Nothing gets Maria happier or more excited (except me, of course) than the twice-a-year joy of putting her new skeins of yarn, fresh from our sheep and the Vermont Knitting Mill, now on sale on her Etsy Studio page.

The making of the yarn pulls a lot of different things together for her and us. It’s one of our most special rituals, especially as we edge toward Christmas.

The farm, the sheep, the shearing, the cleaning, the drive to Vermont, the drive back, the figuring out the cost, being delighted by the new colors, finding creative uses for the roving.

Maria is excited. She’s been up in her office figuring things out all morning. This is a chore she loves.

This time, the colors are barber pole, natural gray, blue, rust, purple, and lavender.

It’s all good, a rich bi-annual chapter in our lives; it makes the farm very real and very close to us.

Here are the sales details. First, you can see and purchase the new yarn on Etsy. You can e-mail Maria about it if you wish at [email protected].

The skeins on sale are 3-ply worsted wool. Each skein is labeled with the sheep’s name and its kind of wool.

The skeins sell for $27 plus shipping. This year, there is a lot of roving, which can be used in many different ways, from weaving to soap cloth to dry  balls for washing clothes.

Neat Christmas gifts, we have learned.

The roving is $30 for 8 ounces and $15 for 4 oz. You can see the yarn and purchase it here.