Circle M Farm

Please join us for a day of fun on the farm! Be sure to bring lawn chairs and something to share for our potluck meal at 6pm. We’ll have activities planned all day, but one of the wonderful things about this place is that there are many many quiet vistas from which you can see the various animals doing what they do. You’ll want to sit and watch with a cool drink. Brats and drinks available for sale from noon to 2 pm, potluck at 6 pm, bluegrass music during dinner and a bonfire with s’mores at dark. Bring friends! See the schedule… continued »

One of those cases in which a picture tells a thousand words. But I’ll add a few. When the shearer peels back the fleece on some particular sheep, the colors and textures underneath are so stunning that you can hear, even over the loud clippers, a collective gasp among the work crew. This was one of those. continued »

Many of you may know that Circle M isn’t just about vegetables and meat. Fiber is actually a quite large part of our sustainable farming endeavor, and as the growing season comes to a close, wool season starts to get rolling. This weekend actually kicks off the first fiber event we’ll be participating in this fall, with the Driftless Area Fiber Arts Faire in Mineral Point. continued »

“A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish…” I love these words from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. While I’m mindful that, in context, these words have to do with world-changing themes of justice, redemption and the nature of Jesus Christ, I can’t help but feel them directed toward myself today. Yesterday afternoon I found two just-born lambs in the corner of the little stone barn – healthy, beautiful and happily tagging along behind their attentive mama. What a relief after the sheep defeats we’ve had these past few weeks! Baby that I am, I don’t think I could have mentally taken another bad experience. continued »

I very much enjoyed participating in the Craftacular yesterday. We had a slippery snow in the morning and it was slow going getting into Madison, so I worried while I crawled along our country roads that the turnout would be low. But the folks in this city are very very supportive of local artists and vendors (the Saturday morning farmers’ market is the largest in America) and customers packed out the Craftacular, as well as four other large craft shows that happened on the same day around town. Thanks, Madison! The show was a success for me – I sold a lot and was able to hand out dozens of my class and wool supply flyers to people who seemed very enthusiastic. What I’m most excited about today, though, is that it’s OVER. continued »

That would be a good album name, huh? Speaking of albums, I made a great discovery while holed up in my dining room with rainbow wool and barbed needles this week – last.fm. This is an internet build-your-own radio station and I’ve been much encouraged by the great playlists this site has created for me in the past two days. Today I’m listening to Sufjan Stevens (who made a lovely winsome indie Christmas album in 2006) and similar sweet-and-lo-fi artists. Check it out, and check out what I’m finishing up today: continued »

My piles of wool are slowly but surely shrinking while piles of pretty flowers are taking their place. I made another 15 pins today (and sold 7!) and a few Flower Fairy Garlands. Tonight I’ll finish up the needle-felting and clean my workspace up to re-make it for wet felting tomorrow. continued »

Not really. I’m actually feeling that crazy calm that happens when you resign yourself to the fact that you’re just not going to accomplish everything on your list. Shannon and I spent most of this snowy, slippery day trying to get seven very uncooperative pigs into a trailer and off to the butcher. In the end, only 5 made it in. What can you do? By the time I got back inside the house much of my crafting day was over. Luckily, some of my products were completed way back in the summer when I had vegetables growing in the gardens. These are my plant-dyed yarns and scarves: continued »

I’ve got three days left until the big Craftacular in Madison and I’m making progress. Here’s what got finished today: continued »

This Saturday I’ll be participating (under the alias Maidmarion Cottage Industries) in my first Madison art and craft show – the Holiday Craftacular at the Madison Masonic Center, 301 Wisconsin Avenue, from 10am to 6pm. I’m nervous about setting up my crazy antique washtub and quiltrack displays in an unknown setting and excited about finally getting my woolcrafts out in front of a wider audience. Will they like me? Will they like my stuff? I hope so! I sure do have fun making it! Here are some things I made today: continued »