Wooly Bully!

About a year ago, I bought some divine yarn called “Shepherd’s Wool.” The colors were beautiful – bright jewel tones, beautiful colors of nature. And the texture was so soft, that as the yarn went through my fingers and piled up on my lap as a cohesive piece, I felt as though I was working with a cloud.

When I noticed the label said “Stonehedge” and was from East Jordan, Michigan, I wondered – could this be the Stonehedge Petting Farm sign I’d seen on road trips in the north, only 25 miles from my cottage?

It was, indeed, and became my first northern field trip of the summer.

Cruising down the lonesome highway. Yes, it may be summer, but with gas at $4.25, it was pretty lonesome!

I turned in to see a gravel driveway with a barn and paddock at the far end, a small building at the left and two others on the right.

My first stop, of course, was the yarn shop, a very tiny little spot with the glorious wool hanging along the wall! This is just a sampling. I ended up with more skeins than I needed, along with some small balls of fleece for needle felting.

Then Debbie, the owner, took me on a tour of the fiber mill and the area where the dying and skein-making was done.

First, cleaning the fleece – after it’s washed it goes through a machine that picks it apart (no burrs here!) and it ends up as the fleecy roving.

Then it is dyed.

and then put on machines that spin it.

Another machine turns the individual “ply” into whatever-ply the yarn is!

(I was thrilled they were working with my favorite green!)

And eventually, pulled together and labeled!

After that, I enjoyed a look at the farm part, but the sheep were in another pasture, so I missed them. I did, however, see Thunder the horse!

What a treat that was! My thanks to Debbie and her crew!

Then it was into East Jordan for a few antiquing moments -- I didn't buy (prices were high) but it was fun to look!

After that, a stop at Circle Herb Farm, where everything was all a-bloom.

As I left, I thought, “how lucky am I?” Pretty lucky!