It's This Cold

We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Farming

The girls wanted to show off their new coats. I think Lili's is the prettiest. Blue is her color. I was sincerely hoping not to have to change their coats again after I bought them new ones in the spring, but they were already looking like chubby matrons determined to fit into their skinny jeans so I broke down and called Jim Shaw who is my go-to guy for fiber covers. It's nice when you need to order something but you're not quite sure what you need and there's a real live person who answers the phone and doesn't mind running through your options for you. Plus, the first time I ever talked to Jim he was on his way out the door to take his wife out to eat. He automatically got an A+ for that.

The older I get the more I appreciate the personal approach . . . from who grew my food to who made the hat I'm wearing (not always me) and where it came from. There's only so much "mega," "super," and "one-stop" I can stand. Just going into a warehouse-type store like Costco or Home Depot gives me hives. Not that I don't appreciate them for what they're worth. If I need Christmas lights, fine. But they're like sugar. A little bit goes a long way. I called about a credit card offer not long ago and one of the perks was - get this - that when you called a REAL PERSON ANSWERS THE PHONE. Hello?! THAT'S WHAT OUGHT TO HAPPEN!

That's why I like what I do. I am hands-on from the mucking of the barn (that was yesterday's chore) to shirting the fleece (that's when you take the poo out of it) to the carding and spinning and knitting, and now weaving. And I like it that way. After all, what fun is something that's exactly like 1,000 other somethings? It's not hard to be unique. God made us all that way. So celebrate it!

Open Letter to the Easter Bunny

Dear Mr. Easter Bunny,

I am sure you are very busy even though there are a few months until Easter so I will be brief. I would like a job as a Bunny-in-Training. I recently worked on Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp, maybe you've heard of him? Hosts a great tea if you can keep Alice out of the teapot and you don't invite the March Hare.

Anyway, I was thinking about my career options (as you know they are rather limited for a white rabbit) and candy has always rather appealed to me, little children not so much, but every job has less desirable aspects. Anyway, I could really use the work. I need to strike out on my own, get my own digs, free myself from the chains of providing fiber for this obsessed woman who calls herself "Mom." I have some temporary work coming up pulling Santa's sleigh, but it won't last forever. So, if the job is available, I'm your rabbit. Please let me know as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Twisk

c/o Reindeer Station Farm

This Just In

Twisk has decided to audition for the role of Easter Bunny this year.

My New Best Friend

See that shop vac? It's my new best friend. I met a bunny lady at Rhinebeck (The Duchess County New York Sheep and Wool Festival - honestly it's like THE place to go if you 're a fiber person. It would take weeks to see it all properly. But I digress.) Anyway, she told me about rabbit blowing. I kid you not. You blow rabbit coats to get rid of dust and untangle the fibers, like they do with show dogs. I was warned not to do it inside and am I glad I took that advice. See exhibit A above . . . where I wrote "bunny dust" in the bunny dust. But remember, I was outside so most of it blew away. I seriously thought I'd done something wrong at first and that the shop vac was blowing dust from inside itself onto the rabbits. But, no. It was rabbit dust coming out from the air of the shop vac. I was amazed. So now all my rabbits are dust-free except for Mama Poppet and the babies.

I'm not done blabbing about my babies yet, but since they are all growing up and will be leaving - WAH! - in about four weeks I can promise that soon I will not have such a one-track mind. It's been all about rabbits here lately though. Over the course of a couple weeks I moved all 12 rabbits into the basement. I'm still waiting on one last 3-hole cage that Lucas is making for me and then I will have a total of 9 holes (cages) in 3 stacks. And that will be all I can handle. So right now that leaves me with 2 empty holes. Oh deary me - shall I have to find two more rabbits to fill them? What a shame! LOL!!

Anyway, now that they're all inside I am so relieved. I can do rabbit chores (which are by nature a bit fiddly) in the relative warmth of the basement. And I can do whatever I need to grooming-wise without having to worry that someone is going to die of exposure because of the fickle weather. I've got a couple coats right now that are holding on by a thread and within a weeks will be completely off. Which is good because I am at this very moment spinning up all my angora. I'm spinning it thread weight and will ply to lace weight. IT IS GORGEOUS! Even I'm impressed with it, if I can say that without coming off like I'm bragging. It's beautiful.

AND I started weaving this week so I now know enough to start weaving up some angora scarves. I'm getting the first one, but if there's any interest and the customers at Six Loose Ladies don't keep my stock depleted a few will probably find their way onto Etsy, which I have been sadly neglecting lately as real life has caught up with me.

And now I'm going to go warp my own loom. Why? Because I finally know how!!