Jumpstart: The spring fiber season arrives

Barb Parry of Foxfire Fibers helped nudge the spring fiber season a week early.  We scooted out to her farm on April 19th for a spin gathering.

Mystic's twin Cormo lambs were still getting used to ex-utero life.  It's a tough world.  You get booted out of all that womb-ly warmth and comfort, only to find that one of Mom's udders is busted, and the other one is slow to produce.  Then you look around, and realize that the sister you were kicking all winter is now competition for scarce milk resources.  Life would be SO unfair, but Barb brings out the bottle every few hours, giving Mystic a chance to catch up with her lambs.

Two sets of triplets are segregated with their moms.  That offers the moms a chance at some extra feed for that third set of gums hooked onto their undersides. 

April 25th followed as you expect in this most perfect of all universes.  Connecticut Sheep and Wool welcomed winter-weary fiberistas.  I think the temps broke some sort of record.  It was an uncomfortable 92 degrees.  This may have been the one festival at which sheep were happy to be part of a shearing demonstration.  

Kelly did drop-spindle tricks, tossing it in front of her with a double handed twist to set plying in motion. 

And was it Manise who said, "How many women does it take to jumpstart a car?" 

This many:

Comments

[margene]

Barb's lambs are so, so darling.
I've been saved by willing Fiberistas when car dilemmas have arisen at festivals. It may take many but we have fun in the process.
Let the summer fiber fun begin!

[Carole]

Wish I could have been in both those places with you!

[claudia]

Lambs! I so love lambs.

[Jean]

Those lambs are so sweet, you just want one to cuddle with (I have not idea if Lambs enjoy affection from people being a city girl). This post really made my night, thank you.

[Judy]

What a joy to spend time with the lambs.

[Anne]

Cute photos of the babies.

92? Whew!

[Kim]

What darling babies! Next time you grrls plan a trip to Barb's give me a shout. I would love to visit. :)

[Teyani]

awwwhh those little lambs make me homesick...(sort of). I remember bottle feeding babies.. yikes - it's a lot of work. Yet part of it was so rewarding as well - afterwards, when the goats were grown, they would still run to the fence line as we came up (since we were, after all, "Mom") :-)
92 degrees is amazing.

[Danielle]

Will I see you @ MAS&W too?

[Caroline M]

It must be spring then, lambs and blue sky.

[Theresa]

Ah, Cormo lambs! If I were going to be a sheep, being a Cormo would be high on my list. Almost a perfect fiber. Or at least one of my absolute faves to spin and touch.

[Donna]

Those cormo lambs look so soft! What little cuties.

Yeah, it was a hot one in CT this year, that's for sure. Our group was done by 1:00 and on the way home - it was simply too hot to wait around for the Sheep to Shawl results. We got back to RI to a nice 72 degrees. Heaven!

[Marcia]

Sorry I missed both, but Gus needed me! Back from the opera and heading back to Maryland on Saturday (I WILL get out to the S&W). Plans to go to NHSW next weekend....will I see you?

[gayle]

Any time spent with lambs is a blessing! Lambs running and bouncing in the sunshine is the ultimate expression of joy.

I wonder if it will be as warm at NH S&W? After being cold all winter, I wouldn't mind a touch of 90's...

[Barb]

I'm just catching up on your blog - so fun to see pics of the kids when they were still teeny. Hope you can make it to the next knit/spin in june (just posted on site).