Maria and I (and Zinnia) went to Vermont early this morning for a quarterly visit to the Vermont Knitting Mill to pick up the yarn made from our sheep. Maria got some new colors this year and a big bag of orange roving.

She’s going over the yarn now, counting it, pricing it, and getting it ready to go up on her Etsy Page, which will happen sometime this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Zinnia got to see some Alpacas for the first time, she was shocked and barked a bit, then started getting close to the fence so she could lick their noses, as she did with the sheep and our donkeys.

The Alpacas were fascinated but kept their distance.

Red wanted no part of the Alpacas when he came, but Zinnia didn’t mind them. Nothing much bothers the Bedlam Princess.

This is one of our favorite farm rituals, and it gives focus and meaning to the sheep.

I can’t herd them anymore, I don’t have a border collie who will do that, but we love having them and are committed to keeping them. And Maria loves working with the yarn and roving and selling it.

If you’re interested, keep an eye on her blog or her Etsy Studio Page. You can also e-mail her at [email protected].

I am too close to it, but the yarn seems especially rich and beautiful to us, another to love our lives.