Newfoundland Angora Stuffed Mittens

I just started a pair of Angora stuffed mittens and hope to have one finished tomorrow using Maine wool that I dyed in my crockpot. My mission is to type out a pattern given to me by my mother Margaret Rickett, formerly Margaret Slade of St. Anthony, NFLD. One of her chores was to knit mittens and socks for her family. She finally told me I'm knitting correctly. You know when you are a teen their is a certain rebellion going on and mine was trying to change her pattern to make it better? So in the end I found her method is still the best. It only took me 35 years to discover this. Wish me luck in preparing this mitten for a kit to sell at Artistree this November 27, 28 & 29. This kit will include a skein of yarn, pattern and 1/2 oz of Angora to use as stuffing. Let's see if I can finish at least one mitten to add to my blog tomorrow!

"Miniature Angoras" - Jersey Woolies

Want to see some cute bunnies? Check out my newest additions. I have 2 blacks ( 1 male and 1 female) from the first litter and they are ready for new homes - have to do nails today. I also have another gray litter - different shades of gray and a mini-mini one that is so cute! These cuties are perfect alone or with a litter mate. At 8 weeks seperate males and females as they breed early.

Artistree is a wonderful show that is coming up November 27, 28 & 29. My daughter, Jessie, is hoping to have more puppets ready for this show. Mary Rose saw Jessie's puppets at Common Ground in my booth and she went wild over them. She started taking pictures and asking to use them in a news article to, hopefully, be put in the Bangor Daily News. Maybe soon we will all see Jessie's Fiber art in this wonderful newspaper. She also wanted this article ready before Artistree to promote Jessie's work. Maybe local newspapers in Augusta would be interested? Hum. Jessie has a special talent where she sees something and can redo it with fiber and make it her own.

Olde English "Babydoll" Southdowns - twins

This is Bertha with her small twin ram lambs. I had to supplement the little black one a couple of feedings. They are both running all over the place now. It is amazing how quickly they grow. So far we have 5 ram lambs and 2 ewe lambs.

Doesn't Armaretta have a cute head. I'll have to take pictures again soon as she is really pulling together nicely. I hope to video tape all the lambs in action tomorrow. They all run around as soon as I let them out of their night quarters. Too cute!

This is Bailey with her little white faced ewe lamb. Her grandmother was Kluer and both Mother and daughter look like her. She should be called "Armaretta". She is really layed back lamb.

Here is "Black Beauty" again. It's funny, but the little ram lambs were picking on her today and she just tolerated them. She is just starting to nibble grain. She is a mommy's girl. I'm going to hate docking this tail. Very nice sturdy lamb.

This is Aida with her beautiful black ewe lamb. I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful black ewe. I'm nick naming her "Black Beauty". Aida herself is one of the prettiest ewes that I have. Having lambs takes alot out of them. Today I couldn't believe how good she was looking compared to this earlier taken picture.

This is Hazel with her son, Hercules. He is a keeper. He reminds me of his dad, Roy Orb. Nice compact body, cute face, nice and square and rugged.

Carmen a few days before the twins were born! Last year she had black twin ewe lambs!

Carmen had these 2 beautiful big ram lambs (meaning big for Babydolls). Where is your scale when you need it. Both are spotted with darker legs and heads. Too sweet for words. Mom is wonderful! Again no help from me and this is her 4th set of twins. All I had to do was provide fresh water, hay and iodine for the imbilical cord! Too easy. They were very eager to nurse.

June 6 and 7th is Fiber Frolic. If you attend, please visit me at booth space 87 in the Dairy Cattle Barn. I hope to bring the older twins with me. I plan on clipping one of my German Angora Rabbits "Olga" at this event and I'm hoping she will pass the confirmation and oz of wool needed to become a registered German Angora. We have a judge that will be attending to determine this. Olga is looking really good right now. Wish me luck.

I also have cute needle felted items and "Designer Yarns" made from my critters fiber at Kennebec River Artisans in Hallowell, Maine.

Rug Hooking Sisters at my Farm, Midlighta, IAGARB, Sheep/Goat Hay/Grain Feeder

This is a recent picture of my rug hooking group "Rug Hooking Sisters" on a foggy day. We share stories, good food and hook most Mondays. This is a day we all look forward to for many reasons. This was a small group because my road is so muddy this time of the year. Thank you ladies for coming. Some of these pictures may be seen in www.woolstreetjournal.com. Wool Street Journal is the only primitive rug hooking magazine in the United States. One of our group, Julienne S, www.juliennes.com, was recently in this wonderul magazine. Look for Paula B. with her own primitive designs next month. See Vicki and Vivian pointing to her rug in the middle? Too funny! So much talent!

This is Midlighta my Colored Angora Goat. One day Midlighta decided to marry Midnight. She used her "Wearable Art" to entice him into marriage. Their offspring can be seen at Spinnakees' Farm or viewed at www.spinnakeesfarm.com. She is now located at Kennebec River Artisans, 130 Water Street, Hallowell, Maine again she is showing off her Wearable Art at this unique shop of Maine Artisans.

March 7, we had a shearing party at Sherri C.'s beautiful new log cabin. We hope to register these same rabbits at Fiber Frolic, June 6, 2009 thru IAGARB (International Association of German Angora Rabbit Breeders). To be registered these rabbits have to have about 11.5 oz of Angora in 90 days.

This is a picture of 2 Corriedale Ewes I recently purchased from K. Plummer/B. Yost. Thank you! These big girls are so gentle and love their grain treats. Aren't they cute!

Here is a picture of my husband, Smokey, and our son, William. You have got to love them. I call this quality time? This is the beginning of a hay/grain feeder.

I now have 20 sheep and 4 goats to feed. This building is 8' long and, when done, will feed them on both sides and give them shelter while eating. I'll beable to walk inside and put either grain or hay into openings on both sides. Will send pictures, if all works out as planned. My old Premier instructions are where I got this idea.

Marion's Rug Hooking Studio, Brunswick, Maine

Last week the Rug Hooking Sisters took a trip to Brunswick to check out this wonderful rug hooking Studio. As you can see she has ample space to show you her wonderful wool selection. We were able to choose wool to start and in many cases add to rugs we have been working on. One of our newer members went back to Marion's and took a private lesson from her. After working patiently with all of us - me included - taking so many pictures - we had tea!! Too much fun.

Marion's e-mail is: merryoneb@aol.com

Fiber Maine-ia Event February 1, 2009, 6 to 8 pm at www.spinnakeesfarm.com

January 18, 2009 our barn & sheep during the snow storm. What a beautiful storm!

January 19, 2009, Bill feeding our sheep.

Hermonie and Midnight eating.

January 25, 2009 feeding sheep on pathway up to our barn.

February 1, 2009, 6 to 8 pm, Beginner or Wannabee spinners/knitters are invited to bring your spinning wheel or knitting to Spinnakees Farm. We will have a demonstration of partially, clipping a German Angora Rabbit, spinning its fiber and providing kits ($20) for you to try yourself. We are hoping to also have a demo on Continental Knitting and needle felting.

We are planning another meeting for Beginners February 8 same time and an advanced group February 15 with a demo of double drafting and another partial clip of one of my German Angora Rabbits. I'd like to see what kind of interest there is in the Gentle Giants and share a fact sheet and a simple knitted Mobias Angora/Wool headband pattern as part of my kit, which will also include a wool/mohair blend of roving, Angora Roving and raw Angora. I have the yarn spun, which is one strand Angora and one strand wool/mohair and hope to have the headband completed by Sunday to show what it looks like. Hope you can make it! My number is listed on www.spinnakeesfarm.com. Betty

German Angora Rabbit Clipped 8 oz fiber

This is a picture of Charlie my German Angora Rabbit. Charlie gave me 8 oz of prime fiber. I now have 11 German Angora Rabbits. Each rabbit gives me from 8 to 12 oz of fiber every 3 months! This is so hard to imagine. I have been practicing double drafting, which was in a previous article of Spin-off magazine. Once you get the hang of it you don't want to stop. It is an easy way to spin almost any short fiber staple. I would like to invite some of you ladies to join me here at my home to spin/knit February 1 at 6 pm. It doesn't matter if you are just a beginner or a pro. Come have coffee, bring something to share (food is always welcome). I have roving to purchase, if you would like to try something different? Or just come and have fun. I have recently had 2 new spinners, Charlotte and Cassy come to my farm and would love to see them join us. I use to belong to a spinning group that seemed to disappear after about 7 years. I now belong to a rug hooking group that is "wonderful", as we have all become friends. So plan on coming and bring any new or old projects you would like to share with the group - nice way to learn. My newest project is Angora lined mittens - too easy!

Cameo sleeping and waking up with my Angora lined mittens decorating her! She is a wonderful retired Keeshond. I have another retired Kees, Ruffian, Cameo's mom, and hopefully when the economy recovers my other Kees, Isabelle, Cameo's daughter, will have a litter. These are wonderful family pets and their double coat are fun to spin. Wish I had time to spin it. My friend, Shirley Lizzotte, spins it and other dog hair into wonderful hats, socks and purses. So neat Shirley and she takes orders. Dog hair is one of the easiest fibers to spin. Hence when it came to naming my farm it had to be Spin na kees'.

Check out the Maine Agricultural Trade Fair in Augusta 1/13-15/09. Lot of great classes.