Sponsor: I want to thank one of our sponsors for this week’s episode, Edinburgh Yarn Festival, Scotland’s biggest urban yarn event, taking place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of March 2016 in the beautiful World Heritage Site city of Edinburgh, where last year they welcomed 3500 festival visitors. Edinburgh is home to some amazing designers including Ysolda Teague, Gudrun Johnston, Emily Wessel of Tin Can Knits and Lucy Hague of Celtic Cables. There will be a thriving marketplace with yarns, notions and designers from all over the UK and further afield, many of them unique to Scotland or yarns spun from British breed sheep. A spacious knitter’s cafe will offer the opportunity to meet yarn and fibre enthusiasts around the world and some of the best international names in knitting and crochet will be giving workshops, and you can find the festival programme on the website this Friday, so keep an eye out. Visit edinyarnfest.com for all the festival details on workshops, classes, the Knitter’s party, the Podcast Lounge and more. You can also follow along on Instagram @edinyarnfest
Fiber folk: Earlier this Spring I received a very endearing email from a woman named Emmaline, a 24 year old sheep farmer in western NY and owner of Orchard View Lincoln Longwools. As Emma began to share a bit of her story, having started her flock at age 12, building her business with her father over the years and now venturing into the wool aspect of her business, I knew the rest of you should hear her story too. In the fiber farming and production side of the fiber industry I don’t often meet other young folks, especially ones with such spirit and gumption as Emmaline…so I hope you find her story as inspiring and encouraging as I have. You can find Emmaline at orchardviewlincolns.com and on Facebook at Orchard View Lincoln Longwools.
Sponsor: I want to thank our other sponsor for this week’s episode 6 Bits Storybooks, a digital quarterly publication for knitters who love to immerse themselves deeply in their knitting experience…from the mouths of story tellers: knitters, photographers, writers, designers, friends & nature. These storybooks incorporate designs, imagery, location, words, learning and tools to create an deeply engaging experience, taking readers on a journey. 6 Bits was created by two incredibly passionate and inspiring folks within this community, Melissa and Melody, and this past week they launched the first issue of this beautiful digital editorial magazine, so visit 6 Bits Storybooks at 6bitsstorybooks.com to subscribe and find them on Instagram @6.bits.storybooks, @mskiknits and @bmandarines.
Update: If you follow me on Instagram, you’re most likely aware that we recently welcomed some new members to the family…Henry our badger face Icelandic ram lamb and Lulu our Dexter cow. We got Henry a couple week’s back and he’s been hanging out with the ladies. This is his first time to the rodeo, if you know what I mean, and I’m not entirely sure he’s aware of his job…but alas nature will take it’s course eventually I’m sure and hope…haha. He’s a cute little guy, with the softest lambs wool and spunky personality. But as much as I love Henry and the eventual lambs he’ll hopefully help bring to the farm, Lulu has captured my heart in a very special way. We have some exciting plans we’re working on here at the ranch and as a part of that I had been researching dairy cows. I settled on the Dexter breed because of their heritage breed qualities, size, demeanor, milk production and dual purpose. I’ve always been curious of those people who LOVE cows. You know who I’m talking about…they have a bajillion pieces of cow knick knacks and photos in their house…but now I’m not so curious…I kinda get it. Cows are AMAZING! haha. Ok, don’t worry, I still very much love sheep…but just like folks tell you that when you have another child you don’t split your love, you multiply it…well Lulu has multiplied my love…times a thousand. Her eye lashes are unbelievable and her soft wet nose is so adorable. Ok I’ll stop. Well, she’s due to have her first calf the end of May and then we will begin our milking adventures…until then, stay tuned on Instagram for all my circus updates…including one next week…when we welcome 6 alpacas to the ranch.
Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway is, Ivy Perez. You’ve won 2 skeins of a wool and alpaca blend 3-ply yarn, naturally dyed with Logwood from Lost Coast Yarns. Congratulations!
This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Orchard View Lincoln Longwools, and they’re giving away 2 skeins of naturally colored Lincoln Longwool 2-ply worsted weight yarn. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post.
Music by Jónsi.