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Oh, how fast we grow!  

Off to a good start!

Official total: 6 girls and 1 boy.  First vet check today.  Everyone healthy and good sized.  All pups 1+ pounds.  Ghita is a devoted, doting mother.  Now if I could just get her to get out of her box to eat, instead of me getting in the box and holding her bowl for her...........she just does not want to leave the pups.

The Girls Have it ----- All six of them - and one boy 

Good Girl, Ghita!  She waited until after shearing day and delivered on her due date.  6 big, strong, healthy girls so far, and one strapping boy.

Shearing Day!

The weather held out.  The troops showed up.  All went smoothly.  Another  harvest safe in the bags!  

More colors in dye experiment

I have been experimenting with a new eco friendly dye, that contains no metals.  Using it on a thinly spun 2-ply that I will use for weaving.  It is a blend of cashmere, merino, silk, bamboo.  Very happy with the results.

Ravens and Mya

We have lived here almost 19 years.  There was a nesting pair of ravens here when we moved here and they continue to nest on the property every year. We have observed a lot of interesting happenings with these birds, and continue to enjoy their intelligence, sometimes playful behavior, and appreciate their added surveillance and alarms they set off for predators in the area.

Ghita is pregnant

We took Ghita for an ultrasound this morning.  She is pregnant with at least 5 pups and maybe more.  The litter will be born around 13 Feb.  Pups will sell for $600, available at 8 weeks middle of April, will be up to date on vaccinations, worming, health checkups, microchipped and come with pedigree. Both parents are registered with Maremma Sheepdog Club of America.  We are accepting deposits of $100 on pups.  

First Dyeing job:-)

I have been paranoid about trying to dye my cashmere.  Not a small loss if I make a mistake!  So, I had the mill use some of my seconds for a blend with merino, bamboo, silk. I had them spin a tight 2 ply for me to experiment with in weaving.  I am really pleased with the result.  It has a kind of heathered look with some shine and a real jewel tone to it.  The dye I used is an environmentally friendly dye that has no metals in it, so I wondered how that would work out. 

Witnessed it again

One of the most fascinating experiences in owning multiple Maremmas, is watching them work in tandem.  I got to see it again today.

Six New Soaps added to the inventory!

Added a couple more options for men: Jacob's Desire and London for Men.  Also now available: English Rose, Sandalwood Vanilla, Lime Mint and Chocolate Mint 

Happy New Year - won't be long to harvest time:-)

Happy New Year Everyone

Cuddly, soft and OH SO INCREDIBLY CUTE!!!

These absolutely darling 100% Ravenwood cashmere bears were knitted up for me by Emily Ivey www.yarnmiracle.com  She has done such a great job! I have been wondering what ply would be needed to knit up a toy animal, and Emily agreed to work with me on a batch of experimental kid fleece yarn I had spun up.  They are so soft you can hardly believe it!

Snoozing

Common with the guardians, but don't let it fool you.  Their nose and ears are always at work.  The slightest smell of a predator or something unfamiliar on the farm, will send these dogs vaulting out of sleep unto their feet, noses scanning the air.  Then off they go to confront the threat. Coyotes were howling close last night, so they didn't get much sleep. Neither did I.  One howl did not sound like a coyote, but rather a large dog and was long and protracted, much more like a wolf.  Wolves have been seen around south Lake Couer d Alene which is only about 45 minutes from here.  Just a matter of time.

Some things remain the same 

When the boys were little I always let them sleep next to the Christmas tree if they asked to.  They would oooh and aaaah over all the ornaments, lights, and their reflection in the bulbs on the tree until they finally grew quiet and drifted off to sleep.  Time has changed a lot of things, but now when the grandkids come to stay with grandma and grandpa during the days leading up to Christmas, they always ask the same question - "Grandma, can we sleep next to the Christmas tree?"

If you don't put the lights up, Mom, we'll come home to do it!

Last year, Scott came home for Christmas and I didn't have any outside lights up. 

Late Next Spring

Coming next Spring. Woohoo!  We finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase our own dehairing machine. Every year there is the worry about finding someone willing to process our cashmere correctly.  Every year there is the worry about how long it will be until we get our yarns back, let alone keep inventory.   No longer.  This will not be finished and delivered until late Spring 2012, but we are really looking forward to being independent when it comes to dehairing.  It is so incredibly hard to find a mill that wants to continue dehairing cashmere, because as far as time involved, it is painfully slow and just not profitable.  I entirely understand after having spent 6 days feeding a dehairer a little over a year ago.  Dehairing has always been the bottleneck in the cashmere industry here in the States.  No longer will we be worrying all Winter about how to get our cashmere fiber processed.  Woo Hoo!

Brave little Mya

I am pretty strong for a farm girl, given my age:-)  Today, however, I was almost in tears.

From this to THIS is one week?!

Yeegads, I think it is going to be a Looooooong Winter

Patterns are now included free in the kits!!

After a great deal of thought, we have decided to sell the patterns exclusively with the kits.  It really does not make great business sense to pay a good deal of money to have them designed exclusively for Ravenwood, with exclusive rights, and then sell them individually for people to use with someone else's yarn, yes?  

They are here!!

Limited number of items available.  See Finished Items on Product page for more info.

SNEAK PEEK!    Pics modeled right here at Ravenwood of finished items soon for sale.

Here is a sneak peek representative of our finished items that will soon be for sale.  

One of my favorite things about this business

Favorite thing about this business besides creating beautiful fiber, is meeting many wonderful people.  Hilda from Colorado just sent me this little goat for a gift.  His tie is embroidered in script "Ravenwood" and it opens up to read ..."Cashmere and Soaps".  Now, THIS is the cutest  little buck I have seen in a long time and he is right at home in front of my computer!  Thank you, Hilda!  Hugs to you for your thoughtfulness:-)

Absolutely Gorgeous Brackenhill Shawlette Pattern now available

Designer Jen Hagan has created the most equisite shawlette pattern done in a Faroese style with yarn from Ravenwood.  It requires 565 yards (3 one ounce skeins) of our 100% cashmere yarn.  Beautiful, ultra feminine, warm and lightweight.  Here is your chance to create your own luxurious wrap, or purchase it soon as a finished item on our site. Definitely on my "must have" list!

Duck Tape Bracelets!

You can use duck tape for everything!  Granddaughters and I turned the tape inside out to make bracelets for our arms.  We went on a Autumn adventure hike on our place and picked leaves, ferns, flowerpot flowers, berries that were all turning Fall colors and stuck them on the tape.  They loved doing this and have a nice keepsake of our time together.  They will take them home, cut the tape, press the bracelet and it should keep a long time.

Metal Art

For years, every time I visited the old dump site from the cabin on our property.  I always returned home with one or two garbage bags full of tin cans, broken plates, wire, broken bottles, etc., in an effort to clean it up.  I thought I had gotten it all.

Fund raiser at Gallery of Thum here in Spokane: Celebrating an Artistic Life.

Many of us know Cecile, owner of this wonderful Gallery in Spokane.  She has been going through extensive testing for cancer.  To help offset medical costs, a fundraiser is being held on Friday, Sept 16th 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For those who can go, please do and help support Cecile during this time.  She is offering many of her beautiful personal paintings towards raising her  funds.  Cecile has always been a dedicated champion and avid supporter of local artists and their works.  She has devoted years of her time and dedicated her Gallery to promoting local talent.

Gallery of Thum

2910 N. Monroe

Spokane, Washington

Friday, Sept 16    5-9 p.m.

Mya and her goats

Now, that Mya has healed, she is showing her personality. We are having to work on one thing. She is an avid escape artist! There is no gate or fence that can contain her. At least she is not a digger. So far, she has never tried to dig under a thing.

In an attempt to train Mya to stay with her sheep, the previous owner had her cattle dog chase her back to her flock every time she left it. To escape the cattle dog, she had to clear fences. Oh boy...... She is getting better at staying in now that she is bonded to the dogs.

She is also not socialized. She is very standoffish to people and does not mind well. However, she is always excited to see me in the morning, and I require her to come into the barn at night to eat undisturbed in her pen. Takes a lot of coaxing, but she needs to learn that if she wants to eat unmolested by the goats, she needs to come into her pen. She hates being confined, but is getting better. By morning, she has escaped out of her pen and is in the pasture waiting for me again. I am hoping as she increases in weight, and over time as trust is built and her bonding continues with the other dogs, this behavior will fade.

On her very positive side, when she first started escaping her pen and clearing two fences to our smaller pasture, it was to be with the goats. So, the transfer of loyalties from sheep to goats does not seem to be a problem. She is also extremely affectionate to me in the mornings, but let's me know her principal loyalties are to her goats now.

All the dogs have done a great job of accepting her, and she trots along to the pond every morning with Max and Sophie to take an early dip and to patrol fences. Ghita still has one week more of confinement to make sure she is out of heat and is not happy about that.

I've included a couple of pictures. One of her with Max and one of her with the goats. There is a dry slope on our property where the goats like to lay in the afternoon and 'dust' themselves in the dirt. Helps keep bugs off them, but does not do great things for my pasture. Every year I seed it. Every year the grass comes up and does well until Summer heat. Every year they paw this particular spot out. The only thing I can think of is there is a wet seep there in the Spring and perhaps there is just enough coolness in the underlying ground during the Summer, that they prefer that spot above others.

Maternal Sophie

To keep Mya company in this strange, new home, we decided to introduce Sophie into a kennel area next to Mya. Maternal and laid back, Sophie can be counted on to babysit. All her body language displayed only curiosity and acceptance. It did not take long for Mya to move closer to Sophie, check her out, and lay down next to the partition instead of retreating to the bed in the corner of her kennel. Integrating her into the pack begins.

Valiant Little Mya

Mya has come to us as a rescue dog. Two days ago, coyotes tried to attack a small herd of sheep a friend of ours has. The owner came home to find Mya laying in the middle of the flock. When called, she tried to crawl to the owner but collapsed. She was covered in bites and her eye was punctured.

A trip to the vet and then an eye specialist found the eye could not be saved. The owner could not afford the surgery and vet bills to cover her care. She was going to have to have her put down. We offered to pay all bills and save this brave little girl, if she wanted to sign her over to us.

After the valiant fight she put up to protect her sheep, we could not let her be destroyed. Undersized, and only 6 months old, she fended the coyotes off, giving up herself in an effort to protect the flock. Not one sheep or lamb was lost.

The eye was removed and stitched shut. Eventually, she will be integrated with Max, Sophie and Ghita. Right now, she is confined for two weeks while she heals, and for observation, since she had not yet received her shots. The vet says she has been through enough trauma and does not want to start vaccines for two weeks.

She growls at the sight of the other dogs. She has only known the dogs on her farm, and the only other experience she has with canines has been with the coyotes. It will take time, but I am confident she will come around. Here she can still live her life and eventually do what she was bred to do. She will have plenty of backup protection from the other dogs who have already persuaded local predators that this is no place to come for an easy meal. Confrontations with local wildlife have become very rare this year.

Right now, I am spending a lot of time in the kennel with her, trying to reduce her anxiety and building a bond with her. She is accommodating and submissive, although movements have to be done slowly, or she flinches. She is taking her medications and easier to deal with every time I see her.

Local Fibers Resource!

Here is a new resource for producers. Free online listing for your farm. Site is being developed to help people find fiber producers and fiber artists in their local area. We just listed our farm this morning. www.localfibers.com

Wild Fibers Magazine

Look for our ad in Wild Fibers Magazine this Fall. We are reaching out to an international audience to let them know about our high quality yarns.

Wow. Summer has arrived. Things are drying up. Over a month in the forest and almost 100 goats have barely put a dent in the brush beyond the hill above the pond. What they have cleared, they are keeping nice and clean and free of invasive weeds and brush. Place looks better every year.

Kids are growing fast, cashmere fiber is appearing, peeking out beneath outer guard hair. Some of these kids are going to be heavily covered this next Spring around shearing time. The goats seem happy. They disappear into the woods off and on during the day, come back to relax and chew their cud, before starting out again. The maremmas patrol first thing in the morning, come back and lay on high ground listening and watching for any signs of trouble. They are pretty laid back, napping most of the day in this heat. But, the first scent on the wind that is foreign, the first sign or warning calls from ravens, or snorts from the goats, and they are immediately up and charging off.

Garden is finally growing and producing. Visiting grandkids have a ball picking raspberries. Blueberries are coming on.

Planted salad greens in containers on our deck. Henny Penny, an injured hen, is put in the garden in the mornings where the other chickens won't bother her. At night, she runs for me, talks to me, squats at my feet and waits for me to pick her up and put her in her private cage for the night. She eats all the salad greens in the garden, but since that is the only safe place for her, I figured I could plant things for salad near my kitchen on the deck. As every farm wife knows, no routine is spared when it comes to animals. Always finding compromises somewhere.

Three Handsome Boys

Meet Ravenwood's Brodie , Zephyr and Chance - three handsome bucks here at the farm. Had my son come out to take pictures for our Farm Listing in this Fall's Wild Fibers Magazine. The picture chosen for the ad is not one of these, but I just love how his photography has captured the presence of these bucks. Thanks, Ryan, for the great pictures!

Ravenwood's Lady Gaga

Here is a goat kid that is a badger face wannabe. No dark legs or stripe down the back, but the distinctive facial marking. My husband says, "She looks like she is wearing Lady Gaga makeup" I thought that would be a good name for her!

Done with bottle babies for the year!

Too big for bottles anymore, but they still like to visit 'Mom' when she comes to the pasture.

New Dancing Shoes

Goats need to have their hooves trimmed several times a year. Once Summer arrives and they are out all day, walking and browsing on vegetation, they keep them worn down and will not need additional trimming until Fall. Their hooves grow just like our fingernails, and need to be cut periodically.

Here is Reed, Will and Paula helping out. Paula was the official wrangler, getting them into the tilt table. Reed gave any shots that were needed and stabilized the table. Will and I trimmed hooves.

The tilt table is a big labor saver. The goats settle down as soon as they feel the pressure from the squeeze plate, the table is tilted, the floor is dropped down, and they just lay there while we trim their feet. When we are done, the floor is lifted back up, the table tilted upright, the squeeze plate opened, the end gate opened and out they go! It sure makes it a lot easier on our backs as well.

Happy goats with new dancing shoes!

Look at what designer, Jen Hagan, has going on - Junebug party!

http://figknits.blogspot.com/2011/06/junebug-days.html

Looks like a lot of fun to me, and you even might win a prize!!!!

Thank you for your support

I need to thank everyone for supporting the American farmer! The response to Clara Parkes article on our yarns has been reaffirming and heartwarming.

When I went to the post office today to mail the packages, I was holding up a long line of people. I apologized for their delay. Someone asked if it was Christmas somewhere.

I explained what a wonderful surprise it was to find so many orders from our website, what we were all about, and how grateful we were for people who support American farms that are struggling to survive. I wish you could have seen the grins from ear to ear on these people. They were genuinely happy to hear our good news, and there was not one complaint about their wait!

Thank you again, everyone.

Little goat lost - and found again

Well, SHE thought she was lost! Somehow little April got through a gap in the gate. When I returned home from town, all was quiet and the goats were peacefully grazing high on the slope above the pond.

20 minutes later when I walked outside there was total chaos. I could hear a lost or trapped kid bleating up the draw, far, far away from where the herd was. She'd cry loudly. Then the matriarch of the herd would answer, trying to coax her over to the herd.

Where was the mother? I ran in the house, changed my shoes, grabbed a jacket, and took off down the logging road. I could still hear her constant crying, but at least it was closer. She was headed in the right direction. Then, she would take back off in the other direction. It was thundering. It was pouring rain. I was counting how long it was going to take me to get to her and how many predators within a mile could hear her.

Where were the dogs? Then I saw them. All three of them were with her, trying to coax her back to the herd. She would go a little way and then turn around and bolt the other direction. Max was worried about the herd and left to go check on them. He left Sophie and Ghita to take care of the stubborn little waif. Sophie and Ghita would nudge her and get her going again in the right direction.

Where was the mother? Ordinarily, a doe with a missing, crying kid would be running across the hill to retrieve it. As I got closer, I suddenly understood why no goat was coming - it was April, one of my bottle babies.

I am not sure who was happier to see me - the dogs or the kid. Sophie and Ghita wanted her in the herd. April wanted back to where she belonged behind the shop. They were more than happy for me to take her off their duty of protecting her. She was more than happy to see me and ran straight for me. I did not take the time to get a camera on my way out, so sorry, I do not have pics of the dogs with her.

Anyway, here is April, no worse for the wear and almost dry. Soooooooooo glad I have these dogs. It wasn't long before I heard wild turkeys setting off alarms all over the place. Her constant crying had called something in, but by now, everyone was far out of range with the dogs who had moved them toward the safety of the barn.

It's always a team effort!

Well, today has been a wonderful, exhausting day, as we have seen our products and sales soar, thanks to Clara Parkes article in Knitters Review. It has taken a lot of hard, hard work and investment to get to this point by a lot of people.

As with all things, one never arrives at any point in life without the assistance of others. The last 4 years have been filled with people who were eager to help us learn and grow in this industry. Any success is always the result of a team effort.

The producers we purchased from: Mickey Nielsen, Laurie Miller who had purchased Diana Mullins herd, Ann Keenan, Doug Maier, all helped us with advice on selection of quality animals and their care. Their experience was invaluable as we struggled to learn.

Going to the Sun Mill, who is the ONLY mill in the U.S. who separated the cashmere fiber into Prime, First and second runs readily shared how they had developed that process. Diana and Scott Blair always attended the fiber diligently, trying to get the best result for us. Diana was also the one to point out the downside of including kid fleece in yarns. This helped us improve the quality and strength of our yarns.

On notice that GTTS needed to sell their Mini Mills dehairing machine, we sent our fiber to another mill with a commercial dehairer. That turned out to be a bad decision and what was returned to us was a mess. Diana told us it could be salvaged and shared her expertise with the owner of her former machine on how to clean it up. She also rewashed the cloud that was returned to us to remove any residual oils left by machinery. We are so grateful for that advice and help in a time of great financial loss, as well as time lost.

Our fiber continues to go to GTTS after dehairing for the final carding, drafting and spinning, because of the wonderful job in finished product Diana and Scott produce.

We appreciate the cashmere producers that work with us, striving to adhere to quality control through objective testing. Lisa Knutson, Mickey Nielsen, Ann Keenan and Lee Ludden have been sources of constant encouragement as we went through the growing pains of our vision of putting American cashmere back on the radar. They have been a great support.

We were blessed to find Jen Hagan, a designer who shares the vision of promoting American cashmere, and who could showcase our yarns with such beautiful patterns. Jen has always been optimistic, helpful, positive and very supportive regarding the future of American Cashmere.

Ann Keenan, who currently dehairs our cashmere, has always been a great friend and works very hard to provide good product for us to be spun. She has always been a great support when times were hard. I remember every email where she kept telling me this was going to work and we could do it.

A big heartfelt thanks to all of you for all your contributions in helping make a dream a reality!

Wonderful Knitters Review Article on Ravenwood Yarn!

We have worked very hard to produce a high quality yarn for the consumer. A few weeks ago, I sent some yarn samples to Clara Parkes.

She has graciously written up a wonderful review of our yarns. Check it out on her Knitter's Review. We knew she'd love it!

Go to www.knittersreview.com

Click on Yarns. Alphabetical list - click on Ravenwood Cashmere.

Launched!

The patterns and yarns are now on Ravelry! The site will link you back to my website to see the kits, patterns and yarns so you can place your order. Feels so good to have this all put together.

Had to revise amount of yarn used for Lace Scarf Kit. The cottage knitters are finding it takes more than the 200 yards, more like 250-300. So the kit will contain 2 ounces of 2-ply, instead of 1 ounce. Not only will that insure that the scarf will be the appropriate length, but also it will allow knitters to knit a longer scarf if desired. This makes a gorgeous scarf, so happy knitting everyone!

Had an interesting email from a professor at University of Maryland. They are revising software that is being used for merchandising/design students, and she asked if they could use pictures from my gallery of goats in fleece. Of course! I'm proud of my goats:-)

Turned loose

Finally some consistent warmer weather! We have been taking advantage of every minute of it. Spring cleaning the barn, tilling and weeding the garden, trying to get the yard in shape.

We finished burning slash piles in the woods. All the snowberry brush has leafed out and grass is growing in all the cleared areas. Time to let the goats out!

I opened the gate from the pasture by the house and the dogs ran to lead everyone out through the gate. The goats ran and jumped and played like only goats can. They attacked the brush with appetites voracious for something other than the hay and grain they had been eating all Winter. The tender young leaves of that stubbornly persistent brush must have tasted like heaven to them. The natural, fresh nutrients they will get from the brush, weeds and grass will help them grow great cashmere.

We're back!

Month and a half without internet! Pole and dish damaged in a storm. No one from HUGHES.NET would come out to fix it until CORPORATE reviewed the pictures of the damage. Finally called up as a new customer, ordered a whole new system and they were out in 48 hours with a whole new pole, dish and modem. Then it only took me 1 hour and 27 minutes of my cell phone minutes to get them to cancel the first account! Rrrrrrrrrrr.

Now that being off my chest, feel so much better for venting, check out some pics of new kids. That's a whole new story. 42 and counting! Little black buck my husband "neutered' last Summer spent all Winter with 50 does. I remember looking at him during the Winter. He has nice conformation and grey cashmere and comes from one of my best does and a great buck. I remember thinking that we probably should not have banded him. Well, be careful what you wish for. The band either broke or my husband missed half the equipment and we now have a great crop of mostly black kids. Some very good looking kids in this bunch, so if you are looking for some new cashmere goats for your herd, contact me.

Maternal instincts

Just had to include this picture of Sophie letting one of our bottle babies try to nurse. The maternal instincts in the Maremmas are very strong to say the least. Also, came home one day and a little black kid had gotten out under a pasture gate and it was raining. Max had it cornered by the gate and was sheltering it, patiently waiting for me to come home and put it back in the barn.

More kids

Kids, kids, kids

Kits are Here!

The wait is finally over! We are very excited to present, to you, three pattern with yarn kits: Lace Scarf, Bavarian Mitts and Kathy's Cowl. Cable and Lace Beret will follow soon.

We hope you enjoy the talent of Jen Hagan in her designs, the quality of these yarns, and the lovely items you knit or crochet from American Cashmere!

Yes Sir, Yes Sir, 5 burlap bags FULL

We are done with our 2011 harvest. Lots of beautiful fiber for this year! 22 kid fleece and 28 adult. Once I have the histograms back on the adults, I will get this over to Ann Keenan to dehair.

Trying something new with the kid fleece. Will have it felted in pads and then it will go to Jen Hagan for design;-) More fun on the way.

Check back tomorrow for the launch of our yarn/pattern kits!!

Anticipation

Anticipation is a great thing. Energizing to say the least:-)

Patterns are being printed. I am updating the website. Creme colored cashmere Cloud is at the mill waiting to be spun for 3-ply. Supplies for shipping are ordered.

Trying to organize things for the February harvest of cashmere. Logistic plans for moving animals, organizing bags, rulers for measuring fleece at shoulder, cape and hind. Clipboards for records. Horse stall heaters cleaned and lowered to keep everyone warm. Scissors for cutting off long skirt fibers, various combs for combing, shears for what needs to be sheared, hoof trimmers(might as well get them done while we have them in a stanchion),scales to weigh fleece...the list just goes on and on.....and yet, it is one of the most enjoyable times of the year for any farmer. Finally seeing the result of so much work all year puts a smile on anyone's face - especially if it is a good harvest.

The fleece looks great this year. Sophie is bred for a Spring Litter of Maremma puppies. We are getting the roughest of Winter out of the way. Yarns will come soon. Life is good.

Year of the Goat - Cashmere that is :-)

Meet 'Chance' the first buckling born at Ravenwood off season November 2008.

Depending on his histogram analysis this year, he may become our standing buck for 2011 breeding season. Chance symbolizes much of what Ravenwood is all about.

He was an orphan, born in the least opportune time of the year with a record breaking Winter in the forecast. That prediction came true and the Winter created a lot of adversity for us as producers, as well as the animals, but everyone made it through. We did not lose a single animal. People took one look at the little grey buckling, and never expected him to make it, they said he didn't stand a 'chance' without a mother.

I smiled, and said to myself, as most farmers wives would, "Well, we'll see about that."

I had heard that same forecast before when I took on the task of raising a premature twin foal from our Arabian mare. The vet, my veteran 85+ year old riding partner, everyone who had anything to do with horses said the same thing. "He'll never make it." We eventually named that foal Rudy after the young man who wanted to play football for Notre Dame and was issued the same discouraging mantra over and over again. But he did not give up and neither did Rudy. Rudy wound up a buggy horse thrilled with a job to do.

To me, Chance has always had the same look in his eyes as Rudy; trusting, quizzical, with only one thing on his mind-"What's next?"

The twin foal grew up straight and strong, so has Chance -and Ravenwood Cashmere is doing the same.

After everyone forecasting the same "you're doomed before you start" thing about the struggling cashmere industry in the United States - you'll never make it - there is no future for it, I have to smile and say, "Well, we'll see about that. If it doesn't make it, it sure won't be for lack of effort on our part, so What's Next?"

After a rather tough year with the loss of a processor, and a difficult time finding someone to process it as it should be processed, we are finally getting our yarns in from being spun at Going to the Sun Fiber Mill. 2-ply laceweight is already here. The cloud for 3-ply will start being delivered by Ann Keenan to GTTS next week to be spun. Launching of the patterns is about to happen! There is no quizzical look in my eyes anymore that says, "What's next?"

We very excited that we will soon be offering you a cashmere yarn that is everything cashmere is meant to be!

• Processed naturally with no harsh chemicals or bleaches that degrade the fiber and hurt the environment. Harsh chemicals and bleaches are used by large commercial processors to eliminate dander and vegetative matter during washing/scouring of the fiber before dehairing. and to lighten fiber to accept dyes like pastels. That also helps create an even twist with no bits of foreign matter. BUT, there is a price that is paid for that scouring. The chemicals also strip away crimp that is a quality characteristic of cashmere, breaking the bonds that create crimp and straightening the cashmere. "Feels' great, is still cashmere, but is degraded and creates an inferior yarn. Crimp is the characteristic of higher quality, stronger fiber that helps fibers interlock, trapping air, creating insulation and producing a very light, yet warmer than wool yarn with great loft and handle. As producers, we do not feel that should be sacrificed. We want to provide you with the strongest, warmest, most natural yarn possible. Small irregularities may exist in our yarn but you get the best quality yarn.
• Never mixed with other fibers like yak or wools stripped with chemicals to pass as cashmere. That's been a problem with some foreign cashmere in the past.
• Does not include kid fleece that is the finest micron diameter, but also the weakest tensile strength, prone to breakage and pilling. Just not strong enough for what we want in yarns.
• Never mixed with foreign cashmere. All American grown!
• Using only prime and first runs and not including shorter fibers called second's to bulk up the yarn. Seconds, along with weaker fibers like kid fleece, contribute to pilling, and the garment losing it's shape over time. The garment wears quicker. Seconds are used well in blends with other fibers, or for felting, but don't belong in our 100% cashmere yarns.
• Raised sustainably with well cared for animals from producers devoted to their animals health and the health of the environment.
• Raised by producers that use objective analysis to measure their animals fiber and even go beyond the legal parameters of the definition of cashmere. Our producers maintain that crimp raises the bar in quality and we are dedicated to retaining it in our product.
• We are all trying very hard to provide a very high quality yarn that will create articles that, with proper care, will last you a lifetime.

We also breed for all natural colors. White, in the industry, is in most demand because it is easier to dye. Foreign producers heavily cull out colored goats for that reason. If a goat is producing good fiber of color, we like to keep a natural choice. There is something intriguing about all natural, earthy tones that may include taupe, creme, white or grey. Some reds even produce a rare, slightly 'apricot' tone. Presently, what we sell in yarns will be natural colors of white, taupe, grey and creme, depending on the current year and herds contributing. Cashmere fiber accepts acid dyes very well and we may start introducing dyed yarns later. For now, we just love natural!!!!

Marauding Moose

Good Grief!

This boy is in a foul mood. We had to replace another 10ft. cattle panel in our fencing on Monday that was caved in with staples laying 10 feet away. For those who do not know what a cattle panel is, it is much, much stiffer than wire fencing. Heavy gauge and meant to withstand livestock strain.

About 8 this morning, I heard Sophie setting off her alarm bark. Totally different sound than just annoyed barking. Max immediately took off to back her up. The barking did not let up, so I decided go to check it out.

Max and Sophie had tails up and would not back down. Tails up is like waving a bat at someone when it comes to Maremmas. It is a definite signal to back off and don't cross the line.

This monster refused to leave. Sophie and Max refused to be called off. Little 3 month old Ghita was sitting up the logging road from them barking up a storm like she was 10 ft. tall. I did manage to get a couple of pictures before deciding to leave. The raised hair on the moose's back and his ears pinned spoke volumnes. He charged the fence twice. At this time, I decided I would be the slowest one on the hill if he decided to jump the fence, which is really, really easy for a moose his size.

I grabbed hold of little Ghita and towed her off to the barn to be locked up. There is no way she would stand a chance if it came after her. It would have stomped her to death.

The standoff went on for over 4 hours before I left to go to town. I don't know how long after that. When I got back 3 hours later, the big boy was gone, Sophie and Max were back at the barn with the goats and there was no sign of injuries to anything. All is well that ends well.

Moose are particularly aggressive this time of year and being with dogs, which are their natural enemies, is a bad place to be for humans. Stay away from these behemoths anytime, but particularly in the Autumn when rut is going on.

More dehairing pictures

Ann and I feeding the cashmere into the machine. The second photo is the machine rolling out cashmere cloud. It is unbelievably light when you pick up a handful of it.

If you close your eyes, you cannot even tell it is in your hand. We played that game with one another. "Close your eyes and tell me when you feel cloud in your hand." No one could guess when it was placed in the palm of their hand.

Beautiful, beautiful cloud.

If I can get a video to load, I will add one that shows the cloud coming out into the bin.

Standing in the shoes of a dehairer

The next time I hear anyone complain about the cost of high quality cashmere, I am going to ask them to accompany me to Montana. Traveling over to Kila, Montana to Ann Keenan's home was a wonderful trip that gave me a stark reality check when it comes to dehairing cashmere. She purchased the large dehairer that was formerly owned by Going to the Sun Fiber Mill.

After a great deal of work and investment, I had 24 lbs of partially dehaired cashmere returned to me from a mill that uses a commercial dehairer. It came back full of hair and noils after one run, which is the equivalent to 4 runs on one of the small Mini Mill machines. I honestly thought it was unsalvagable.

My friend, Liz Tafere, accompanied me over to Ann's to also help. We stood behind the dehairer an average of 6 1/2 hours a day feeding it. One can only go as fast as the machine. It took an entire day to run 2-3 lbs. We spent 6 days there helping to get as much done as possible.

Ann did a wonderful job with the fiber I took over there, constantly adjusting the machine to the right speed to get the fiber cleaned out. She also cleaned the drums after every batch. That is something I wondered about since my white fiber came back full of black hairs from the other mill. Ann's machine turned that horrible mess into something beautiful and promising. It eliminated more than 90% of the hair and noils and some will be run one more time.

Liz and I had a great time visiting with Ann and John during the week and look forward to the beautiful yarn that will now be spun at GTTS. Finally, finally, we can begin moving forward with our patterns and spun yarns for sale. Won't be long now!

So.........be patient with the anyone dehairing your fleece that is dedicated to doing a good job with this elegant fiber. Believe you me, I have a much, MUCH, greater appreciation for Ann and the effort that goes into this!

Send your fleece to Ann Keenan (www.pnfcashmeres.com) if you want peace of mind regarding your fiber and great results!

Ghita comes home

Ghita (Italian for Pearl) is the newest addition to the farm. Sophie has been a bit mopey since her puppies left. She wholeheartedly adopted Ghita, plays with her and defends her against any goat that remotely looks like it is going to butt the fence that separates her from the goatherd. She will be kept behind a fence to interact with the goats until they get used to this new addition.

Temporary Setback

Well...........the best laid plan.............Going to the Sun Fiber Mill, due to personal problems, has let go of the dehairing machine that processes the cashmere. This is a huge blow to all the efforts that have gone into our project for the last year. To complicate matters even further, Haneke Mill shut down this year as well. That only leaves one mill that can custom process cashmere.

After the fiber sitting at GTTS for 5 months, Designer Jen Hagan finished with wonderful patterns, samples made, kits being worked on, now we have no yarn. We are scrambling to find someone who can custom process it for us. We have had the fiber run through a commercial dehairer but will not run it through a large machine again. It needs to be finished off on a small machine.

Ann Keenan, a member of our producer group, has applied for a loan to buy the GTTS dehairer. A building will need to be put up and the machine set up before she can begin. All our hopes and prayers are with her in this endeavor. Proper dehairing of the cashmere has always been a bottleneck in the industry here in the U.S. Ann has experience on this machine and is a meticulous fiber crafter, so I am really hoping this all works out for her and us.

Once the machine is operational we will be sending all our fiber to her for processing and look forward to working with her.

My Irish grandmother used to say, "It is what it is". We will be flexible and patient and the dream will come;-)

Moose Mishap

One thing about moose - nothing stands in their way - not even a brand new 14ft. wire filled gate!

Most of the time, by virtue of standard height of 4-5 feet, gates represent nothing more than a hop over to moose. The dogs must have found it inside the pasture perimeter and chased it. On the run, it probably did not have enough room to prepare for a jump. Instead, decided to go through it. Gate was actually laying down and bent up in two different places, enough that I could not get it to stand back up by myself. Cow moose tracks all over the place. Just think, this was a smaller version of moose!

$150 later and installing it in the middle of the night, things are finally back to normal - for now. September issues in mating season for moose here and they become a lot more active.

The bull moose show up in foul moods. They wander through the woods thrashing their racks in the brush and making low, bellyaching sounds to call the girls in. This goes on for about 3 weeks and it is not uncommon for a big bull moose to stake out our nice soft green grass in the backyard for a place to sleep. Sept. means taking a flashlight out at night to make sure no moose are around, since they are the most unpredicatable critters on the mountain.

Nope, do NOT want to meet a moose in the dark!

Raspberries and Pollywogs

Threw away my list of chores today to play with grandaughters, Brenna and Kaylee. Grandma's garden is always a favorite, especially when the raspberries are ripening. Blueberries and currants are not far behind. Soon the freezer will be filled with freezer jams, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and currant syrup.

Then a trip to the pond to try and catch tadpoles. Tried to explain to the girls that tadpoles were all grown up now and turned into frogs, but that did not deter them from spending a timeless hour looking for them and ooohing and ahhhing over bright blue dragonflies that swept across the water.

Goats are growing cashmere, goat kids are growing fast, finished with shots, taggings and other bothersome things humans do to them. Happily munching away in the pasture and turning covetous eyes to the new 4,000 ft of fencing that weaves through brushy woods. 4 gates and we will be ready to let them in that area to get rid of the brush that is such a fire hazard here. In a couple of years it will look like a park up there, as new wilderness grass seed will be planted this Fall. With sunlight reaching the ground now, the grass and trees should do very well. The goats will keep things trimmed down, fertilized, and maintain a good defensive area for wildfires that occur in drier areas from time to time. Lived here in Spokane during the last firestorm in the 90's. Learned a few lessons from that experience that I wish not to repeat.

Life on a farm is a lot of work, but there is nothing like feeling a degree of self sufficiency, caring for and raising animals that give us something back, stewarding the land and forest, and having the opportunity to share the magic of this place with children. Great day spending time being a kid again!

Here they come. HERE THEY COME!

Just can't stand not giving you all a preview................

A few final tweaks are needed but we are almost there. Now, just waiting for the yarns from the mill!!

Here are pictures of the pattern covers, with the exception of the Lace Scarf. The size of picture this blog allows just does not do them justice at all. When I get them in their final form, I will put larger pictures in the Gallery Section and rename that section Debut....... Jen is still trying to get a picture she likes the feel of on a live model, but I have included her picture of the scarf on a mannequin for an idea of scale.

I have got to tell you, my husband has rarely seen me so excited, as when I opened the box and unwrapped the samples and patterns !! It's been a lot of work for everyone involved, and to actually hold these wonderful creations in my hands, is nothing short of JOY. To see the dream come true after everyone's efforts, time and talent is so very, very fulfilling - all American- even the goats :-).

American grown, American combed, American processed, American designed, American custom handknitted.

How much better can it get!!!

Cable and Lace Beret

Kathy's Cowl

Bavarian Mitts

Lace Scarf

Where does time go?

The older I get, the faster time goes - at least it seems that way! Jen Hagan is finished with the patterns and we are waiting on the mill. That is the only bottleneck in the cashmere industry - the amount of time it takes to get it back from the processors. Too few mills processing cashmere the way I want it done! So trying to be patient a while longer- it will be SOOOOOO worth it. The items made from the patterns are beautiful:-)

Cool and wet June for this part of the state, but things are heating up. Garden is finally growing. Have a couple of apple bins my girlfriend, Roni, and painted black, turned upside down, added 2x6s, filled with soil and this year planted some petunias in them. Picture is of the wave petunias finally growing. If you have to work in a garden, might as well have something fun to look at!

The last of the cashmere kids have been born, grass is growing, fencing through the woods coming along well. Up to 70 goats now, counting kids. Will start neutering some of the little bucks, tagging and giving CDT shots this week. Some of these look very promising as breeding stock, but can't keep them all as bucks. Wethers (neutered males) grow good fiber, so will keep the best.

Lil'Bit: "I be small but I be mighty"

You can't tell much by the picture, but Lil'Bit is about 4 lbs. Most kids average 6 lbs. She is a tiny little thing but has the sweetest temperament, just like her mom, Ariel. Ariel was a bottle baby and is small for a yearling. We avoid breeding yearlings and Lil'Bit's birth was a total surprise.

I have a feeling sweet hubby, Reed, left a gate open and just refuses to fess up about it, since leaving gates open can be a touchy subject around any farm :-) Ah well.......who can't love a baby cashmere goat?!

Max checking out Lil Bit after Vit E/Selenium shot.

Every newborn gets what is called a BoSe shot shortly after birth. It is a Vitamin E/Selenium shot given animals that live in an area where selenium is deficient in the soil and therefore in the hay and feed. Selenium deficiency can cause a lot of problems with a tendency toward retained placenta in some does, and white muscle disease in newborns. Newborns short on selenium often cannot stand and drag their hind legs behind them. The shot can provide dramatic results with the lacking newborn up and normal often within an hour. Custom mineral mix is provided free choice at all times, but some animals need more than others and a shot is a good preventative treatment for the newly arrived.

Maremmas are attentive guardians and Max always fawns over does with the newly born. Here Ariel likes to hide her baby behind the upside down water tank. Max stayed with them until she was ready to move her out. The dogs also demonstrate a lot of concern when newborns are handled and bleating from fright or pain. Max came to check out Lil'Bit after her shot to make sure things were alright. Good guardian, Max!

New Friends

Memorial Day Weekend we welcomed two special guests, Fred and Jen Hagan. What a delightful couple! We had a great weekend getting to know them, going over pattern options and discussing the cashmere project in general. Jen was kind enough to give me a knitting lesson! Thanks Jen for your patience and for introducing me to a fun pastime. Now I understand why so many people love knitting.

Jen is the knitwear designer for the cashmere patterns being created for us. They are the owners of Figheadh Yarnworks in Tacoma, Washington. Jen has the sweetest light Southern accent and is absolutely bursting with creativity and ideas for knitting design. She is quite the inspirationi!

Everything is almost in place for the patterns and kits. We just need to wait for the yarns to be processed at the mill. I can't wait to share them with you. I think they really address the elegance of cashmere and most projects can be finished with one skein.

One of our does had a pair of twins during their visit so Fred and Jen got to see new cashmere kids literally minutes old.

Weather has been one rainstorm after another for the week. Have one little doeling born Tuesday that is so small I have named her Lil'Bit. She will probably just wind up to be a pet, but she sure is cute. I will post some pictures of her if we ever get a nice day to take photos!

Colored kids

It's hard to get work done around here when it is more fun to watch goat kids. Sunny afternoon and living is easy as far as these babies are concerned!

More

White, white everywhere!

Scurrying to get back into the swing of things and catch up here, but could not resist giving you a quick peek at some of the new arrivals since we have gotten home. Our buck, Madagascar, is great for throwing white kids with good conformation. Will get some more pics up soon of colored kids, but I just thought these were way too cute!

These large, black rubber feed pans attract and retain heat, so the kids just love piling into them to take a nap and wait for mom to come back to feed them.

Meet the producers

I think it's time you meet some of the conscientious producers helping to launch this project to put American Cashmere back on the radar! Today, I'll be introducing Ann Keenan of Kila, Montana and Lisa Knutson of Tres Pinos, California. These gals are quality conscious and dedicated to producing the finest cashmere fiber and yarn you can find. No hunger fine animals. No adverse effects to the environment - just healthy happy cashmere goats, lovingly cared for by two great gals.

When I get back from what we think is a well deserved vacation in Maui (only the 4th vacation we have had in 26 years!) I will introduce you to Mickey Nielsen and myself:-)

Ann Keenan : Pine Needle Farm, Kila, Montana (pnfcashmeres.com)

Ann has been raising cashmere goats for nine years. Ann says she got into raising cashmere goats when she accompanied a friend to look at some dairy goats. The gal they were visiting also had some cashmere goats for sale and Ann bought 4 of them, along with three dairy goats.

Over the years, she has experimented with different breeding lines of cashmere goats. She has developed a good cashmere producing herd. Ann continues to develop the lines, breeding for a shorter guard haired animal, micron between 14-17 and good differentiation between the cashmere fiber and guard hair to make dehairing at the mill easier and more productive. Her down averages 2-3 inches long. After the dehairing, the yield is about 80-90% spun to yarn.

Ann micron tests her herd bi-annually to maintain quality control and remain on track for her breeding program. Animals that do not meet the requirements are butchered for meat, because she does not want to pass on bad traits by selling them to someone else.

She also breeds for good personalities, preferring goats that she can just walk up to and pet or work with. Cashmere goats tend to be flighty animals and Ann says the difficult ones just require more handling. She says her bucks are all easy going and easy to handle.

Ann uses a holistic approach with her goats, using herbal wormers. Her goats free range in the forest all Summer and are able to pick and choose all kinds of good vegetation to eat and keep them healthy.

Ann is a handspinner.

The first yarns to arrive from the mill for this pattern project are Ann's! They are absolutely beautiful, soft, luxurious. They will be used to make items from Jen Hagan's patterns for display and for sale.

Lisa Knutson: Lisa's Farm, Tres Pinos, California (lisa'sfarm@razzolink.com)

Lisa currently has a herd of 66 cashmere does that have kidded this Spring. She has 24 doelings from last year that will also be bred this Fall. Her goal is to carry 150 does. She currently uses 2 bucks for breeding and has kept 4 bucklings to use.

Quality conscious, every one of her animals has had their fiber tested at the Fiber Research Center at Texas A & M. She does not keep any goat that does not meet the standard set for micron diameter or style. She has a lot of white cashmere and is breeding for more morrit/taupe and grey.

Lisa leases 300 acres from friends in Tres Pinos, California. She practices sustainable farming. This year, she will also be grazing grass fed poultry(chickens, ducks and turkeys) with her goats and 50 merino sheep to continue to improve grass quality and insect/parasite control.

Lisa is a handspinner.

2010 First Born - Triplets born this afternoon

Two girls and a boy. Boy is bi- colored so will be neutered and sold for a pet. The middle of the goat is where the best fiber is. As far as fiber, you do not want a different color to bisect the rest of the cashmere cape.

March on the Mountain

One of the first things we watch for during March on the Mountain, is the arrival of the wild tom turkeys. They show up to court the wild hen turkeys. This year, the hens wintered over here on the place. Right on schedule, three tom turkeys have arrived. I keep trying to figure out how in the world the girls find these fellows attractive. The body looks alright with his wings spread out to sweep toward a pretty girl turkey, but the head - looks like an art project gone awry.

Since a lot of people don't get to see these kind of things, I thought I would post it. He must be really handsome, because he has about 7 wild hens hanging out with him and ignoring the other two gents.

Life Renewed

Sophie had her puppies late yesterday afternoon. 2 Girls and 2 Boys. First pup was very large and stillborn. Rushed her to vet and had her x-rayed. Out of three remaining pups, two were large, so they performed a C section. Ultrasound had suggested 6 or more. Oh well, so much for ultrasounds that are not an exact science in veterinary practice. All is well that ends well. Surviving 2 Girls and 1 whopping sized boy, are healthy and happy. Sophie is a proud mom! Check out pics on Maremma 'puppies link'

First Hello

Kathy's Cowl

After a very long struggle with cancer, my very best friend passed away last week in California. Just got back from spending those last days with her with her and her family and giving the eulogy at her funeral. She was a bright light in everyone's lives, a valiant spirit, and will be missed terribly.

When I was down in Jan/Feb, she told me she could still crochet, despite her hands being crippled from rheumatoid arthritis. So, when I came home from that trip, I asked designer, Jennifer Hagan, if I could change the upcoming Lace Cowl design from knit to crochet. Kathy was excited to see it and work with the cashmere. Although she did not get to do that, that pattern will now be called 'Kathy's Cowl' in her honor. I know she would have loved the beautiful design and wearing that warm soft fiber around her neck.

Soon, I will be showcasing the producers I am working with on this project to help put American cashmere in everyone's sight. They are as excited about this as I am and diligent about producing wonderful cashmere for our yarns.

Spring is finally shining on the mountain. Patches of green are appearing in the pasture, the goats are basking in the sunlight. Sophie, our Maremma, is ready to have pups anytime after today. She is so big and looks uncomfortable. I am heading to the barn to take her out in the sun so she can enjoy it.

She started digging for a nest under our chicken coop, so she is now in the barn with a ready made cave made from strawbales and covered with plywood. She likes her new home and seems to approve of it for a cave for her pups.

Baby goats are due towards the end of next month. Did not want kids born in cold weather like we had last year, so between Sophie having pups, and 16 does having babies, this place will be hopping - literally- come late May!

Back to Work

OK, now that Reed's big party is over, I can get back to work! We had a life celebration party to commemorate his reaching 70 year mark, 21 years in the military and 40th year practicing medicine. Son, Ryan, put together a great video presentation for it. Son, Scott, helped with quotes from Hippocratic oath to have a beautiful plaque made up. Sons, daughter in law, Melanie, and grandaughters helped with decorations and setting up a nice table of memorabilia. Great time had by all! Many thanks to all who came out to support Reed!! Scott back on plane to Denver, miss him already. Glad he made it out to help his brother reduce mom's stress level :-)

Big sigh, here. Now, back to combing. Had fully planned on shearing this year, but doesn't seem like any animal on this place has read the manuals lately. They started casting fiber early. I've got to think the mild winter and warmer temps contributed in some way to this, since I am hearing from other breeders who are experiencing the same.

Still completely stoked about the patterns and kits that are coming. Jennifer has done such a wonderful job.

Well, better head back out to the barn and get back to the job at hand. Think I'll just put on some Celtic music and enjoy feeling that wonderful fiber slip through my fingers :-)

Swatches

I am so excited, I can hardly sit still! Today, I received the swatches of the designs by Jennifer Hagan. They are everything I asked for: elegant, feminine and appealing. Just holding them, admiring the knitting and crocheting design, feeling the wonderful lightness, warmth and softness of the fiber is amazing. Can't wait to show you the full sized items!

Harvest

Thank you for all the inquiries regarding cashmere. Addressing some questions I have been asked, here is what I am looking for:

Cashmere 14-19 microns in diameter

Cashmere 1-1 1/2 inches or more in length

Cashmere with good crimp all along the fiber

Clean and skirted

Rump fleece separated from rest (just include in shipment in separate bag)

Neck can be included with Mid if sufficient length

No kid fleece: I know, I know. Kid fleece is the finest fleece out there, but it also has the weakest tensile strength. And, unless you have a buck that throws coarser guard hair that gives good differentiation, most kid guard hair is almost as fine as their cashmere. It makes it difficult to dehair and raises the expense of processing which is already very expensive. For this project, I prefer not to use kid cashmere in the yarns.

Combing continues......Tried one of those funky long tined combs invented by Dr. Evans. I've always reverted back to the double row shedding rakes for dogs, because I always found these long tines and wide handle cumbersome to use.

This time, however, I decided to try Evans comb on some new longer staple, wooly type does I bought last year. Now I am sold on it for these type. Nice to have the bale on the tines and piling up of cashmere. Work went quickly.

ON the lighter side;-)

Cecile Charles who displays my soaps in her Gallery of Thum, downtown Spokane, called the other day. She and a gentleman had been discussing cashmere and he was a fly fisherman. He told her that cashmere is used for fly tying. She asked about buck cashmere since, in my heart, I am always thinking there must be a way to salvage that.

They discussed how buck scent would cover human scent on the flies/flys (sp? help me out there). Can you tell I don't fly fish?

I needed to make a trip into town and found myself screeching to a halt at a corner close to a Swedes Fly Shop. Hmmm. Curiosity getting the best of me, and disbelieving the whole concept, I walked into the store and up to the desk where a gentleman was making a purchase.

"Can I help you?", the kind looking man behind the counter queried.

"Yes, I have a question about tye flying?"

Both men snickering. "You mean fly tying?"

Undeterred. "Uh hmm yes, do you use animal hair for fly tying? I raise cashmere goats and have been told it is used for that purpose."

"Cashmere comes from goats?", he replied, looking a bit surprised.

Feeling somewhat vindicated, I smiled back. "Yes, and I have been told that buck cashmere is used because it covers human scent"

Now, they were both chuckling."Well, I have never heard of that, but it is used because of it's length."

He trotted me back to a rack that has several displays of cashmere guard hair about 6+ inches long, dyed in various bright colors.

As things progressed, I found myself immersed in the complexities of the fly fishing world, and most importantly found, it is a 'visual' stimulus for fish, and probably has absolutely nothing to do with scent.......

I thanked him for the education, his kindness and patience, and walked out with a, "Say, lady, don't throw that out, you may have a market for it.

Well, folks, if you want to look into that, maybe there is a local fly shop in your area that could use the long guard hair of your does? I'm passing on this one- especially since they don't want the buck hair :-) Have a great weekend!

Purchasing

For prospective sellers of raw cashmere:

Especially as we start this endeavor, and because I am working with a designer that can help further our industry, I need to keep the raw fleece I buy within the standard for cashmere. It is extremely important to me as we try to grow awareness of American cashmere, that we provide the highest quality yarns that we can.

I need to know that people wanting to sell their cashmere have a grasp on what the standards are and how to raise cashmere to meet the standard.

Some of the questions I am going to have regarding you as a seller are:

How long have you been raising cashmere

How many animals do you have

Do you comb or shear

Do you use your own bucks or those of others, if so, have those bucks been micron tested

Have you had, or do you have your animals micron tested and how often

Do you have an understanding about how to sort/class your fiber

Do you know what cashgora is in the cashmere world. That is a separate market I am not interested in.

For people just beginning to raise cashmere, please realize how important it is to the industry that you do your research, work with others who can mentor you (you'll find most cashmere breeders are more than happy to share what they know with you) and learn and try to maintain the standard for cashmere.

I firmly believe this industry will grow once people are aware of us. What will put us on the radar is the quality of yarns we produce.

Veteran cashmere growers out there, I look forward to your feedback on any and all I am trying to accomplish here and advice on how to maintain quality control. I am open to suggestions, respect your experience and hope we can work together in the future.

The Beginning..............

And so it begins................WE ARE GOING TO TRY OUR BEST TO PUT NORTH AMERICAN CASHMERE BACK ON THE RADAR!

Stay tuned. Soon I will be revealing some really beautiful designs, created by a wonderfully talented knitwear designer. I searched for a long time for the 'right' designer to work with. I saw one of her creations on the cover of a British Magazine, and knew as soon as I saw it, that this was the gal that could showcase cashmere in the manner I wanted: elegant, feminine, appealing, inspiring.

But that is only the beginning. She is extremely excited about the quality of our yarns and wants to work within her network to promote American cashmere. We are starting with small projects to test the market while we rally cashmere producers. If we get a positive response and enough production, we have plans to move onto much bigger projects, and hopefully create a reliable market for American cashmere.

We are presently purchasing raw cashmere. If you have quality raw cashmere for sale, please contact us.

Shearing and combing time is here!