Browsing Tag

farming

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 16: Michael Hampton and Tamara White – Vermont fiber farming and milling, Shetland sheep and overcoming fear

March 24, 2015

I’m very excited to share the sixteenth episode of the Woolful podcast. Today we get to meet two very enthusiastic fiber folks from Vermont, both of whom have had quite the journey to where they are today…Michael Hampton of Hampton Fiber Mill and Tamara White of Wing and a Prayer Farm.

taproot-logo

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Taproot Magazine, a quarterly print magazine full of delightful stories and photos written by and for people living fuller and digging deeper. Each issue is created around a subtle theme, featuring amazing recipes, crafts, and tales, all with the intention of inspiring people who are interested in deepening their connections to their families, communities, and themselves as they strive to live locally and closer to the ground. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

taprootmag

Fiber folk 1: Michael is a passionate knitter, spinner, and fiber mill entrepreneur. He’s been on an exciting journey from engineer to now building and operating a fiber mill in Richmond, Vermont where he mills a very exhaustive list of wools and fibers, including our second guest Tamara’s beautiful yarn. His enthusiasm and excitement for fiber and helping bring something back to this community and industry is a really wonderful thing. You can find him at Hamptonfibermill.com and on Instagram @hamptonfibermill.

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For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked a handful of fiber enthusiasts to answer a question, shared by Samantha in our Raverly group. “Is there a project that inspired you to improve your skills?” We had some amazing replies from Nikki @woolenviolet and Leanne @leannecoppola.

Fiber folk 2: Our next guest, Tamara is a gem among farmers, fiber folks and friends. We were lucky enough to have her and her daughters SJ and Char, stay for a visit last week at our home. Our time together was filled with laughter, good food, Vermont maple syrup and plenty of farm stories and it was great to be able to talk and record our chat in person as we all sat on the living room floor. She is a true testament of strength, compassion and her love of fiber farming and her animals is infectious. You can find her at wingandaprayerfarm.com and on Instagram @wingandaprayerfarm.

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The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Jessica from Mittens and Mason Jars! You’ve won 5 skeins of the Westcountry Tweed yarn from Blacker Yarns. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Taproot Magazine, and we’re giving away a two year subscription to this wonderful publication that brings so much to this community. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below.

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We’ve got an exciting shop update this week. Tamara, our second guest has worked very hard to create some beautiful yarns, all carefully and skillfully milled by our first guest Michael. Her latest yarns include a bulky white Shetland and Mohair blend, and two aran weight yarns, a warm brownish grey Shetland and Mohair, and a dark rich grey Merino, Shetland and Mohair. You can now find all three yarns exclusively in the Woolful Mercantile and woolfulmercantile.com

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Music by Jónsi

Transcription to follow shortly…

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 15: Kim Goodling and Sue Blacker – Gotland sheep, building a fiber mill, raising kids on a farm and rare breeds.

March 17, 2015

I’m very excited to share the fifteenth episode of the Woolful podcast. Today we get to meet two fiber folks, both women with a special love for Gotland sheep and both with unique fiber journeys that have taken them to interesting and inspiring places…Sue Blacker of Blacker Yarns and The Natural Fibre Company and Kim Goodling of Vermont Grand View Farm.

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Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Portfiber, a wonderful shop in Portland, Maine, specializing in one of a kind, hand-dyed fiber and yarn. Casey has curated an incredible collection of spinning fiber including yak, Chiri, Alpaca, Polwarth and hand-dyed blends. You can visit Portfiber in person when in Portland Maine or shop online at portfiber.com

portfiber

Fiber folk 1: Kim is a passionate ambassador and breeder of Gotland Sheep, dyer, entrepreneur and hardworking mom. She runs a beautiful farm in Vermont where she hosts farm stays and a great selection of fiber related classes. She recently launched her online shop of Gotland yarns and fibers at gotlandwoolcompany.com You can find her at grandviewfarmvt.net and on Instagram @vtgrandviewfarm.

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For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked a handful of fiber enthusiasts to answer a question, shared by Cady in our Raverly group. “What advice would you give to someone just starting their fiber journey?” We had some amazing replies from Sonja, Samantha, Beatrice, and Abby.

Fiber folk 2: Our next guest, Sue has a pretty amazing and adventurous fiber journey, beginning with her flock of Gotland sheep and life as a fiber farmer in the UK, where she runs her fiber mill, The Natural Fibre Company and specialty breed yarn company, Blacker Yarns. She puts an incredible amount of work into spreading the word and love of Gotlands and other rare sheep breeds. You can find her at thenaturalfibre.co.uk and at blackeryarns.co.uk.

sueblacker

The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Madeline Fidler! You’ve won the Radius pattern collection from Dreareneeknits and two skeins of Radius Yarn Bulky from Knitterly. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Blacker Yarns, and we’re giving away 5 skeins of their Westcountry Tweed. All the fiber from this yarn comes from within a 100 miles of the Natural Fibre Company mill in the UK, made with intentions to have the smallest footprint possible. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below.

westcountrytweed

 

Music by Jónsi

Transcription to follow shortly…

Knitting Woolspiration

Woolspiration: Sleep Furiously

August 17, 2014

I’m excited to share another wool inspired documentary, Sleep Furiously. This charming documentary is set in a small farming community in Wales and follows the daily life of its residents. Though not focused solely on sheep, they weave their way in and out of the story, painting an idyllic picture in a somewhat troubling reality. The community is facing unwelcome change as the old ways die out and new ways move in. A really wonderful watch during those evening knitting sessions! Available free through Amazon Prime.