It Started Simple Enough...
In early March, 2005, my husband and I closed on our new home, a three bedroom, two bath on 5.6 acres in the country. My husband could finally have a horse or two and we could bottle feed baby bulls without complaints from neighbors we had in town. Yes, that’s right. We were living inside city limits with a mini farm in the back yard. I found a buyer for the house in town; life was good. My baby chicks and ducks that were raised in the bathtub were grown and in a coop. I decided I needed some animals for myself as well, couldn’t let him have all the fun. I saw an ad in the local paper for sheep. “What the heck”, I said, and called the number. The seller had brought her starter flock from New Hampshire to New Mexico via a friend, and now that she decided to move back after ten years, she had no way to take the sheep on the move.
The original four sheep (two ewes and two rams) now thirteen years old, and some of their offspring were for sale. I asked the seller what does one do with sheep? I was clueless. I just knew I wanted animals and wasn’t particular as to the type. The seller explained these were fiber sheep and he would spin and weave the wool. My husband said nothing doing on the older rams as they were arthritic and literally on their last legs. The seller said she would throw the rams in for free if we took the rest. Still my husband wasn’t convinced. I purchased one ewe and two lambs and put them in the back our Ford Explorer for the 30 odd mile trek home. Not the first time I have taken livestock home in the Explorer. I was used to it. My two year old daughter was not! She had been quite traumatized a week or so earlier when a calf untied itself, stood up and licked her face.
My daughter was not pleased as she sat strapped in her car seat. To appease her, I climbed in the back seat and wrapped my arms around the ewe to keep her still. I had never seen a sheep close up, let alone smelled one. The whole trip home I complained, “She smells!”. Once we got them home and into the fence, I ran inside the house to wash. My husband came in some minutes later and said he had heard the ewe talking to her babies. “What did she say?” I asked. “You know that lady...” he replied.... “she SMELLS!”. After careful consideration and much begging on my part, we went back after the remainder of the flock. The seller was so happy to see her babies in a good home, she gave me a book, “Wool as a Cottage Industry” by Paula Simmons, and she told me about a local yarn store where I could go for information. I read the book in two weeks time, carefully highlighting important information. I visited the local yarn store and became mesmerized.
“Good Fibrations” had spinning wheels, looms, roving, and yarns galore. The owner, Bethe gave me a flyer for the upcoming 2nd Annual Fiber Farm Tour, and explained all about the classes in spinning, weaving and knitting at her store. The weekend of the frm tour, I loaded the kids in the car for a fun filled day and a little education. Little did I know, for me that was to be the beginning of a new phase in my life. I had always been somewhat of an artist, and tried my hand at every crafty phase that came along. The thought of spinning my own yarn was just so exciting. On the tour, I saw my first angora goat. Of course I had to have one, so.... I bought three!
The buyer of our old house finally closed the sale. My husband bought three horses and a horse trailer. I bought a spinning wheel and wool carder. I taught myself to use both after many hours crying over my wheel wondering what I had gotten myself in to. Once I had mastered it, my husband built me a loom and I learned to weave. Those two old rams became my best friends and loving companions. Going back for them was one of the best things I ever talked my husband into.
One year and many sheep and goats later, I could call myself a fiber artist. Our farm was listed on the 3rd Annual Fiber Farm Tour.
Two years later, I have been in business for a year and half now. My husband and I are divorced, taking with him many of my sheep and goats. His horses I traded for llamas... for the fiber. You can’t spin horse hair... or who would want to anyway. My two beloved rams have since passed on and are buried in the back corral. I still have Ruby .... the ewe who thought I smelled, and her twins. They are the last remaining sheep in my flock. My daughter now 4 years old, lovingly calls them “Ruby and the babes”. I have quit working my day job, and have devoted myself and my time to my fiber full time. Life is good.
You can see my yarns and the wonderful things I make with it at: http://summerlandfibers.etsy.com. For tips and information on animals, spinning, weaving, felting, etc. visit my blog at http://summerlandfibers.wordpress.com.
Happy Spinning!
Tina Baltazar is a mom, a rancher, a wiccan, a handspinner, a weaver, felter, knitter, crocheter, and the owner and operator of Summerland Fibers. View her work at http://summerlandfibers.etsy.com or http://summerlandfibers.ecrater.com Comment on her blog at http://summerlandfibers.wordpress.com
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