The Forest Path - February 2020

Signs of spring started to make appearances in the forest this month. We had to have some stinging nettle identification lessons with the kids who come to our homeschool program when we noticed them popping up early in the month. The tiny hairs cause skin irritation and when the plants are so short it can be hard to notice them. Despite that, they are a welcome sight as it’s a sign that spring weather is just around the corner.

The other sign of spring that showed up this month is the indian plum, or osoberry, shrub. It’s always the first plant to put out its new leaves - often when it’s still cold and wintry. The bright green new leaves are such a welcome sight against the backdrop of dark green evergreens.

Near the beginning of the month our little flock of Shetland sheep got their yearly haircut. This is Flint and Serena just before their beautiful woolly fleeces were clipped.

They seemed pretty happy with their new haircuts! It’s always fun to see their real colors once the dirty wool is off of them. Flint is white, Serena is light gray, and Hazel is a light brown color called moorit.

I’m so excited to wash and spin their beautiful wool into yarn! The crinkly french-fry-looking wool is from Hazel and the long lock is from Flint. He has the longest wool of any of our sheep. They all have some hay in their fleeces but it will come out when we wash and card it.

Another highlight of the month was holding an indigo dyeing workshop! It was a full day of creative fun and the participants made the most beautiful blue designs! The weather cooperated and it was sunny and beautiful - perfect for dyeing outside. It was a great first workshop of the year and I can’t wait for the upcoming workshops that are scheduled this spring!

New to the shop this month was a new batch of naturally dyed cotton baskets. Even the pom poms and wool tabs are dyed with plant dyes. They’re the perfect addition to any home and can be used for virtually anything - even as an Easter basket!