Fryeburg Fair 2014

As usual, it was fairly challenging to get ready for the Fryeburg on the heels of Common Ground Fair …production of  kits (print instructions, draw, assemble, and count). ....organizing and loading the trailer went well with 4 of us working on it.  We were ready to roll mid afternoon on Thursday including Diva and Delilah in the back of the new truck.   It was late evening and dark when we had finally unloaded onto the porch of the Fiber building at the fair and tucked the lambs in for the night. Mary Ann and Julie headed home and Torey and I went to sleep in the trailer.

 

Friday was beautiful weather. Torey was in charge of sales and the I-pad.  She made special Halloween designs for the kids to needle felt..a ghost, pumpkin, and bats.  

 We featured some new Holiday Ornaments, cut outs of a sheep, Santa panda and a Christmas tree, complete with a ribbon for hanging on the tree.  Great stocking stuffers.

 Five kids promptly and excitedly chose their colors and made their own Halloween decorations. It was a hit!

 

 Marty set about dying roving for Thyme Tiles using the camp stove, crockpots and Cushings dyes. 

Angel's yarn was pre- mordented with alum and cream of tarter then dyed with goldenrod, onion skins, marigolds, and amaraynth for some deep yellows. Half barrels held natural dyed yarns with indigo, onion skins, marigolds, and amaraynth. Brazil wood turned out a lovely deep orange.  I found out later that crushed tums (calcium carbonate) would make it redder.  I will try it soon.

Two scarves went into the pots…one with royal blue over gray, red and peacock.  The other Brazilwood over off white and pink, yellow, and blue stripes.  Silk went into the pots also.

Knitted items for sale included Priscilla’s linen stitch hat, cowl, and fingerless mitts, two lovely shawlette’s made by Cheryl, and more.    Kits for knitting include the infamous angora lined hats and Cheryl’s felted slippers and kits.  

Marty's Marvelous Mix of 3 skeins of color coordinated yarn with a free pattern are new.

Friday night was wandering about, food, rabbits, alpaca, llamas, and gypsy wagons ending with grand fireworks. 

Saturday was a drizzling rain most all day.  Sales were still good, and dyeing went well. By the end of the day the freshly dyed roving was piled high on the table on the porch.

By Sunday am we were running out of Starter Needle Felting kits, and around noon Mary Ann and Julie arrived with more.                                                                                                                                                   Mary Ann helped with the indigo vat was made and white and natural gray skeins were dyed for lovely blues and bright yellows from plants were overdyed making some lovely greens.

We made record time packing up and soon enough headed for home, put the lambs in the barn for the night, and went to bed.  Monday was a slower pace.  Julie did well putting the store back together. We hung the wet yarn to dry, and reorganized the bins of Thyme tiles.  Thanks to everyone for working together, Thanks to Torey for explaining/showing people how to needle felt, and for her valuable tech support.   Thanks to every one who shopped with us.  We appreciate your good energy, positive feedback, and support of our small diversified farm.

Our next show will be in Massachusetts at the New England Fiber Festival.

Farm Rhythms

Over the past two years we have enjoyed having volunteers from WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Mostly women, these volunteers have worked by our side, usually for 3 weeks or more.  They have skirted, washed and carded wool, and many have learned to knit or spin.  They have moved manure and firewood, done chores twice a day, and learned about the sheep including shearing, parasites, haying, and more.  They have build garden beds, canned green beans, and learned to bake bread.

Each individual comes with hopes and dreams.  Each farm offers something unique and special. One volunteer, Liz, wrote to us about her experience with several farms and how she began to see how to fit into the rhythms of that farm.  She says, Each farm has its own rhythms.  Upon arrival at each farm it was almost like everyone was marching to the beat of a drummer that I coudn't hear.  When they looked at a field, an animal, a building, a garden, they would see what it was , what needed to happen with it, and what should be done next.  I would just see the field, the animal, the building or garden.  It was overwhelming at first, but as I got into the swing of things I learned to see what needed to be done as well.  I could anticipate and identify which tasks had priority over others.

Even after you kind of understand the rhythms though, there are still a lot of variables to keep you on your toes.  Health of plants, animals and people.  Weather, pests, parasites, visitors, and more that you have to learn how to deal with, and at any given point there can be several things you need to keep track of.  You begin to see cycles related to certain aspects for example, the animals have a cycle, so does firewood, the garden, maple syrup production, and fiber processing. The tasks that need to get done for each cycle intersect and change depending on many variables. 

So when deciding what to do for a specific day, if you don't know the rhythms it is very difficult to know what you will do, and why that specific task is so pressing.  It's not something people truly understand until they feel it and experience it for themselves.

The key for success with a group of people on a given farm seems to be
a prioritized list for the day.  Encourage independent working situations as people are ready for them, (which provides a hugs stroke of confidence).  Encourage questions and clarification too.


Typically we find that volunteers ask a lot of questions, mostly doing what they are told.  It is clear they don't want to mess anything up, or do things wrong.  As time goes by they gradually are able to know and anticipate what needs to happen. Once they know the job they no longer need to ask so many questions. 

Open communication is clearly the key, as well as creativity, collaboration, and a positive attitude, which makes volunteering here a joy for everyone.

Mother/Child Farm Sleepover 2014

Annual Mother-Child Farm Sleepover May 17th - May 18th at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm, Sumner, Maine www.awrinkleinthymefarm.com Please consider joining us for this unique and relaxing getaway. Mothers and children will have opportunity to: explore a beautiful farm, eat scrumptious meals, work on crafty fiber projects (with experts at the ready to help), and wake up their springtime bodies through yoga, creative movement, and hula hooping! We will meet at 9:30 on Saturday and leave after brunch on Sunday Kripalu Yoga taught by Wendy Youmans, KYT Creative Kids Yoga and Hoopnotica Hoopdance taught By Jen Appleby Register NOW!    $150 per mom, $50 per child To register print registration form on website and send it with a check to 106 Black Mtn Rd, Sumner ME 04292 or contact A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm at info@awrinkleinthymefarm.com  or call 207-212-4058.