I've gone WiLd and CrAzY!

Below is my completed project of the week. In the previous post you saw I got my new wild drum carder, which cards batts that are truly pieces of art. Carded together are pieces of yarn, embroidery thread, angora and suri curley locks, sheep wool, alpaca wool and angeline for glitter. A labor of love. I carded these batts then spun the yarn on my Ashford bulky spinner. This yarn is extra bulky, soft and extra beautiful! I knitted neck warmers shown below, one for myself, and two for the shop. I put together two kits as well, pattern, artf yarn skein and ceramic button which will also go into the shop. Im so happy with this yarn and the neck warmer that it produced that Im now spinning an extra bulky alpaca natural colored yarn that I will also put into a kit with wood branch buttons and pattern. This will also be offered in the shop. I hope you like what you see and will stop on by and see this wonderful yarn in person. If interested in purchasing a kit or neckwarmer and you live afar contact me. The WiLd and CrAzY neck warmers are 38.00 a piece and the kits with art yarn, pattern and ceramic button are 32.00 a piece. Open this Sunday the 31st of October. Stop by for some apple cider! It should be a gorgeous day for a ride to the farm.

WILD and CrAzY CaRdInG!

Wild Carding! What a great invention. This is my new wild carder from Ashford. Ashly also felt as though she NEEDED one! So when hers arrived, she came to pick it up and we dragged all the dyed roving, ribbon, yarn bits, locks and whatever else we could find to turn plain old wool roving into art yarn! I had plenty stashed away waiting for the new carder. This carder is able to blend in with the wool all kinds of scraps to create one gorgeous art batt! Which we then spun into yarn. We had quite the day as you can see. It was a lot of fun to see the batts created and then watch it turn into yarn. We both spun our yarns up and knitted neck warmers, that I think is one of my best pieces ever. I wont show it as of yet because I want to find the perfect button to finish this piece of art. I actually had enough of this first run to knit up two neck warmers. One which I'm keeping and the other will go into the shop. Check back to see the final piece. Also you must stop back to see the new alpaca products that arrived yesterday. More gloves with alpaca motif and baby alpaca brushed scarves that are to die for! All in beautiful colors. I just need to drag myself away from the wild carder and take some pics!! Enjoy the wonderful weekend, maybe take a rid eon up and check out the shop and all the new items!


Im going to need to do a demo of this carding one Sunday.
LOOK AT THE CRAZED AND WILD LOOK THAT COMES OVER ONE'S FACE WHEN USING THE WILD CARDER!!!!! wHAT A LOT OF FUN WE HAD, LAUGHS AND BATTS, WHAT ELSE IS THER? THANKS ASHLY FOR A GREAT AFTERNOON.


Oh waht a great invention!

The Witch Is In!

The witch is in! Stop on by this Sunday the 31st, she brought with her lots of new things to the shop. The broom was filled, she delivered more this week. She is now here to stay with us through Sunday! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAEHEHEHEHEHE Open 11-3pm

Hope to see you. We still have beautiful foliage left here in Oxford, the ride should be beautiful!

Dyeing to be new again!

Well last year I knitted the drop stitch vest from one of may favorite sheep A corriedale named Susan who died the year before. I had a little of her roving left so I spun it up and decided I needed to knit something from it for me, to remember her by. Not that I would ever forget her, she was 14 years old and one of the sweetest ewes ever! I adored Susan, she was blind for two years before she died. So anyway I knitted this drop stitch vest and it was to long, I was not so happy with it. So this morning I cut 4 inches off! Picked up the stitches, knitted a row then bound it off. Then I decided that the natural white did not really do anything for the look of the vest either. So into the dye pot it went. It was about two min. and I remembered a nice little gray vest that I had knitted that was kind of blah as well so I ran and found it and into the dye pot that sent as well. Simmering in the pot I watched both pieces as they changed color becoming New vest both in color and for the one that I cut, in style. I love them both now and will wear them often!
What do you think? Im now thinking of other things I can make new by throwing them into the dye pot as well. By the way, on the needles now is yet another vest! A seed stitch vest out of rose gray alpaca. I find I get a lot of wear out of the vest becasue alpaca or bulky wool sheep sweaters are just way to warm to wear inside, and how many out door wool sweaters does one need? I'll post pictures as it progesses a little more.

More Fall Fashion!

Here is what the little caplet looks like on. Isn't is a perfect size? It reaches the elbow but doesn't get in the way of working with your hands. I guess I have been in fall mode because look at the colors I have been working with! Fall, fall, fall. Looks like the leaves in my backyard! Inspiration I guess. The neck warmers were a favorite item in the shop last year so I have been knitting them again. We have a basket filled with neck warmers, both in alpaca and sheep wool, even some angora bunny and sheep wool blend. Or maybe knit your own with one of our beautiful yarns! Off to visit with the woollies now. I have some carrots and grain bread to share with them. Oh how they loooooove this treat!

Newest projects on and off the needles!

Here are some of my latest projects. The little caplet is a dream to wear over your shoulders. It just meets the top of your elbow, so it is not in the way and can be worn with ease to work in, have dinner or wear over the top of your winter coat. Its easy to knit on large needles and works up fast. Pattern will be available to share with the purchase of yarn..
The next project on the needles is a blend of alpaca and Babydoll wool, Its my favorite blend of the year. I had many pounds of it processed so I will be dyeing some as I spin it. The blend is wonderful. Blended from Al the alpaca and Willow the Babydoll sheep. The pattern is a mock cable which I love doing, no cable needle to loose! I'm enjoying this 4 row pattern. Pattern will also be available in the shop. The fawn color yarn on the needles is our fawn or oatmeal mill alpaca yarn. Im doing a wide ribbed pattern and plan to knit it extra long for a shoulder shawl. I think the ribbing will hug around my shoulders and drape nicely. I saw this type shawl on a TV fashion show! That it was inspired me. Its been a wonderful fall Sunday here. We had a few wonderful customers stop on by, chatted some and off they went. It was a great day for a fall ride.
Thanks for stopping by. See you soon, have a great week!



Here are some of the ways our alpaca shawl/scarf can be worn. I love these! I wore it a few times out already and have had many a comment on it. I think be the end of the season this may be worn out!

Alpaca, Turkey's, Pumpkins and Ornaments!!

Well, this was a busy week here on the farm for more then one reason. My new drum carder arrived today. The wild carder from Ashford. I will post pics later. I can't wait to use it to produce batts for spinning wild and crazy yarns! This carder will blend almost anything through it it, wool of course, ribbon, scrap tread, locks, scrap fabric everything but the kitchen sick as they say.!
The big news was the arrival of our alpaca scarves made from our mill spun alpaca yarn by a mill in Mass. 100% made in the USA they are 72 to 76 inches long! I just love all the stitching on these, yarn overs, to make it open for a bit of a lace look, garter stitch border to give it good shaping, cables, which I love and they are extra long! I'm very happy with the way they came out and just in time for the holidays along with our alpaca gloves. The colors are bark brown and fawn. They go into the shop today.



I have needle felting pumpkins and some adorable acorns (below), some with real acorn tops. I had a needle felting class here in the shop and the girls went home with a completed pumpkin, a few acorns and enough wool to needle felt another pumpkin! Everyone was happy, happy, happy!
In honor of the time of year you can see who else visited this week! Tom and his friends....They simply hung around the driveway for a while, then over by our hay barn. Then off they gobbled up into the woods! They seem to take the same route each day now so they have become daily visitors to the farm. I love when they come it just screams fall! Fall being a favorite of mine.




I have only just begun to stuff glass ball ornaments with hand dyed sheep wool, sparkles and some angeline for twinkle. My plans are another dozen or so. A little keepsake from the farm if you visit us around the holidays. Each year they can be hung on your tree and you'll think of all of us at Dream Come True Farm! Hope to see you soon. Open most Sundays 11-3 unless we have a family commitment. And as always open by appointment anytime, just give us a ring. Happy Fall from all of us at the farm

BIG Fall news! Lots more to come

Fall is here! The smell of fall is in the air, especially in the early morning and when I go out to feed in the evenings. As I walk to the animals to feed the crunch under my feet of fallen leaves soothes my soul. Im even smelling fire from wood stoves or fireplaces in my neighborhood. We have not lit ours as of yet but when I smell one I want to run right in and light the stove! This may be the weekend we do, I hear there may be frost.
The shop is full for the holidays, lots of new items and many skeins of new yarn! Truley a knitters heaven. I have some wonderful bamboo knitting needles in also. Sizes that go well with my handspun. Santa is coming with the Mrs. in November. I hear he may bring elves as well. Check back for details on his visit. Anyone interested in learning to knit or needle felt drop me a line. Open most Sundays 11-3 unless we have a fmaily function call to be sure 203-218-0508

We have been lucky enought to have Elliot make these wonderful inlayed stools for our shop. Elliot is 89 years young! Can you believe this beautiful work! We have one in our family room that Luke sits on all the time. I love just having it to display, it sure is a work of art. These will be in the shop as of this Sunday. The cedar in the stools are from cedar trees from our farm. Watch for the log cabin bird houses that we hope will arrive from Elliot.


Knitting lessons are going great! We have 6 new knitters! Our lessons are Sundays, private or learn with a friend! I am enjoying hearing about the new knitters projects. All are real enthusiastic and have sure sparked me to be knitting every spare moment! Great job Kathy!




All critters love when the leaves fall into the hay baskets, its like crunchy croutons added to their salad! Mmmmm

Fall clean up starts now and won't end until every leaf is up and out into the woods to mulch! Lots of work and EVERYONE is workning! Good job Luke. What a helper Pa has with Luke here.

Spinning perch

My dear very talented artist friend Scarlett, painted this chair for me. The chair was my daughter Brooke's when she about 7 years old, so that makes the chair 26 years old! I saved it in the basement all that time. I brought it to my friend Scarlett one day and asked if she could spruce it up for me? I left it up to her as to what should go on it. I just told her I wanted something bright and cheerful that I would use it as my spinning chair at my wheel. This weekend my chair was delivered to me with this wonderful painting on it. She turned it into a spinning perch, for me! I shall perch in this many happy hours in the years to come. Each time I sit I will take a moment and think of my dear friend Scarlett and the many dear friends that I have been blessed with. Scarlett has reminded me of that. This is very special to me and will remain so for a lifetime. Thank you dear Scarlett.