Friday, September 14, 2007

Shearing Table and The History of Doctor Wango Tango out of an old children's book








My husband, Bill, built me this shearing table to shear my goats. In Canada small flock owners have been using this devise for a few years. Can't wait to try it. Hopefully tomorrow if the weather is warm. Will try and attach a picture of the goat attached to the table.









This is a needle felted doll I created of Doctor Wango Tango. You can see the begining of his horse Sam. The horse is finished to the left and under the tree. I have made the frame of his cat "Mouser", dog "Towser" and his tame black crow.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Olde English "Babydoll" Southdowns


Bailey is a ewe lamb born from Kluer one of my nicest Ewes I purchased from Dorla in New Jersey at High Rock Farm. Ursala is a ewe lambs whose mother is Carmen. Carmen had a beautiful set of twins and her wethered lamb is at his new home with Lois and Russell. Carmen twined last year also. All 4 of my lambs were cream with cinnamon stockings and heads when they were born this April. Ursala still has a dark head and socks. I usually have either black or white lambs and you don't usually see this combination of cream and cinnamon. Stranger yet is that I used 2 different rams: Figaro and Roy Orb. Both of the lambs have long bodies, which should produce twins in a couple of years. These ewe lambs are for sale. They are both friendly lambs and love to be hand fed. I plan on taking them with me to Olde Bristol Days at Fort William Henry, August 11 & 12, from 9 am to 4 pm. I will be set up with yarn, roving, mohair, kits, etc. in the Children's area. I had a great time last year selling items I made from my farm animals.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Colored Angora Goats & White Angora doe and twins













This is Petunia with her twin 4th of July kids! They were the smallest kids born on our farm and are growing nicely. Petunia didn't quite know what to think of these 2, but has grown into a wonderful caring mom. They cry and she runs. I love to pick them up and feel them melt in my arms. Too sweet!






This is a new black buck I purchased from Julie. The white doe behind him is the mom of my blond doe kid.



This is the Blond Kid doe. Her fiber is very silky and thick. I have been working on taming them. They come within a foot of me now. I have picked up the above black buck and the red buck pictured next.



This is my new red buck kid. Not as dark as Bette Boop, but wonderful confirmation and light red coloring. He is very handsome. I have to decide which buck I am going to keep as a buck and which one I should wether. It will be a hard decision!


This is a head shot of my red buck kid with blue eyes.





Sunday, July 15, 2007

Olde English "Babydoll" Southdowns


Thank you for giving Amos and Andy a new home. Babydoll Southdowns are the best sheep around with their docile nature and cute little faces. Good luck with your new additions. Betty

Colored Angora Goats from Kelly Corner Farm


Thank you Julie Patterson from Kelly Corner Farm in New Hampshire for the 6 beautiful additions to my farm. The buck Julie is holding is a handsome black buck with gold tips. His coat is thick and silky. He has a wonderful strong personallity and a rich color that can only improve my flock. I hope, if the sun comes out brightly tomorrow to add more pictures of my new additions.
Maine Open Farms Days will be held at my farm. My Olde English "Babydolls", Colored/White Angora Goats and German Angora Rabbits will be within walking distance. My friends and myself will be demonstrating: Spinning, Crocheting, Rug Hooking, Needle Felting, Locker Hooking, Solar Dyeing and Rug Braiding.
This will also be the Grand Opening of our Yarn Shop! Come and check out our fiber projects, yarns and roving. Directions to Spinnakees' Farm: Take Route 105 out of Augusta 5 - 6 miles (follow yellow signs on the right), take a left onto the Tasker Road and go to the end. Park at the beginning of the driveway to the right so others can drive to the left when they leave. Bring a lawn chair a project to work on and join us for the day!

Monday, May 7, 2007

This is Carmen who had a ewe lamb and a ram lamb April 27! We usually have black or white lambs and this year we had 4 white lambs with brown faces and legs and we used 2 different rams that are not related! Carmen was bred with Figaro.
May 5, Carmen and her beautiful babies.
This is Ester with her new born ram lamb also born April 27. He was a big boy compared to his mom. He has a beautiful body and would make a wonderful breeding ram - compact body, nice head. Ester was bred with Roy Orb.
May 5, Ester and her ram lamb. Isn't he handsome?
This is Kluer with here new born ewe lamb, born May 1, who was coated with this yellow fluid, which my vet said was due to the ewe and lamb being stressed during the birthing process. Both are doing wonderfully and I no longer have a yellow lamb, but a white one with the brown head and socks. Kluer was bred with Figaro.

May 5, Kluer's little fat ewe lamb. What a difference without the yellow!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Needle Felted Wool Tea Cozy


This Tea Cozy idea was taken from "Historic Floral and Animal Designs for Embroiderers and Craftsmen". It was fun using fibers from my animals and creating this fun item. I felted this item at Alfred at a Hooking Retreat. I think I was the only lady needle felting. A fellow rug hooker, Lisa, paid me a compliment by purchasing this item from me. Thanks Lisa! The best part of this project was creating a primitive cozy and not worrying about if it looks right. The fiber when needle felted seems to take a life of its own. Try it sometime!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Magic Friends out of "Knitter's Stash", Primitive wool rabbit and cat and pattern to be done in Locker Hooking from wool roving



The Primitive rabbit and cat are done in wool cloth and stuffed with wool scrapes. The whiskers are mohair or Angora with Angora/Mohair tuffs in the cats ears. A cat similiar to this one was lent to me from my good friend Nancy and her friend Brenda gave it to her for Christmas.

The yarn above is being used to make a cat (the picture shows the 2 legs on my options needles) out of a pattern from the book: Knitter's Stash. I am using homespun yarn from my agouti (color of a wild bunny) Angora rabbit, and the red yarn is a stran of wool/Mohair/Angora to give it a touch of color. I'll take a picture of the completed cat and post it when done - hopefully in a day or so. In the background is the pattern of an Angora Goat I plan on locker hooking.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Wool Jacket with Rug Hooked Flower and Angora Yarn Blanket Stitched around Cuffs


I purchased a red wool jacket at a local thrift shop and then rug hooked a pretty wool/Mohair/Angora flower on the lapel and blanket stitched in Angora yarn around the cuffs. What fun to use your imagination in creating a one of a kind item that can be used often! Tomorrow I plan on needle felting items above the blanket stitching. Another easy technique. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Homespun Slippas


Slippers are made from the following 3 farm animals: Emma, Opal and Eva. Check them out below. I would love feed back on these slippers. Do they last longer than regular wool yarn slippers? It is said Mohair is as strong as wire per diameter, Angora is 6 times warmer than wool and then you have wool that has memory. These slippers weight about 6 oz and start out large and can be felted to a medium with one wash or two washes and smaller the more you machine wash them.

To order a pair in white or color you like using Cushing dye check out my website: www.spinnakeesfarm.com . Remember I crock pot dye so colors will vary and will probably be splotchey (gives them character!). Price will be $45 and that includes shipping.
If you visit my farm in Augusta to buy them, I'll take 20% off all you buy!!




5% Angora Rabbit Fiber in Slippers "Emma"






30% Wool: My fiber animals


65% Mohair - "Eva"

Monday, January 22, 2007

Buck/Rams' Shed - occupied 1/1/2007

1/1/07 My husband, Bill, finished my Buck/Rams' Shed. This shed was built to keep us safe, provide shelter, and an exercise area for my 3 studs. This shed has made my job a lot easier. I can feed, and water the boys in one area. This shed area will also help when we breed our girls again as there is ample room for breeding and the boys won't have to work to hard. We plan on putting them back in their pastures when spring comes.


11/25/06 my husband started this "new" project to make my job easier. My son, Andrew, shown in front of my husband put in 2 good days of hard work.







11/30 - This is my husband putting metal roofing on my shed.






12/24 - Bill attached pig panels to posts he secured in the ground to make a safe area for them to exercise in.









Here are my 3 boys in their new pens. Great shelter and exercise areas.
The girls like to follow me around and check out what is going on with the boys.