Hello all...computer ejiit here...I've tried several times to send an intro note and have failed each time. Let's see how this time works.

I'm Sandra and live with my family in southwest Virginia at Thistle Cove Farm. I'm the shepherd & farmer while my husband is the computer geek (he, however, has no idea about lists, forums, etc.). His ninety year old mother lives with us along with an assortment of dogs and cats.

I breed and raise rare American Curly horses, Shetland, Romney and Merino sheep. I spin, weave, knit and felt the wool and supplement farm income with free-lance photography and writing. We offer farm tours to groups and families and have a farm store on property. Our wool clip goes, generally, to make 100% virgin wool blankets, throws and yarn.

We house the Lost Arts Guild and help other traditional mountain artisans promote, market and sell their heritage crafts.

This is such a great website and forum; I'm glad to be here!

Don't get so busy you miss God's blessings!

Sandra
www.thistlecovefarm.com

Sandra, Welcome! You sound like you have a very interesting life! It must be wonderful to work with all those sweet animals and to be creative with textiles all the time. I would love to hear more about it!

Bright Blessings,
Lil

Sandra,
I just spent the last 30 or so minutes going over your site. I love it there! The animals are beautiful, and farm is very appealing, and the activities there sound like fun. I know you are a working ranch, but I love the fact that you involve the community and let the school children in on the action there. That must be a thrill for them. It would be for me, even at my age! ha!

I wish you had shown pic's of the farmhouse you are renovating. It bet it's lovely. I will admit that I have never heard of curly horses until I visited your site. I absolutely loved reading everything. Good job on the site! and oh yes...WELCOME!

Sandra, welcome! I also searched your site and loved it. You introduced me to a new way of living.

Ladies, I corresponded with Sandra by e-mail and guess what? The lady onthe porch spinning is her. Isn't that cool? Looks like a perfect setting to me! That's probably because I live withink walking distance of 4, soon to be 5 Starbucks. Lots going on around here compared to that serene atmoshpere whiere Sandra lives!

Sandra, I'm in awe of people who really pursue their art (rather than just talk and think about it) and to combine that with raising animals must be great. I have 3 horses (2 at home and 1 at a trainer's for selling purposes). In real life, I write instruction manuals but I'm trying to write a book, plus some short stories to break the book monotony. Unfortunately, I tend to get distracted and discouraged. It's encouraging to read about someone who's actively pursuing their dreams.

Mary
www.cowgirl.4t.com

Welcome Sandra, Your are right, this is a great forum with great friends here.

You are not that far away from me, I live in Northern maryland. i'm glad you like the forum and hope to hear lots from you.

Lynn

OMIGOSH! I feel like Dorothy in OZ...or maybe it's Arnold...whatever...thank you Dotsie for helping me with the forum "stuff". I'm back and logged in...MY! what a feeling!

Lil, your cookbook looks wonderful. Congratulations on having a book in print.

JawJaw - gee, I thought that's how *everyone* said Georgia! You mean other folks are saying it incorrectly?! How rude!

Dotsie - FIVE Starbucks!!! I'm not aware of even one in southwest Virginia! Starbucks would throw me out of the coffee line...I fix the coffee pot with Folgers the night before and then press a button the next morning as I'm on the way to the barn .

Agate - instruction manuals...what kind? Go for the book, gal! Can't no one write *your* book but YOU. (so to speak )

Lynn - northern Maryland, eh? I attend the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairground every first weekend in May. It's a fabulous affair for those of us who deal in fiber - whether animals or finished product like yarn.

Many thanks to all for the warm welcomes.

Textiles...the wool from the sheep is either for personal use or I send it to be processed. For personal use, after shearing it's washed, dried in the sunshine, carded on my small carding machine (making batts of roving), spun on one of my spinning wheels and then knitted or woven into something useful. Sometimes I'll use the fleece or carded wool for felting. I've begun making felted pins and also have begun knitting bracelets with semi-precious stones and polished rocks. Sometimes I'll mix with the wool some Curly horse fiber or mohair (from Angora goats) or alpaca or llama fiber. That mixing is done with the carding machine.

If I send the wool off to be processed then it's turned into 100% virgin woolblankets, throws and/or yarn. (Virgin wool is wool that has *never* been used for anything other than as fleece on the animal. If the label doesn't say "virgin wool" then there's a chance it's a re-processed wool rug.) I'm thinking of having some socks made this year. My blankets and throws are sold word of mouth and in the farm store and come with a certificate of authenticity and our own label. Due to the nature of wool, the blankets are numbered every year and there are only *x* number made. That depends, of course, on the pounds of fleece we obtain from the sheep. Right now I've got 400 pounds of Merino in the farm office to sort and send. There's also another couple of hundred pounds of Romney and Shetland fleece. That particular job should have been done several months ago but wasn't. Life on a farm is NEVER dull!

Time to get something else accomplished. Best to you all...

Sandra who is still trying to figure out this forum thingie...do I sign my name now or does it appear later...hmmmmmm...just hit the button and see what happens.

welcome Sandra, loved your website and the pics of the farm - it looks really beautiful...

knitted bracelets? now that sounds interesting!

Hi, Sandra. It's so nice of you to drop in and share your interesting - and busy! - life with us. Wow! I look forward to getting to know you better.

Donna
www.worthfinding.com

How about all those Starbucks? I wish I was a coffee drinker. I've recently started drinking it on special occasions, but not enough to visit Starbucks. I need my orange juice and water in the mornings.