Best of SEASONS BLEATINGS! 2004
RABBIT NEWS
Big improvements were made in the HMFF Rabbitry this year. A new building on a well drained site, electricity for lights and fans and a new cage arrangement that will allow me to collect the valuable rabbit manure for the garden. Future plans include a piped and heated watering system and a bunny play yard!
Bunny Wool
Did
you know that the fiber off an angora bunny is called “angora”, but the fiber
off an angora goat is called “mohair”? Did you know that one 8-9 pound angora
rabbit will produce enough fiber to make a hat or scarf about every 10 weeks!
In a year, you can collect enough fiber to make an entire sweater! Did you
know that Angora Bunny Wool is 8 times warmer than wool! Did you know that you
do not need expensive processing equipment to work with angora bunny? It
is spun right off the rabbit...no washing, no picking , no carding necessary.
And best of all, angora bunny always feels so good against your face
and neck.
What could be cozier in the cold of winter than to have an angora scarf wrapped around the back of your neck and crossed across your chest under your coat. It is incredibly warm and so luxurious. Drape a narrow scarf over a sweater for a glamorous look, or wrap a wider scarf around your head and tuck inside the collar of your favorite handspun sweater for the ultimate in cold weather dressing.
“Wearing Wool “ Angora Scarf
Use #9, #10 or
#10 1/2 needles (depending on the size
of your yarn)
Cast on 26, 28, or
30 stitches.
Row 1-8: Knit straight across. Turn. (this makes a band
with horizontal stripes in it)
Row 9-12: K1, YO, K2 tog. Repeat, end
with K1. Turn. [this will make a band with diagonal stripes in it ]
Repeat these 12
rows to make desired length.
End with 8 knit rows. Bind off loosely.
Thanks to the delightful Wearing Wool Calendar for their kind permission to share these directions with you. You can visit their website at www.wearingwool.com to see a picture of this lovely scarf... look for the lovely lady sitting at her wheel in front of two Belgian draft horses.
| Cajeta (Mexican Caramel Candy) |
Dissolve baking soda and cornstarch into 1 cup milk. Stir well to dissolve any lumps. Add rest of milk and add sugar. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly while cooking. Cook until the mixture is thick and looks like caramel sauce. Pour into jars, cool, and refrigerate. This makes a great topping for ice cream and makes a delicious apple dip! Using Whey When
the goatsmilk starts flowing again, I start making cheeses again. One of the most
under-utilized byproducts of cheesemaking is whey. In Iceland, the whey is known
as "Mysa" and is sold in quart containers as a thirst quencher like Gatorade.
One cup of whey contains almost as much potassium as a banana! Whey's natural
acidity reacts perfectly with baking soda to produce a wonderful leavening action (carbon
dioxide bubbles) for a variety of applications.
Try using whey instead of water in your favorite pancake recipe for an extremely
light and nutritious pancake. Here is a recipe: 2
cups unbleached flour 1 teasp
baking soda 1/2 teas. salt 1-2
Tbsp. sugar, honey or maple syrup 2
cups whey 2 large farm fresh
eggs 2-4 Tbsp. vegetable oil Mix
dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Blend the liquid
ingredients with the dry taking about 20 seconds (do not over do it... a light
mixing makes a light pancake). Cook in your favorite pancake skillet and
enjoy! Here is a recipe for a lotion that will sooth those sunburned shoulders : Goat Milk Lotion 1/8 t. borax and another for soaking and softening those feet for sandals! FOOT SOAK 8
cup lukewarm water -Mynou de Mey, Director National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy
DO IT YOURSELF INSTRUCTIONS
ON THE INTERNET Soon
it will be time to shear and plans are already in place for our spring shearing
to take place at the end of March. One thing I have always wanted to
have is a real skirting table and I think I found directions for
a nice one at http://www.hawksmountainranch.com/skirtingtable.html
If we get to work on it now, we may have it done in time! Another
website for do-it-yourselfers offers standing Triangle Frame Loom directions. http://ozarkangoras.netfirms.com/Loom.html#Loom
RECIPES
FROM THE GARDEN In my never-ending quest to find new and interesting
things to do with zucchini: I offer within this issue , a recipe for "Zucchini
Potato pie" Wow is it good! Thanks to Bill (HMFF webmaster and farmhand
extraordinaire) for cooking this up for me the other night. Zucchini
Potato Pie 1 pound (3 medium) potatoes, scrubbed Boiling salted water 2 tablespoons butter 2 fresh farm eggs 8 ounces goatmilk mozzarella, finely diced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (goatsmilk if possible) 1 large zucchini, coarsely grated 1/4 cup minced onion 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2 tablespoons (or more) fine dry bread crumbs 1 fresh garden tomato - diced Cook potatoes in boiling salted until tender, drain, peel and mash. Stir in remaining ingredients except bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon butter. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate and sprinkle with half the crumbs. Fill plate with the potato mixture, smoothing top. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Bake 30 minutes until pie is puffed and golden. Serve hot or cold topped with diced tomato and a sprinkle of salt. FIBER
ARTS INSPIRATION FROM NATURE- A look out my front
door gives me all the inspiration I need. Try it! A
lovely shawl made from handspun wool and mohair just came off the loom the
other day. I call it my October Shawl because it is inspired
by our gorgeous Missouri Octobers: deep blue skies and fluffy clouds,
brilliant autumn foliage, and a hint of sparkle for the pizazz that October puts
in your step. This shawl took 2nd place at the World Sheep & Fiber
Arts Festival 2004 .  This
November shawl was designed with the palette of late-fall colors
in mind: the late fall foliage, the dark purple storm clouds, the damp and darkened
bark of the forest trees.. the fallen leaves on the forest floor...
Note:
when using leftover balls of yarn, be sure to do the fringe as you go along so
that you come out even. Autumn
Offering Bowl  Made from roving wrapped around
willow and coiled into a low sided basket. Needle felted interior with fall leaf
motif and brass wire and beaded accent in a "windswept" posture. These bowls
are labor intensive, but turn out so nice.  the
interior of the Autumn Offering Bowl Show Wins
2004 HMFF
did well in the Bethel fleece show receiving a Best of Show for a yearling varigated
fleece and a blue ribbon for a black kid fleece. 
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