Sheep and Outerspace
I'm going to take a break from this blog for a short while and direct you to a new blog: Space Garden which will be devoted to the progress of the installation project I'm currently working on for Port Discovery, the children's museum here in Baltimore.
This past week I started an apprenticeship program at Feederbrook Farm. The meetings are once a month and cover the basics of animal care, shearing, lambing, shepherding, as well as fiber processing, spinning, and dying. You can follow Krista's blog Yarn Over Hook to get a better idea of what it's all about.
The first day, though chilly and damp, was fantastic. I had missed being in the country. The winding country roads I followed to get to the farm were reminiscent of those in my Pennsylvania hometown backyard. I realized I also missed being taught new and interesting things. Lisa, who runs the program (as well as the farm with her family) said everything she learned was self-taught, and of course she's still learning. The sheep were quietly chewing their hay when I met them. Clarice and Peyton were the friendliest. Both Shetlands, they were rotund with wool and, if I'm not mistaken, lambs. The atmosphere was very quiet and serene. I wouldn't be surprised if there is such a thing as sheep therapy.
I would love to live on a farm, but driving home, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have access to this kind of program that gives me hands-on experience while allowing me to work on other projects and informing them as well. I bought some beautiful hand dyed and spun yarn at Lisa's shop before leaving. She gave me a great tip for putting roving in the washing machine so that it felts together making long funky garland. I'm going to try it for the Space Garden. This is why I truly believe that one should never have to pick and choose or prioritize interests. Do what you want and do it wholeheartedly and things find a way of working out.
This past week I started an apprenticeship program at Feederbrook Farm. The meetings are once a month and cover the basics of animal care, shearing, lambing, shepherding, as well as fiber processing, spinning, and dying. You can follow Krista's blog Yarn Over Hook to get a better idea of what it's all about.
The first day, though chilly and damp, was fantastic. I had missed being in the country. The winding country roads I followed to get to the farm were reminiscent of those in my Pennsylvania hometown backyard. I realized I also missed being taught new and interesting things. Lisa, who runs the program (as well as the farm with her family) said everything she learned was self-taught, and of course she's still learning. The sheep were quietly chewing their hay when I met them. Clarice and Peyton were the friendliest. Both Shetlands, they were rotund with wool and, if I'm not mistaken, lambs. The atmosphere was very quiet and serene. I wouldn't be surprised if there is such a thing as sheep therapy.
I would love to live on a farm, but driving home, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have access to this kind of program that gives me hands-on experience while allowing me to work on other projects and informing them as well. I bought some beautiful hand dyed and spun yarn at Lisa's shop before leaving. She gave me a great tip for putting roving in the washing machine so that it felts together making long funky garland. I'm going to try it for the Space Garden. This is why I truly believe that one should never have to pick and choose or prioritize interests. Do what you want and do it wholeheartedly and things find a way of working out.
The alpaca with the puff on his head is Sherlock, the llama in the middle is Buttercup, and the one working the pose in front is Dolly.
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