This is Not Yarn

This is not yarn.

This is years of early mornings and long days and late nights by the woman who runs Rocking Dog Ranch in Salem, Oregon.

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This is long months revitalizing an old structure to make it a working barn.  This is a tired, rock star, I-Am-Woman-Hear-Me-Roar called Lora Withnell, who made this ranch what it is.

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This is the years she spent training sheep dogs like Bella, who can direct a flock with a few words and clicks of the tongue.

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This is the coat of a Bluefaced Leicester and the hand of an experienced shearer.

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This is the work of a small, independent fiber mill called Skyline in the rolling hills of the Pacific Northwest.

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This is 4-6 weeks (or longer) in line for scouring and picking and carding and spinning.

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Because a ranch is always more than just the sheep, dogs and people who live there, this is beekeeping. It’s hours in bee suits on hot days with tired arms and dear friends.

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This is not yarn. This is not 3-ply sport weight, lanolin-rich gold.

olive-woolIt’s not what it looks like.

It’s so much more.

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