Thistle Cove Farm

From the left...Abigail, Grace, Sandra, Sibley being bottle fed, Trouble nursing Energy and Shadow on the far right.
Samuel, a Romney Shetland cross, is always available to showcase my patterns. He's a willing model just as long as the whole corn treats are forthcoming!

Thistle Cove Farm in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia, is home to rare breed Shetland, Romney, Merino and cross bred sheep. Rare breed, hypoallergenic American Curly horses also live here and the requisite dogs and cats share living and bed space with the humans. It's a peaceable kingdom where wool and Curly fiber are, sometimes, blended then spun and knitted into warm garments.

I'm Sandra and interested in All Things Fiber and Textile...hmmm...that would be a great blog name! I've always got a skein on the spinning wheel, yarn on the needles, a quilt on the frame and a rug on the loom. Every now and again, I'll take a walk on the mountain to gather dye stuff...walnuts, lichens, Queen Anne's Lace and more. It's all hand fodder and all destined to become something beautiful.

Lately textile post cards have greatly interested me and there are several being made for exchanges or to send friends as notes of encouragement. Who among us doesn't enjoy receiving a small gift in the mail that says, "thinking of you"?My fiber and textile business, Appalachian Wool Works: Happy Sheep Make Beautiful Wool, offers one of a kind goods from my pet woolies. The creamy white yarn is 50% Shetland 50% Angora and gently flows through the fingers on the way to a sweater or scarf. The heathered brown gray yarn is from down breed sheep and makes sturdy socks that show stitch definition quite well. The roving is a blend of 80% Merino 20% Romney and this years' wool clip is being made into blankets and will, God willing and the creek don't rise, be available for Christmas. Needless to say, everything is 100% virgin wool, fleeces are generally available but yarn, roving and blankets are one of a kind from each year's wool clip. The shimmery silver gray fleeces accept dye beautifully and cast the eye to and fro allowing no purchase. I've discovered silver gray fleeces make the Most Beautiful dyed yarn due to the depth and richness of color both in the fleece and in the dye portions.Cathy and Olivia - I'm grateful to you for the opportunity to blog on Virginia Knits; it's always a delight to meet fiber folks, especially when so close to home.

Please visit Thistle Cove Farm whether on a pre-arranged visit or on Sheep Shearing Day every April. The humans, critters, beasts and varmints adore visitors and I can always be persuaded to make a pan of shortbread or a cobbler.

Blessings ~ Cathy ~ Olivia ~ Virginia Fiber Folks ~ Thistle Cove Farm ~ the yarn that knits us together