Shearing Days at Oak Knoll Farm

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TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

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The ultimate goal of a decade of conversation comes to pass at Oak Knoll Farm!

Shearing Days!

Winter's Fleece Ready to Shear

 

On the stand and some extra attention from the Sheep Whisperers...A chance to look them over and make sure of their health...Trim the little hooves and blanket shear the fleece.

Dori the Finnish Landrace Baby Getting the Full Treatment

 

 

5 Shetland & 4 Finnish Landrace Sheep make their home with us...Fili is a rare Finn gelding that survived the procedure long ago and has come to live with us. His son Kili is always by his side...

They are very gentle natured...



Finn Wethers, Fili & Kili

 What would two stressful days be without a treat of the beloved Alfalfa pellets?

The secret to successful management...Lets us lead them and they never need to be chased...

All Shorn and Looking for a Treat

 

 I shear using a technique called the Blanket & leave about an inch of fleece on them.

Don't want them getting sunburned or cold when the weather changes.

After Two Long Days & Headed back to the Fold

 

 

 

Learn the Drop Spindle Park and Draft Method

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Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

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Learn to use the Drop Spindle

Festival Spinning: Waterloo IL

The Drop Spindle is the common spindle form seen at festival and is an effective spinning tool. In the early anthropology texts, it is only seen in North Africa in the valley of the Nile, so I like to call this form, ‘Spin Like an Egyptian’…

I have found that many folks have trouble learning to spin with these & my new You Tube videos show the pathway I teach for learning this spindle form.

Park & Draft…

Do one thing at a time, till both are mastered, then combine into the graceful fluid motions that accomplished Drop Spinners affect…

A good example of a 1^st Principles lesson

Meet the Denizens of Oak Knoll Farm!

Bear the Maremma, LGD and one of his charges: Vincent the hardware store orphan...

 
 

We are a No-Kill Farm and take in sheep that would otherwise be taken to market.

A Wether is a neutered Male sheep...They can not breed or make lambs, so most folks don't keep them...They are gentle natured and very affectionate pets, that share their very fine fleece once a year...



Dori & Oin the Finnish Landrace Wethers

 

Dori & Oin are named after Dwarves in the Hobbit and are fine companions...Dori is our fuzzy Oak Knoll Farm ambassador...I call him the Therapy Sheep and he melts the hardest heart.

 

Mac the Shetland/BFL Cross Wether

 

Mac knows how to open gates and creates all sorts of trouble...Can not stay mad at him though!

 

Join us this year at our festivals...MOPACA at the end of March, then, Waterloo Sheep and Wool on April 12...Waterloo IL...



Spinning: Plying with the Support Spindle

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Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

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When it is -15 degrees...It's time to catch up on making some Folk Ways lessons.

 

Winter's Cloak and the Road Less Traveled by...

 

 Plying with the Supported Spindle is our newest YT and one that has been requested often.

Spindles & Bowls at FIBER U!

 

The Spindles of the World class I teach is very popular and the bottom whorl support spindle is the easiest to learn and master for singles and plying.

 

My Hand Turned Spindles

 

All that is required to make the hand spun in the photo is a Tibetan Spindle or any of the supported spindles and a Nostepinne...A small bag, these tools, some roving and any spot will do for hours of Making...

 

Hand spun and over-dyed Shetland and Finnish Landrace Wool.

 

Appalachian Hearth Broom (Besom) Making:

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Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

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 Appalachian Hearth Broom (Besom) Making:...The oldest technique for making brooms is to me the most elegant...A couple of simple tools, simple materials and easy to learn techniques and lots of practice are all that is required.

The Broom Maker's Tying Frame is available in TheDancingGoats ETSY Store...

As taught at the Ozark Fiber Fling

 

Starting from scratch by growing broom corn or any Sorghum will strengthen the appreciation for the work required to produce a quantity of brooms by hand...

We use simple tools and materials to make durable brooms

 

In a World Made by Hand, the Craft person, Maker holds a special place and

will never want for food nor shelter

Learn this ancient hand craft with our three part You Tube lessons.

...

             Lesson 1 of 3: Introduction and Basics...

                 Lesson 2 of 3: Bind and Weave the Besom

Lesson 3 of 3: Bind off and Trim

...

 

The You Tube Lessons from TheDancingGoats are my way of giving back some of the great lessons and practices others have shared with me...For those that prefer to learn in the privacy of their redoubt: Enjoy

 

If you can afford to attend a retreat or seminar, by all means do so...Learning to make things and becoming a Maker is Good Medicine in lots of ways...

Help make 'The Lost Arts' become, Found Arts...

 

Learn and demonstrate this craft and you will find yourself an
invited demonstrating crafts person at Festival after Festival...

 

Read: World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler

A poignant look at why becoming a maker might be a real good idea...A maker will never go hungry nor want for shelter...in a World Made by Hand...

 

Meet the New Shetland Sheep at Oak Knoll Farm

Meet the New Friends at Oak Knoll Farm

 

Watch our new Videos on You Tube:http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDancingGoats
Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

Http://TheDancingGoats.com

 
The Shetlands of Oak Knoll Farm...
 

My name is Charlene...I am in charge

 

They all have unique personalities and like different things

 



My name is Precious...I am in charge

 

3 Lambs of the year came with the flock

 

My name is Summer...I would like a taste of that corn if you please?

 

Annabelle is the daughter of Precious and still depends on mom...

 

My name is Annabelle: Wherever everyone else is I am happy

 

One there is always one! Mac the Wether is a cross between a Blue Face Leicester dad and

a Shetland Moorit mom...Wherever the girls like to go...I'm happy...

 

My name is Mac and trouble and adventure are my middle names...





 

Shetland Sheep at Oak Knoll Farm

The Ancient Shetland Breed

 

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Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

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Put my Geo Tags into Google Maps to zoom in on the location!

 

We added Shetland Sheep to our Matrix at Oak Knoll Farm...Ancient and primitive, the Shetland Color range is amazing...Kept by the Vikings

 

The Little Shetland Flock

 

Shetland Wool is our choice for teaching hand spinning.

The staple is long. The Wool is soft. The Sheep are very sweet natured...They all have names

 

Building Their Winter Coats

 

Look for our HandSpinners Delight packages next spring in our ETSY Store.

 

 

Broom Corn for the Ozark Fiber Fling

Getting the Broom Corn Ready

 

Watch our new Videos on You Tube:http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDancingGoats
Images and Photography: Copyright TheDancingGoats...

TheImaginariumForge, is the ETSY Shop BLOG of TheDancingGoats…

Http://TheDancingGoats.com

Put my Geo Tags into Google Maps to zoom in on the location!
37.932681,-91.359129

 

Related the the Sorghum family, broom corn revolutionized broom making in the late 1700's...Heather and Birch twigs made most of the brooms prior to the 1790's

Broom Corn grows up to 10 feet tall...

 
A tall plant with a very durable fiber...After the fibers turn green, they are ready to lay...I leave them like this for about a week.

Laying the Corn

 

 The time to take the seeds off is right after they are cut...

Broom Corn ready for the comb

 

 

Combing the Seeds is a very labor intensive process...

 Getting the Fiber Ready for Broom Making


Fibers and seeds drying on the skirting frame

Harvest...Nature's Amazing Bounty

 

Join The Dancing Goats at the Ozark Fiber Fling and learn how to make Brooms the ancient way with a tying frame and some twine.
Go To: http://www.ozarkfiberfling.com/

An added bonus to the Broom Making Class will be some of the seed in the photo...
Grow and process your own Broom Corn and gain a appreciation for this ancient hand craft...