Tulamore Farm & Rabbitry

 We have been going to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival each year since moving to the state in 1993 and I was always in awe of a lady who sat at a huge spinning wheel with an English Angora on her lap. She was spinning yarn right off the rabbit! How cool is that?! I spend a good many days covered in wool after grooming. Angora is considered a luxury fiber and it would be a shame to waste it. I have bags and bags of collected wool and have finally started doing something with it (besides giving it away) and made and entered my first skein at the Howard Co Fair this summer. It is a blend of alpaca purchased during our trip to the West Virginia mountains last winter and tort angora plucked from GC Tulamore's Raisin. Take a look:

It is definitely a novice skein but I did it! It placed 4 out of 5 but I was just happy it was done and there!

I was surprised one day a couple years ago when I was contacted by Karen McNally - the lady who spins right off the bunny at the Sheep & Wool Festival! She and a friend bought a couple bunnies from me and I talked with her about spinning. She invited me to her home and gave me lessons and loaned me her Louet wheel with the promise that I would enter a skein at the fair. Well that skein was supposed to be in the '08 fair. I just couldn't find the time to spin so called her so I could return the wheel. Karen said to hang on to it but make the time to spin. Unfortunately, I need prodding to get many projects completed. I was determined to keep my promise of a skein at the fair and finally got it done for the '09 fair. Here is a picture of the spinning wheel.

Karen is a very talented and disciplined person with many different interests. She bred and exhibited English Angoras for many years winning a good number of BIS. That developed into her spinning talent and she focused on demonstrations and teaching. I was amazed taking a tour of her spinning wheels and products she had made. She had some pieces of 100% angora that looked like spider webs - super fine yarn made into delicate articles. Absolutely beautiful! But this is not all Karen does and does well. She is very involved with training and competing with her Miniature Pinschers and German Pinschers and her dogs have earned many titles in Rally Obedience and Agility, compete in dog dancing and training for their tracking titles (they probably have these titles by now).

I have been feeling guilty about borrowing the wheel for such a long time especially since Karen wanted a white doe from me but I have not had a white doe in over 2 years - plenty of bucks! I actually thought Luna was a doe when he was little (but the sex change fairy visited him). I was going to give him to Karen and told her she could name that bunny "Spinning Wheel Rental" but Luna was not a doe which is what Karen wanted. Several times I have saved money to offer to buy the wheel and had to use it for other things. But now I have talked with Karen and am buying the wheel so now I guess I am an official spinner. Not only did Karen teach me how to spin, but how to go after your goals and work hard to get what you want. Her success with her dogs has also spurred us on to title our dogs - it's very rewarding. Thank you Karen!

Here are a couple pictures of Karen spinning off a bunny at a past MD Sheep & Wool Festival: