What I love the most about this advice is that I know this week in January, the week when the bitter cold releases us for only a moment and the bright sun warms us again.  I will look for that week to harvest their wool, which I am excited to play with in the mill.  
On Wednesday the 21st is the Winter Solstice, a very important day for us and our farm cycle.  We celebrate both the Winter and Summer solstice, knowing that they mark the start of the seasonal changes and the changes we must prepare for.  The Solstice marks the shortest day of the year and thus, the longest night.  After the Solstice the sun appears to stand still, setting and rising at almost the same time for a few days, as if the world takes a pause in the breath of the seasons.  The sun returns, each day will become longer and longer, and little by little the spring will return and the cycle starts again.  Fields are planted, lambs are born, days are long and the heat of the sun encourages growth and life. This solstice we are celebrating for several days with many good friends, we will enjoy the heat of fires, lots of warm drinks, and delicious food.  I hope everyone marks this important change in the balance of light and dark this year, celebrate with us as we welcome the return of the sun!

A word from the flock​

Mmmmm carrots, beets, cabbage, and (gasp) brussel sprouts!  Can ewe even believe that we get to eat these amazing treats each week!  At first, I was a bit concerned with the appearance of the new food items, it does not look like apples which I love, but after one small sniff and nibble (and watching the Icelandic ewes eat away and never fall over dead) I knew I should try it!  Ewe might ask yourself how we are so lucky to get all these natural sugars each week!  Well, let me tell ewe all about it.  The farmer man comes with his truck loaded with all the delightful treats and parks the truck in a rather odd spot.  He quickly starts the tractor and lets it run for a while, he says something about it being a diesel engine or something, who knows...  Once the tractor wakes up he takes an old shovel and chops and pushes the treats into the bucket of the tractor and drives it into the barnyard.  The tractor dumps all of the veggies into the feeders and we all quickly fight for our place to dine. 
It is a frenzy of eating before we are all full and the farmer man is done filling the feeders.  The next days we enjoy nibbling on the treats in between walking in the pastures and eating our hay.  The farmer man has been giving us so many treats in the last weeks it is unbelievable!  The shepherd lady says that we are the most amazing creatures ever, something about how we take waste food and turn it into beautiful lambs and lovely wool.  She is a funny lady, she is always talking about wool, wearing wool, and I've even seen her with bits of wool on her when she leaves the mill!  She is one funny lady. 
Well I guess its time to go back into the pastures to search for grass under the snow.  The flock wishes ewe a happy Solstice and holiday season!

Always busy, always learning!

Woolen Mill

What started as an unfinished shed that stored farm equipment has now become a beautiful space for my mill!  As many know I started my woolen mill in late 2019, fully functional in 2020 with all the green equipment I needed to make beautiful roving.  I have learned so much in the past years and am very proud of the roving that I make, and love hearing from others about how much they enjoyed it!  Over the past years I have connected with many shearers and shepherds in the area, and now have a shipping container full of the wools and fiber I like to work with the most.  I have developed a deep love of the down-breed wools (Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorset, Southdown, etc) and recently featured these amazing wools in a Spin with Ewe class.  I have developed some lovely blends that highlight the different fibers and lend themselves to specific garments and spinning styles.  I have been blessed to work with some amazing natural dyers who can take the fleeces I provide, to the next level with beautiful color.  
For the past two months, I have been hard at work taking what I make on my carder and sending it through the draw frame and spinning machine, with the hope that the yarn I make is beautiful. Some are pretty nice, others are very artistic!  Learning to spin yarn is very difficult, but I feel like I am finally hitting my stride.  The mill space expanded from the original small space that housed the carding machine, we bumped out the wall and doubled the space.  It is so fun to be in this new mill space now!  I enjoy being able to run multiple machines at the same time, with a little help from my friends who donate their time to spend with me in the mill.  I have been hard at work making the yarn that will be Kickstarter rewards, each skein I make reminds me of the many people who supported this dream and believe that I can do this!  
The new year will bring many new adventures, lots of learning, and new opportunities.  I am eager to get to work on new yarn blends, to work with knitters and pattern writers to create new kits, and to spend time with my fiber community!   Make sure to check out the classes that we are having at Nash Lake Farm by clicking here  https://nashlakefiberfarm.com/
If you have a specific idea for a class or a Spin with Ewe please reach out and give me your ideas!  During the holiday break I will start planning for the 2023 class schedule, all good things to come!

Farm goods

I am so glad to be able to offer cuts of lamb to our customers this year!  I love hearing how much people have enjoyed the taste of our lamb after they make a meal with it.  We take great pride in providing healthy food for our community while maintaining a healthy ecosystem here at the farm.  Make sure to reach out if you are looking to add some lamb to your Christmas meal, or if you want to celebrate the solstice with a pot of Kjotsupa (I can send my favorite recipe too).  
If you are looking for some warmth this winter make sure to check out our wool bedding, we will start taking orders for spring bedding in the coming weeks.  We have a handful of sheepskins left as well if you need some lovely softness to add to your favorite chair.  We have many sheepskins (it's a bit of Game of Thrones in this house) that provide warmth and softness in the house and even on the seats of our truck, they even make great yoga and meditation mats!
Interested in going deeper with your connection to garments and wool?  I will open spots for the second year of a full-year experience called "Start to Finish".  This experience connects you with the many reasons I write about in my newsletters, you will come to the farm to see the lambs, and come during the summer to see them grow while learning about grazing and sheep health.  Towards the fall you will attend shear day here at the farm and will select one fleece that you will process (or I will) and turn into a garment.  This is a great way to connect with other people who are interested in this lifestyle, and learn about how to skirt, clean, process, and turn a fleece into a finished garment. You will also get a chance to spend time with a group of people who have spent the past year learning together.  It is my favorite way to spend a year, giving people a chance to walk in my footsteps and get excited about wool!  Make sure to check back in January when I open that class up again.  
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As always, thank you for reading this far! Happy Holidays from all of us at the farm!  We will see ewe in the New Year!

Theresa, Jake, Padruig, Opal, and the whole flock.