Remember the saying, “Many hands make light work”?  That is one of my favorite sayings because it is So True!

Work was fun today.  Shareholders Bonita, and daughter Abby, came to help out, and we accomplished many tasks that had been weighing heavily on my shoulders.  Granddaughters Lizzie, Ally, and Georgia (“The Three Sisters”) were also here and helped out as wranglers and as go-fers!

First up was the trimming of several of the alpacas hooves.

Then there was the delousing of ALL of the goats (even Zeus and Blackie, who were NOT amused).

And finally the worming of the boys, which was pretty crazy, so there were no hands to take pictures!

Bonita and Abby jumped in with both hands and both feet.  Abby has vet tech experience, so she was a pro at giving the meds from the beginning.  She even taught me a few tricks!

We finished in record time, had lunch, then Bonita helped me pack up 1 ounce packages of kid mohair for our 2011 shareholders.  Yummy, soft, fiber, ALL of which will be distributed to my faithful shareholders.

I said goodbye to our hard working guests, and my hard working grandkids, ate a bite, then went off to load up more hay from my supplier.

Life is like that some days, full of hard work that really needs to be done, and I am TRULY GRATEFUL when there are many hands here at the Farm to help!

Every day is an adventure out here.  You just never know what these darn animals are going to do while your back is turned!

The first thing I heard this morning was the bleat of a little goat in distress.  Not serious distress; that’s a different sound.  Just an “I need attention” bleat.  It took me a while to identify where the sound was coming from, but when I finally did, this is what I found…..

Yes, this is Aspen, my one little Pygora who is not even a year old, down inside the 55 gallon drum that has the dog food in it.  I guess she had a little snack!

Now this was no small feat for this little goat!  In order to do this, she had to squeeze through an opening to get into the feed room, then work the lid off the barrel (I’m assuming it was loose; Ken swears he did not leave the lid off ), jump up on the adjacent barrel, and then get down inside this one!

And the barrel was almost empty!  When she stood up on her hind legs (which is how I finally found her), she could barely see over the top.  Amazing!

There was an equal amount of weirdness going on over where the boys live.  It took me a minute to figure out what was going on.  See if you can guess.

Allow me to explain.  First the cast of characters:  That’s Zeus on the left, Blackie in the middle, and Stitch on the right.  Blackie and Stitch had apparently been battling, as they are prone to do because there is way too much testosterone out there.  I’m not sure whether Zeus was refereeing or just in the audience.

In any event, Blackie (whose horns go out, cashmere style) had gotten one of his horns locked inside of Stitches horns (which loop back in beautiful ram fashion), and there were, for all intents and purposes, stuck that way!

It took me a couple of tries to get them unhooked because Blackie wouldn’t let me grab his horn!  Eventually I sent them each on their merry way and went back in the house.

You just have to shake your head!

The last few days have been beautiful and made it a pleasure to be outside.  My fiber life has been all about washing mohair so that I’m sure that I’ll have plenty for the class I’m teaching Friday on…. wait for it … Spinning Mohair Curls!

Mohair undergoes a remarkable transformation during the washing process, much more so than wool.  You start with the dirty stuff…

Mohair on the skirting table

We throw the really yucky stuff on the ground where it will eventually be carried to the compost pile.  Our loyal black lab is patiently waiting for me to pick up his black rubber bone and through it so he can run after it, bring it back to me, and patiently wait for me to throw it, again, and again, and again.

Fur on the ground

The parts of the fleece that are not curly enough to appeal to hand spinners get put into another bag (the white inside-out feed bag in the picture).  Sometimes I send these pieces to Spinderella’s to have them carded into mohair roving.  But this year, I’m going to blend them with some alpaca second grade fiber and have it spun into rug wool.  I’m looking forward to dyeing some of it, and weaving it into rugs.

Once it’s washed, you end up with really pretty stuff that’s ready to spin.  It’s like magic!

Clean mohair on the drying rack

I hope my students will enjoy spinning it as much as I do!

At fiber festivals and in most of my fiber-related groups I have heard, at least once and usually more than once, “Ewww.  I can’t wear mohair.  It’s too scratchy.”  With me, you might have well as thrown down a gauntlet because I’m about to challenge your perceptions about mohair!  The first thing I’m going to tell you is, “No, you can’t wear BAD mohair.  BAD mohair is too scratchy and is best used to make rug yarn!”

Next, I’m going to take you over to the mohair section of my booth and make you run your hands through my mohair curls.  I usually have both white and naturally colored curls on hand, and they are all SOFT.

Then, I’m going to but a bump of carded 100% mohair in your hands to hold.  You are going to be AMAZED.  It is wonderfully soft.  You will also be surprised, and you’ll probably tell me that you’ve never felt mohair like THIS.

Finally, I’m going to hand you a mohair blend that I particularly like, 60% wool and 40% mohair.  I’m going to show you how much shinier it is than wool alone, and explain why you DO want to work with mohair blends.

In the meantime, until I can put my mohair into your hands, I invite you to read the following information about mohair from the Tall Grass Farm website.  Come see me.  I’ll show you what GOOD mohair is really all about!

Why Mohair Called the Diamond Fiber —

Mohair is one of the most versatile textile fibers. Its characteristics are similar to wool, except that it does not have the scales that can irritate the skin. Mohair has several unique properties that are not found in any other animal fiber

• Insulating capacity - mohair’s hollow fibers do not conduct heat; like wool, mohair provides good insulation, even when wet.
• Durability - mohair can be twisted and bent without damage to the fiber; it is the most durable animal fiber.
• Comfort - the smooth fibers of mohair do not irritate the skin, even for people who are sensitive to wool.
• Strength - mohair is stronger than steel of the same diameter.
• Shrink resistance - because its smooth fibers do not felt, mohair fabrics shrink much less than wool.
• Elasticity - mohair is very elastic; it can be stretched up to 30%, and will spring back to shape; mohair garments resist wrinkling, stretching, or sagging.
• Moisture transfer - mohair easily absorbs and releases moisture, moving perspiration away from the skin; it is comfortable to wear in cold and hot weather.
• Luster - one of mohair’s most important qualities is its ability to take dye and to display brilliant colors that resist fading by time or hard wear.
• Lightweight - mohair’s smooth fibers can be made into fabrics that have a cooling effect; it is ideal for summer garments.
• Non-flammability - mohair will not burn unless it is exposed to a direct flame.

About our mohair and mohair/wool products . . .The word mohair is derived from the Arabic meaning “choice” or “select.” Mohair is a strong, lustrous fiber that makes an ideal yarn and fabric. It drapes well and resists wrinkling or shrinking. It is stronger and warmer than wool, keeping heat in during cold weather and is a barrier against hot summer temperatures. Mohair isn’t “itchy” because it doesn’t have scales like wool. It accepts dye with an exuberance that is unparalleled. Natural colored mohair has variations of shades that are exceptionally beautiful. Mohair can be blended with other fibers to take advantage of the best qualities of each. Wool and mohair blends have luster and strength from mohair (depending on the amount of mohair in the blend), and bounce and body from wool.

Raw mohair is easy to wash because it doesn’t felt like wool. I do a rinse in really hot water to get most of the dirt and grease out then let it sit in a sink of hot water to which I have added a liberal amount of Joy dish detergent. I move it around a bit, then a final rinse in hot water, put the fiber in a large mesh laundry bag, toss it in the washer and spin the water out. Voila! Clean mohair. (I have tried washing it in the mesh bags sitting in the washer, not agitating and I haven’t been satisfied with the results.)

Mohair is easy to spin. Because it is a smooth fiber, it drafts beautifully. First clip kid mohair can be a little challenging because it is so fine.