Life is GREAT!

These fresh, bright tulips, a gift from my friend Jill, are just an indication of how great life is today. Yesterday the sun was bright, temperature almost 70 in the afternoon, after a frosty morning, and I had lunch with two good friends. I shopped Jill Turner's, Lady Peddler yarn and antique store, in Hastings for a birthday gift then she and I went to Sue Pufpaff's Fiber Mill.

Sue baked a chicken for our lunch. Anytime lunch with friends is a treat but this meal was even better because the chicken was from her son and daughter in law's flock. They raise free range chickens, sell chicks and will be opening a chicken processing plant in the near future.

Sheep are shorn.

Yesterday was shearing day at Marr Haven. This morning the sheep were enjoying the temperate March weather without their wool.

I like to see them so bright white and thought maybe you would, too. With their wool on, you can't really see their body condition plus they really don't look 'white' then.

March 20 is National Ag Day - Hug a Farmer

The theme for National Ag Day is "American Agriculture: Abundant. Affordable. AMAZING."

Ag Day was created to recognize and celebrate the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives and to help others understand how food and fiber products are produced. It was also designed to help appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

Agriculture is very important not only in the US but globally. A recent article from the American Sheep Industry Association is about a bale of wool. Raymond Ltd, India's largest fabrics maker, bought a bale of the finest-diameter wool ever offered at an Australian auction sale. Lempriere Australia bought the bale on behalf of Raymond for A$170,000 (US$157,000). The Sandlant family, from Lexton in western Victoria, Australia, produced the 11.4-micron bale of wool from shedded sheep. The bale could make between 40 and 50 suits and highlights the use of the fiber for high-quality clothing. Just think how many sweaters that could be.

Michigan Fiber Festival Magazine here!

This will get all those creative juices charged!! The 2010 issue of FIBERLINE MAGAZINE is in the shop.

FIBERLINE is the official publication for the Michigan Fiber Festival with information on all the workshops (which begin August 18-22, 2010), the competitions and shows, as well as vendor information. The Festival dates are Aug. 21 and 22 at the Allegan County Fairgrounds in Allegan, MI. You can also check the information on the Festival's website.

If you are on the Festival's mail list, you will receive your copy soon. If you aren't on the list, come to our farm shop and pick up your copy.

"City" Friends Visit

This is Diane - from California. She and Karen from Illinois were here for the weekend. We just had to get her out in the snow.

Diane began knitting about 6 months ago. She is a very quick study proven by the lovely ascots she knit for all of us in sport wt. It was a wonderful weekend, the day was sunny with no wind. The melting snow made it too muddy to be out walking around much so we got plenty of knitting and talking done inside.

Both gals were eager to trudge thru the mud to help with barn chores though.

The Rest of the Ravelympics Projects

Here are the other projects finished for the Ravelympics 2010. The hand dyed merino & mohair hand felted hat won in the the 'Hat Half-Pipe' event and in 'Felting Freestyle' event.

The hand dyed skeins each won a medal in the 'Downhill Dyeing' event. Now all can go into the shop to sell and hopefully make someone else as happy as I was making them.