I’ve been trying to write this blog post for a week, and well…life. So here we go, let’s catch you up on what we have ben doing this past week!
Grant has shown more interest in sit down work lately and I am really enjoying working with him! Homeschooling the boys is a passion of mine and seeing them learn and grow everyday is so rewarding. We are winding down our school year now and I think it’s been the best one yet. We have found what works for us and how to schedule it into our life and everyone is thriving.
It’s been a long time since I made soap, but after Grant had another reaction to essential oils in a “natural” soap I bought, I knew I needed to get back to making it consistently again. This is made only from lard from our pigs, (pastured creamy white Mangalitsa fat), distilled water, and lye. Unscented. It needs to cure for 4-6 weeks, and in the meantime I’ll render down more lard for another batch. Oh, and I’ll have some for sale next month, along with my knitted cotton washcloths!
I purchased some raw fleece from a local farm and processed it by washing, carding, and spinning it into yarn. This is a little sample square that I knitted up to see how I did and I was very happy with the results!
I have been wanting a Jersey cow for awhile. We have 2 Holsteins and there is a reason big dairys always have Holsteins. They produce a LOT of milk. When we first got Chance, she was giving us 8 gallons a day! Jersey’s have a much lower production, but make creamier milk. Think quality over quantity. So for our home use, this makes more sense. I need to make lots of butter, cheese and yogurt for these hungry growing boys!
We found a lovely family who were downsizing their Jersey cow herd and purchased Gertie and her year old heifer calf (not yet named) They are going to be a great addition to our farm and we are thrilled to have them!
If there is anything you would like to hear more about or if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you!
Would love to know more about how you “spin” material to use for yarn. Can this be done with other natural material? Specifically pet hair? Sounds silly, but collecting husky hair and want to know if it can be spun for making a small blanket.
Sheep’s wool is the most common material for spinning and that’s what I’m using in the photo. But there are many other plant and animal fibers that make great yarn! I have seen people in my spinning groups making yarn from dog hair, so I know it can be done!
Enjoy reading your blogs.
Thanks Aunt Terry!
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