Spring is a time for new beginnings. With spring comes the melting of the snow, the start of the garden, and the passing of yet another winter. For us here at the farm, spring has brought two wonderful things: The beginning of new projects, and the birth of new lambs and kids. I can’t help but look back on last years goats and kids (our now teenagers) and think of how misbehaved all of our new little Rugrats will be in a year. I look at the pile of plywood sitting in our soon to be wool processing facility and imagine all of the wonderful things we have yet to learn and will have the opportunity to explore. However with the growth of our young lambs and the expansion of our fiber studio comes a time to appreciate the process, which is what “Life of Wool” is all about… Process.
The process of wool is a long one. It starts with the birth of a lamb. It takes us through the ups and down of maturing; the reliance on one’s mother, that frightening first fight at the feeding trough, and just, in general, being a lamb in a sheep world. By the time they’re old enough to be separated from mom they’ve already formed their clique with the other lambs. Hopefully, no one has figured out how to open doors and they’re still small enough to escape between fences and in general cause trouble. They’re sweet little devils and they wouldn’t be lambs if they didn’t do these things. Occasionally one or two might get separated from mom and then you’ve got nothing more than a bonafide bottle baby, the sweetest most mischevious of them all. You are now not only a nanny to 30 other little monsters but now a mother. A year passes and it is time for shearing. Your beautiful balls of fluffy terror have now lost their sweet greasy first coats and are no longer your lambs. They are sheep.
This is where we are in our process currently, With the arrival of new lambs comes the shearing of new flock members. After several changes in schedule (due mostly to the endless rain) we are finally ready to sheer, this being our first sheering going from sheep to shawl.
What I have found in these past few weeks is an appreciation for process, for collaboration, and for beginnings. Whether it be the painting our new sign, the birth of our new friends, or even the delivery of our supplies, I take pride in the opportunity to be a part of such a strong community project. Everyone gives daily to the process, and it’s the little steps in between that matter, just as the many steps in Life of Wool do. It is a never-ending project, we will continue to expand, be innovative, and bring you a new perspective so that we may all begin to appreciate the process.
Spring is a time for new beginnings. With spring comes the melting of the snow, the start of the garden, and the passing of yet another winter. For us here at the farm, spring has brought two wonderful things: The beginning of new projects, and the birth of new lambs and kids. I can’t help but look back on last years goats and kids (our now teenagers) and think of how misbehaved all of our new little Rugrats will be in a year. I look at the pile of plywood sitting in our soon to be wool processing facility and imagine all of the wonderful things we have yet to learn and will have the opportunity to explore. However with the growth of our young lambs and the expansion of our fiber studio comes a time to appreciate the process, which is what “Life of Wool” is all about… the Process.
