The Next Step

Hubby and I both have a desire to have him home more.  With a family of our size it takes both of us to really keep things running smoothly.  Hubby's current job takes him away from the homestead five days a week, which doesn't allow him the time he would like for farming and homesteading.  We have so many dreams and goals that require him being able to be home all of the time.  We have been discussing ways that we could earn a living from home, allowing Hubby to stay on the farm, where he longs to be.  One of those ways is building a fiber farm. We became quite discouraged when we tragically lost our merino ram, Caspian, last spring, and weren't sure if we wanted to pursue fiber farming again, but, as we all know, time is a great healer.  I turned my thoughts to teaching myself the art of knitting and eventually to processing Caspian's wool into yarn. During this process, Hubby and I have talked about and researched the possibility of sheep farming again. I'm not sure when or if we will take this leap, but each day we dream about it a bit more and maybe someday those dreams will become a reality.

For now, with Hubby's help and support, I am working on my initial goal of processing Caspian's wool.  I feel I have accomplished the first step...relearning to knit.  Although I have lots more to learn, and I'm not sure I will ever learn all there is to know, I feel like I'm off to a good start. I've learned  how to read a pattern and have finished my first scarf and two pixie hats for my babies. Using the beautiful bamboo needles Hubby gave for me, I'm currently working on knitting in the round and hope to have a few more hats completed soon, learning different stitch patterns with each one.  I am trying to choose patterns that will teach me something new each time I start a project.  I am so excited with my new found hobby.  I love knitting, and I'm excited to take to another level.

The next step in achieving my goal of processing Caspian's fleece is to learn the simple art of spinning with a drop spindle.  Hubby read and researched for hours (without my knowing) the best way to start with spinning, and he put together the perfect little package for me for Christmas.  He purchased me top and bottom whorl drop spinners from this lovely little shop, complete with a few bundles of merino rovings. We both agreed drop spinning would be a great place to begin learning the art of handling and spinning wool. He also gave me two wonderful books, Adventures in Yarn Farming: Four Seasons on a New England Fiber Farm and Merino; Handspinning, Dyeing and Working with Merino and Superfine Wools, both have been motivation in turning our dreams of owning a fiber farm into a reality.

I haven't had a chance to start spinning yet...I was hoping to try my hand at it this past weekend, but a recent cut on my thumb has me waiting a bit longer.  I am looking forward to getting started and moving on to my next ste p.  Both Hubby and I appreciate and prefer natural fibers over synthetic ones, and it's exciting to think that we may be able to someday produce our own wool.

Joining the The Homestead Barn Hop , Frontier Dreams , and WIP Wednesdays