Double Up Farm

Of course, I think my way is the right way. But it does make for a lot of extra work. Most of the people I know who keep sheep, keep them in barns. And those barns are filled with straw as bedding. And after about 24 hours, they start to reek. Sheep pee and poop, a LOT. And as the straw gets fouled, they put more straw on top, and once, sometimes twice a year, they clean it out. I can't do it. Maybe because I spend so much time rolling around with them (the sheep, the h

In which I go on and on and on about the sheep, fully recognizing that no one really cares but me!!! First things first - 2019 Shearing Day has come and gone. It was, as always, an amazing experience. The weather was dreadful - it rained for days leading up to the event. This means that on the Friday before shearing, I had to lock the flock up to keep them dry enough to shear. they were very, very displeased with me over this insult. The day of shearing dawned cool and we

Oh sometimes I am so clever I kill myself - that little title rhyme....hehehe. Shearing Day is next Saturday. For the first time, I am doing an Open House at the same time, and I am trying to figure out why. I think it is because I am so in love with the sheep, and the fiber, and the whole process - I just want the whole world to know about it. It's kind of that same phenomenon where once you get married you want everyone else to be married too. I am struggling to keep fro

If somehow you have missed my going on and on and on about the new sheep: I got some new sheep! My friend Lee started with the sheep and the spinning at the same time I did, and in fact, we bought our first sheep together. Her life has gotten more and more hectic, so she asked me if I wanted her sheep. Yes Please!! So last week, she brought them down to the Double Up. I have no pictures of the offloading because I was way too excited to bother with a camera. Joining the

Such a lovely day today, and they have been such wonderful sheep, I decided the flock could go on walkabout. Mr. DoubleUp was not in favor of this decision, but was overruled by a vote of 5 to 1. So the gate was opened and I scooted up to the porch. They made a beeline for the front yard. Farm to Table takes on a whole new meaning when the livestock are actually coming up to the table.... I just can't imagine why they keep roaming, but they circled the house Then they heade

I have been enamored of sheep since I was very, very young. It came as a surprise to no one that I grew up to have sheep, and spin wool, and do stuff with the yarn. I generally like the spinning more than the "stuff", but recently a friend commissioned a set of scarves, so I have been weaving on my little loom. I forgot how much I love the weaving. Like everything else about wool for me, it is somehow like magic even while I am doing it. I mean, it is basically string, a

(for those of you who care: Tobias, Skyler, Ada, and Will) I really love my sheep - in so many ways. I knew I would, but I never expected them to be so good at clearing brush. I mean, that's what people get goats or tractors for. But a couple of years ago, I expanded the sheep pasture to include a wooded area which was completely impassable due to an invasive shrub. I had tried cutting it back to no avail. Turns out, the sheep love the stuff, ate every speck of greenery

All the goodness of the Farm will be out in full force at the Craft Fair!! #FarmersMarket #Sheep #Crafting

That's a real word, right? It was bound to happen - 5 weeks of euphoria, I was due to crash sometime. And as far as crashing goes, so far, this is not too bad. Mostly, I think I am tired and afraid of my upcoming surgery. It does not matter how many times I have had surgery, or how many millions of people have had knee replacement, i am pretty sure I am going to die on the table. Also, even with insurance, my 20% share is a lot of money. Busy day at the market today, but

I have a loft full of wool roving, ready to be spun. I have four sheep ready to be sheared, producing more wool. I have skein after skein of spun yarn. And still, still .... I find myself looking at other fleeces and thinking I need more wool and more sheep. I KNOW I do not really need any more....but this feels almost like a disease, the terrible craving to run my hands over wool and bury my nose in it. Maybe if I go clean out the sheep pen I will get over this temporary ins