Tuesday, February 24, 2009

New Spring/Summer Hours

Due to having a baby any day now, and the hectic and abundant spring and summer work that happens on a farm, Ewetopia will have abbreviated hours starting March 1st. They will not be too much different though, and of course please call if you're coming through at a time we're not here and I'll do whatever I can to be here!

Monday: 10-7pm (4-7pm is Monday night knitting!)
Tues-Weds: 10-4pm (Tues morning knitting from 10-1pm)
Thursday: 10-6pm
Fri-Sat: 10-4pm (Friday morning knitting from 10-1pm)
Sunday: Closed

Monday, February 16, 2009

I've waited years to witness this adorableness!



One warm morning last week, my husband Keith woke me up with a start by exclaiming "There's a lamb out there!" He had a puzzled tone and my first thought was one of our 2008 lambs (Betsy, Tacy or Martin) had escaped and was frolicking about the yard! I soon realized that he meant a brand new lamb and my next worry was that since the ewes we had purchased over the winter were not due until April it was a stillborn and we would have a sad morning ahead of us. Still half asleep I quickly dressed and ran out the door to the barn with a towel from my own birthing equipment stash. The lamb was not at all premature, and was in fact quite dry and lively as we caught him and brought him and his mother (who we have nicknamed Llama due to her size and stature) inside away from the chilly wind. He seemed quite used to nursing and had no trouble finding her teats, even through all her wooly coat, which since they were not due until April had not been sheared yet!

The next morning Keith went to work, without any more lambs to find. This morning it would be my turn! Just as I was leaving I checked on the lamb, and as an after thought decided to leave through the other door in the barn so I could count the ewes outside eating hay. The wind was much stronger and colder this morning and as I turned the corner I saw not only the 2 brown ewes and "24" the large white ewe, but a brand new pure white form on the ground! She had just been born maybe a minute earlier and her mother was just beginning to lick her off. Unfortunately I could not leave her where she had dropped because of the cold, she was chilled and must be inside with a heat lamp in an order to survive, ah February lambing! After a few frantic phone calls to Keith and my mother who would need to open the shop that morning. I ran and got the same towel as the morning before and toweled her off and watched her closely for signs of hypothermia as I waited for Keith to arrive and help me set up yet another lambing pen!

Both lambs are now just a few days old and are quite strong and lively! There is truly nothing better than watching a young lamb frisk and leap about! Last night when we checked them for the last time before going to bed we witnessed something I have seen in pictures and have ALWAYS wanted to see first hand. Leo (the first lamb) was warm and nestled in warm wooly fleece right on top of his mother! Thankfully they both were content enough and too cozy to move while I took a few pictures!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Wool coming in, wool going out!

Its exciting around here, we have lots of new wool from fiber artist Georgia Mommaert from Quail Hill Carding in, including a couple NEW colors! Plus we had a large shipment of undyed sock yarn come in that is as I type beginning to be dyed into many exciting and beautiful shades! I also did some pre-baby nesting down in the basement and have cleared out almost all of our stashed raw fleeces and have them "staged" to be sent to Stonehedge Fiber Mill in MI! We will hopefully recieve boxes of beautiful roving back in time to get some dyed up before this little baby arrives! It that is not the case, do not fear, I will find a way to get it dyed as soon as I'm back in the shop! I promise!