Summer Savings for Sea Side Knitters!

Come join my new Facebook Group called: 
Avalon Springs Farm, Round Table

This group community is for folks who like:
Fiber Art and Yarn
Fiber Animals and Farming
Facebook & Blog Friends and Follwers

I promise to:
Converse about ASF
Both answer and ask questions
Post special group promotions

 See You There!
Look for my Summer Promo Code Just listed!

Fiber Farmers Market - Review

This past weekend I did a show called the Uniquities, Fiber Farmers Market.  It is in Vienna, Virginia.  A group of the vendors participating in this show are contributors to the Uniquities Yarn Shop.  However, it is so much more than just a yarn shop -- of course they have all things knitting and crochet, but also much in the fiber arts.  Lots of  specialty spinning classes and fiber art techniques for both wearable and artistic projects.
http://uniquitiesyarnshop.com/

The spinning circle with center harpist (past show).

Twice a year in March and July they do a Fiber Farmers Market show at the Vienna Community Center.
http://www.viennava.gov/CommunityCenter

Excalibur Yarn from Avalon Springs Farm.

It is a small show in size, but a big one in "Wow"!  I think I like it so well because it is truly a community based show -- local and loyal folks of Uniquities.  As one of a select group of vendors I think we are chosen with some forethought, instead of a dizzying amount of just wool or just alpaca, there is good variety - many different breeds and fiber farms represented, some finished things, all the hardware you need (carders & winders etc.), both all natural and hugely colorful are present, a mill or two, gift things, art things, much in yarn, and KnitWell is there fundraising with refreshments!  Everyone needs refreshments.  It is never too crowded, but it is also always busy!  There is a wonderful spinning circle with a focal point of a harpist that sets the calm and flowing mood for the day.

Slightly fuzzy picture of the harp.

A spinning shopper and my roving.

My wonderful but tired husband; we are not quite finished setting up.

Avalon Springs Farm, Merlin yarn.

Thank you Xiane!

I sent the link below to my family, of course.  The first line in the email was...
"Toot toot of my own horn!"
I was just delighted with the write up I received from Christiane Knight, Three Ravens Fiber Studio in Baltimore - or simply, Xiane.

It was a fun day.  I loved all the conversation and spinning. My little bottle baby goat, Lucky Star has asked if you could come back and dine with her again, Xiane!

Thanks for a super blog article.  I think the pictures in the article are great too!
Three Ravens Blog, article on Avalon Springs Farm

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Gracie says:  Why do I run in the snow?  Well, because it is fun!

Luna says:  Take my picture!  Take my picture!

This hay tastes like.... More please!

It's so pretty out here. I just have no interest in going in the barn.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Avalon Springs Farm!

Snow Storm PAX from the Goat's Persective

This is a small collection of pictures from when I was out at the barn during the PAX snow storm.  Admittedly this is not the worst part of the storm, as I was hardly in the mood to take too many photos - the worse it got the more it was a matter of chores and is everybody okay.

In this one the goats definitely realize it has started snowing.

This is Lucky Star.  She was born in negative 8 degrees.  With her little coat (old sweater sleeve) she is marching on...

This one's color is "blue".  Against the snow you can really see the shades.  Her father is from Texas.  Doesn't it look as if she is ready to look up some paternal relatives.

Here is another girl from the same sire, Ellwood STAG.  However, this is a much more silly approach to the snow - with the uni-brow and beard.  I am sure some face-planting into a snow bank has just occurred!  :)

We had to dig a trench to their water trough -- the one that reaches electricity so it can have a defroster running all the time.  We dug this path out over and over and the snow kept falling.

Meanwhile, inside the barn the kids are playing.  They say, "go on Mom, get a drink out there, I'll have some warm milk when you get in!!"

I kind of wish these photos were a little more clear.  I need to work on my photography in motion.  They are so cute - hopping all around, playing king of the step, bewildering the chickens behind them.  Stay warm and have fun baby goats!

PAX Snow Storm

The Valentines and Presidents Day week and weekend was a memorable one.  It began with the very drammatic 19-20 inches of snow on Wednesday night to Thursday night, but there was also a Friday snow and a Saturday snow -- it just wont quit.  I keep trying to remind the sky this is Maryland and not Maine.

The beginning of the snow looked like this out the front door....

Getting food and water to the animals was often a chilly chore, but they sure appreciated it.

The gates and fences are all showing two feet at the bottom missing as they are submerged in snow.

Luna, our guard llama, never quit doing her job of patrolling the grounds.  She made narrow paths all over the place.

There was a sunny moment on Friday when everyone came out of the barns to see the world and get some sunshine.

That was also when my husband, Larry went out to shovel the barn roof.   Well, we all did a lot of shoveling, plowing, bringing wood in, putting hay out.

and it is still not over....

So I am inside ... spinning and dyeing and doing many fiber things!

Silk in Shenandoah

Wow - Avalon Springs Farm is introducing a new product line at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival.  Color Changing Hand-dyed Silk Roving, "Camelot"!!

We are famous for our color changing and vivid yarn; it was how we got our start.  Well, it was time to apply that concept to the soft and luxurious world of silk.  We have worked really hard to get good color saturation and to make bright and interesting colorways.  We also thought it was fun and unusual to offer it in the same rainbow dyed style as our yarn.  Each box contains a group of colors - in both contrasting and analogous color selections.

 So come visit us at SVFF:
http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfestival.com/
This weekend:  September 28th & 29th, 2013,  Our booth is along the back wall of the Show Barn; it is a big open sided pavilion between the bleachers and the animal displays.  We will be very close to the Angora Goat Show as our animals will be in this show as well!

Can't wait to see you there!