natchwoolie

Sophie Update

2011-07-16T21:53:00.004-05:00

Sweet Sophie is integrating wonderfully into the flock family. Several sheep love her and let her lick their face. Several lay next to her, some of the alpacas still give her the evil eye, but a couple of them lay down next to her too. I think they already sense that she is my stand-in shepherdess. She has instantly learned every word and command that I have taught her and she has been off leash several times and comes immediately when I call her. She learned instantly to load in the car so that I could take her to be spayed and she was very well behaved for the hour long trip each way. She will still get in the car even though the visit to be fixed was very scary indeed. Quite remarkable for a pup this young especially when I have not had her very long, every day she amazes me.

I am very proud of her progress and soon she will be able to guard the flock on her own I believe. I already trust her 75%, the other 25% is just a little bit of that puppy mentality that has to be there somewhere in her psyche (although she doesn't really show it) and I am still worried to let her be 100% on her own and in charge of her own destiny and her flock, but I have confidence she is intelligent enough and mature enough to handle herself very well in most situations already. I am so thankful to have been blessed with such a beautiful and intelligent puppy who will watch over all the animals here.

Twitter Back Up and Running

2011-07-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

I finally got ahold of my Twitter account again so follow me for the latest fresh stuff

http://www.twitter.com/natchwoolie

Here is your Team Natch International Ravatar

2011-06-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

Here is your Team Ravatar

Brooks Dances and Screams

2011-06-07T13:36:00.007-05:00

This is so cute I just had to share it. This is my grandson Brooks learning to dance and scream. In no way fiber related but may make you smile. This must go viral.

SOPHIE - My Newest Resident

2011-06-05T17:29:00.005-05:00

As usual I am up to my ears (or is it Sophie's ears?) and this time it is training the newest resident here at the ranch - a brand new livestock guard dog. Sophie is a six month old Anatolian Pyrenees and the smartest dog I have ever encountered - thank goodness because that means I will be able to get her trained fast. It is very time consuming to train a young guard dog with no mentors to show her the ropes. Both breeds are very instinctual to the job, but must be socialized not only with the animals but with family and neighbors, because she will be a very very large dog, that can be agressive if not socialized properly since it is her job to protect her flock family. I have to monitor her constantly while the training is going on. She has been trialed with ewes and lambs, the main flock and finally the rams and male alpacas and all have accepted her so far. She is so young that I have to be extremely careful that she does not chase the lambs or the small shetland ewes. Now we just have to be sure she stays with the flock and within the fences. Since its such a large area, that is a bit of a challenge for training but she is so smart that it won't take long and she is very well behaved so far, smart as a whip and very sweet.

In the long run, she will be an invaluable protector for the flock as well as me. She is a very beautiful girl that I am trying desperately not to spoil too much so that she keeps her mind on her business, but its very hard - look at that sweet face!

Winemakerssister - awesome stuff

2010-10-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

Winemakerssister is one of my VERY favorite phatties - Jessie at Phatfiber is giving away one of her SteamPunk bracelets and it is amazing and I would just cry if I win it!!! The steampunk stitch markers are So cool, the pumpkin bracelet is very cute and I love all her stamps. Someday when i am rich I want her to do several custom stamps I have been dreaming about. I have purchased several sets of stitch markers and my favorites are the alpacas and I love love love the little rams. awwww so cute - they look just like Benny.

Just a little add on information - my secret santa from the PhatFiber swap GAVE me this amazing bracelet in my package - ROO you are awesome!!

Ok....

2010-06-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

now that the blog looks so pretty, maybe I will get around to maintaining it more often. I thought it would be a great time to brag about the PhatFiber Samples for June. Today is a rainy day and I have a million things to do but this was first on my list today.

For the Midsummer Nights Dream theme I have chosen the artwork deemed Elves and Fairies for the inspiration. A beautiful geranium milk and a green gold bfl - this spins like a dream (pun intended)

Our samples are available in the store now and our full size version will be up soon.
.

We are starting a new mailing list so please sign up so you won't be left behind. Don't worry we won't bombard you with email, I will be lucky if I get out one a month - but we will definitely let you know when we have sales and promotions going on and not too much blah blah blahing......

April Phat Fiber Sampler Box Preview

2009-04-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a little taste of what just might be in your box. The sample is our "Dreamy"
90% Wool 10% Mohair dyed with natural plant dyes. The colorway is Peeps yellow.

We will have 4 ounce and smaller sample sizes available in the store

Natch Tea Party 25% Off thru 4/19 midnight CST

2009-04-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

Natch Tea Party - This is the way we stimulate the economy and support independent crafts people and at the same time, forget about those nasty taxes and government spending, corporate takeovers and waste. We are serving up our own Tea Party with 25% Rebate on any purchase through midnight CST on 4/19. This can not be used in conjunction with other coupons.

http://www.natchwoolie.etsy.com

http://www.natchwoolie.com

join our ravelry group: do it natchwoolie

wool@natchwoolie.com

March Madness Free Shipping Ends Midnight CST

2009-03-31T16:59:00.000-05:00

Our March Madness event ends tonight at midnight CST - Free US shipping which can be used in conjunction with any of our coupons.

Don't miss out on this double discount deal.

FREE US SHIPPING - March Madness and We are Featured in another Etsy Treasury

2009-03-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

MARCH MADNESS - Free US shipping rebate on any purchase (except club memberships) through midnight CST on 3/31. This can be used in conjunction with your coupons!

Just write MARCH MADNESS in the notes of your paypal transaction and we will rebate your shipping.

Hit the store now

natchwoolie.etsy.com
http://www.natchwoolie.com

join our ravelry group
do it natchwoolie

We are honored to be featured in another etsy treasury "Topography" by wintergarden
check out our 1st clip kid mohair "Bella"

featured here
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=48390

Another Etsy Treasury Feature

2009-03-25T19:50:00.000-05:00

We are featured in another gorgeous etsy treasury "Luscious Lychee" by pinksands

See our Juice It Up 90% Wool 10% Mohair here

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=47911

Sale Ends Sunday Midnight and Shetland Lambs are Dropping like Flys

2009-03-13T21:17:00.000-05:00

Its time for the darling little shetlands and I can't wait to see all the colors this year, so far two whites, a ram and a ewe. The ram has already been the star of a photo shoot and the ewe will have a two day shoot next week. Hopefully I will have a few more whites by then so we can have a gaggle of lambs for the shoot.

Our Ravelry do it natchwoolie group sale ends Sunday at midnight CST so round up your purchases before the deadline.

Keep an eye on the store for lots of new stuff coming in this week. We will have new listings coming up daily.

I will start photographing lambs this week as the temps will be warmer I HOPE!

Secret Sale for our do it natchwoolie ravelry group and we are featured in another awesome treasury

2009-03-08T21:12:00.000-05:00

We are having a secret 25% off sale for all members of our ravelry group

do it natchwoolie

If you are not a member, join now for instant savings. If you are not a member
and you can't get into ravelry - get the code from a friend until you can join.

We will be running specials and deals from time to time exclusively for our group members so join now, it just takes a click.

We are included in another treasury. This one features the love of knitting from sheep to shawl, and then some - check it out.

Sneak Peek at March Samples

2009-03-04T21:51:00.000-06:00

Here is a little sneak peek at our March samples going into the Phat Fiber Sampler Box.

In honor of the latest twin lambs named polka and dot, we have a little polka dot tied bundle of washed and overdyed Shetland fleece for the Lucky ones in our "Irish Moss" colorway. We overdye our colored Shetland fleeces in many different colors and shades with natural plant dyes. This particular one was harvested on our farm.

This is ready to spin, just finger tease a little and start spinning, it will make an awesome heathery varigated yarn. There are many shades in this one little bundle. Core spin it. Tail spin it. If you prefer to card it-you will get a different effect. If you have a drum carder - throw it in with something else. There are no rules.

Our other teaser is a sample of our natural plant dyed Merino Wool Top. We stripped it down and bumped it so you get all the color varigations. A very interesting spin and next to skin soft 100% merino. This colorway is "Irish Moss" as well, but quite different from the Shetland Fleece.

Both will be available in the store very soon.

Handspun Sample from PhatFiber Spinning Sisters, PolyArtGirl and SLV Folk Arts & Fiber Festival

2009-02-21T18:41:00.001-06:00

Another sample from my Phebruary box was a ball of handpainted roving from Spinning Sisters. Very pretty in white, pink and red called Peppermint Pink, I was drawn to it immediately, then I spied my bag of painted BFL locks from Polyartgirl and SLV Folk Arts & Fiber Festival.

They coordinated perfectly and I got the cutest little valentine poodle......

Phebruary PhatFiber Samples Arrived Yesterday!

2009-02-20T22:00:00.000-06:00

I got my Phatfiber Sampler Box Yesterday and the first thing I dove into (after the fudge) was a pretty little blended batt from Extreme Spinning called Chocolate Kisses and boy was it sweet!

So tempting, that I stayed up way late so I could get to it. It was chocolate brown and pink to hot pink superwash wool and angelina. I spun it up thick and thin and plied with a sportweight single of my natural dyed Cherry Mohair and look how pretty it turned out! Such a lovely little tag too.

Then I heard a few rumors about a ginormous batt that I missed out on (I hate to miss out) from Giffordables, I sped over there and bought a couple of their Be Mine Valentine Batts - I hope they will coordinate, I have a plan......now I just need time.

Lambs, Kids & Colts for Sale

2009-02-18T11:15:00.001-06:00

I will continue to update this post as babies become available.
please email asap if you would like to place a $50 deposit to purchase any of these, they won't last long.

Here is what is available right now:

Registered Angora Goats (pictured below)
Kid Sheleen - Silver Ecru Angora Buck Kid SOLD
Nat King Cole - Black Angora Buck Kid SOLD

Pygora Goats (Not Registered)
White Caramel Buck Kid SOLD

Pygmy Goats
I may have one or two buck kids still available, please email, I am waiting for a response from our waiting list

Pycash Goat
We may have one or two left, we are waiting on someone on our waiting list to respond, please email if you are interested.

Shetland Ram Lamb
White Shetland Purebred Ram Lamb $75

Cross Bred Lambs
2 Ewe Lambs Merino X Shetland Merino Type and size and wool usually grows very quickly $150 each
2 Ram Lambs - 1/2 Shetland 1/2 RambouilletXCotswold - very interesting so far with a tiny bit of color and spotted gene...$50 each

HORSES
TWH Palomino Paint Colt $300
QH Strawberry Filly $300

Both are 9 months old and require $150 deposit each to hold. Buy both for $500

Woo Hoo I'm Phat

2009-02-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

My Phebruary PhatFiber Sampler Box came today and I shoved the fudge down while I was rifling through my box. Delighted to find all kinds of fun samples, I was just itching to spin and knit. Too bad I had such a busy day that I haven't had a chance to get on the wheel, but maybe there is still hope, in the mean time - here is the pix of what I got in MY BOX!!

Today a baby for Toast

Toast who is the best friend and look alike of Melba. They are both a deep dark chocolate brown but Toast has a litle white bread on her head. There is a little story about these two girls. I fell in love at first site with Melba, she was gorgeously deep dark brown almost black and I had to have her. There was another in the pen with her that had the aforementioned white on her head and so I viewed her as somehow imperfect and I could live without her. I completed my purchase and was thrilled. Later on, the owners came and begged me to take the other one as they were getting ready to leave the show and did not want to take her home so they made me an offer I could not refuse. Now these girls were big even as babies and I didn't really want a lot of huge sheep (meaning big feed bills) running around but I consented and took them both home. They immediately became Melba and Toast and I soon discovered that Melba was crazy and Toast was my best buddy. Melba will finally eat out of my hand after all this time but only after her lamb was born. She will probably revert back to her wild roots as soon as she is out of the baby barn.

Meanwhile Toast who I just couldn't live without, is the sweetest, softest, most precious (albeit largest) ewe in the world. First through the gate and always by my side whenever I enter a pen or pasture - wanting a rubbing or a scratch. The Lord works in mysterious ways and Toast was my gift even though I didn't have the sense to know it. She had her first lamb today and she is proving to be a very mindful and loving mom as I expected. I will get the pictures posted of her little ram lamb soon.

I could live without Melba (except I love her gorgeous fleece) - anybody want a sheep that eats about 50 pounds a day, can run over you like a steamroller, can run away from you like a jack rabbit , can drag you across a field like a football player and looks like a bear?

The Teeny Weeny Twins

2009-02-16T19:37:00.000-06:00

I just had to share the pix of the teeny weeny twins that were born yesterday. They are as little as triplets, maybe about 1 or 2 pounds each. Just about a handfull

Awwww

Another sample from the PhatFiber January Box

2009-02-16T10:37:00.000-06:00

This sample roving was marked Pebbles in a Stream with a lovely card picturing an victorian designed angora rabbit on the front, but I can not match up any vendors to know who this is from - someone HELP! It was a lovely little angora wool blend bump that came in my January PhatFiber sampler Box.

Anyway, I spun this up in a thick and thin and it was really nice to work with, easy to spin and I loved how it turned out.

Then, since I have such a wacked personality, I can not simply leave it alone, I have to keep going so I decided to throw it into my current dye pot and got a fantastic color it is somewhere between my tobacco roving and my earthy roving.

Now I anxiously await my February Box.......to see if I can add something to it and make a hat.............its so fun to play with other kid's toys!

Wow I am behind already...

2009-02-15T18:28:00.000-06:00

Here I am behind already on my late new year's resolution. Oh well, thats what lambing season does to me. Well actually kidding and lambing. Lots of kids and lambs all over the place. 4 kids in the last 24 hours. Lots of fun. Everyone is healthy and happy.

I have two Angora Goat Buck Kids available. They are $250 each and registered.

First is

Kid Shelleen - this kid really looks like Lee Marvin - a nice silver ecru

and The Sunrise Kid aka Nat King Cole

Cat Ballou will be staying here but we are taking deposits on these two now, so don't delay, they will be gone fast. They will be ready for their new homes in a couple of months.

Baby News

2009-02-02T19:39:00.000-06:00

Exciting baby news - yesterday a darling little cocoa colored angora buck was born. At 3am another set of twin lambs, they are all doing well and I think my llama is pregnant, this will be her first cria - now thats excitement!

Here are the first of the LAMBS!

2009-01-30T10:49:00.000-06:00

As promised, here comes the lamb parade

Our first lamb "Randy" is a strong and virile little Cotswold ram. I swear he has already grown a couple of inches and he is less than a week old. Very photogenic, he has the perfect lamb face and physique.

Number two, in order of birth only, certainly not in looks, the absolutely adorable "BLAST", the daughter of Oreo has four black stockings and gorgeous polka dots. It will be hard to top this little Shetland ewe. She is a show stopper. I can't wait to get my hands on this fleece

Number three is the beautiful "Creamery" pronounced Cree Marie she has just a whisper of creamy butter color to her fleece, she is a sweet little merino ewe.

Belated New Years's Resolution

2009-01-28T10:18:00.001-06:00

I am always so swamped that I never have time to blog or play on ravelry or even read my yahoo groups mail, all my computer time is spent working on our etsy store, answering emails and ordering supplies, but my resolution even though late, is to dedicate some time every day to at least blog and see whats going on around the fiber community, which will take away from my precious spinning, knitting, or weaving time, but I am missing out on all the fun!

Today it is warming up to almost 30 so I will get some pix of the new lambs and get them up.

We are also taking reservations for 2009 lambs and kids, so email if you are interested in getting on the waiting list. We will have shetland lambs, colored merino lambs, merino cross lambs colored and white, colored and white angora goat kids, pygora goat kids and hopefully a pycash or two for sale.

First Handspun Sample from January Phatfiber Box

2009-01-28T10:03:00.001-06:00

Here is my quickie sample from the January Phat Fiber Sampler Box. I used the Ice Queen mini batt from Silver Sun Alpacas and added the bit of Ice Drops from A Sleeping Spindle. I needed a little bit more to finish off the color, so I added some of our own Heaven Sent. I love how it turned out. I have a couple other bits to spin up as soon as I have time, but for now lambs are arriving daily.

Another treasury feature by Spark Shooter

2009-01-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

We were lucky enough to be featured in another treasury by Spark Shooter

Check it out - it is all about Spinning!! It made my hands start jumping.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=36144

Suri Alpaca Fleece Featured in two treasuries back to back

2008-11-03T22:44:00.000-06:00

The beautiful multi-shade suri alpaca was featured in two treasuries within two days. These
treasuries are pieces of art in themselves in my opinion. Just amazing!

Treasuries compiled by:

Decoratethediva
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=30923

and

Lilith Evy
Treasury West
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=31332

Merino X Lamb Featured in Etsy Treasury

2008-11-03T22:41:00.000-06:00

My merino X lamb roving was featured in a treasury by Country Windows - what a great treasury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=12219

Pre Holiday Crazies

2008-10-21T19:59:00.000-05:00

I am going crazy getting ready for the Holiday rush. Everyone is getting ready for the cold weather season and that means wool and lots of it. We just finished shearing the Shetlands and the Angora Goats and have some great fleeces, now I just need time to sort and skirt them so I can offer them to you. In my spare time, I am making early gifts as we are celebrating at Thanksgiving this year and I have lots of orders for hats and bags so I better stop talking and get to work.

Hiya and welcome

2008-10-20T20:38:00.001-05:00