Tour of the Western Slope with Ysolda!

Ysolda Teague was just in town visiting us again and this time it was for a vacation! Amber and I took a few days off to give her a proper tour of our lovely state and we have lots to report. She arrived just in time for our epic blizzard last Thursday so we just spent the first couple of days sewing and working in the shop. On Sunday we dug ourselves out and drove to the western slope for some animal-cuddling, nature-loving adventures.

Ysolda, Jaime, and Amber showing their Icelandic pride!

First stop was up in Norwood Colorado where we visited Peg and Woody of Pinon Wood Ranch. The cold weather was a perfect opportunity for us to wear our Icelandic sweater and test their warmth (which totally worked, btw.) 

Flower is showing us her smile.

Peg and Woody raise Shetland sheep and alpacas for fiber. Their Shetland sheep have won tons of awards for their beautiful fiber and we think they are the nicest sheep around! Peg's sheep love to cuddle us and stare into our eyes with long, loving gazes.

Ralphie and Cheddar are about to get real famous

Amber and I were so excited to discover an interesting genetic mutation that we think could be a goldmine - miniature sheep! Last year there were four sheep (Ralphie, Cheddar, Swissy and Lauren) born at Pinon Woods that did not grow. These two rams are a year old and still the size of a 2 month old sheep! We really think that they should use them to create a new breed of miniature sheep that we can keep as pets in the city. They are perfect!

Shetland sheep are known for their hardy yet soft wool and they come in 11 different colors. There are many different colors of Shetlands at Pinon Wood Ranch - they are all so beautiful!

Of course we couldn't resist getting our hands on some fluffy alpacas. Their fiber is soo soft--and look at that crimp! Amazing!

Since we last visited, Peg has opened her handspun yarn and fiber shop in an adorable trailer. She is able to take the whole shop easily from one event to the next when she is on the road selling her wares. Look forward to more of Peg's handspun yarns coming to Fancy Tiger this spring!

We were able to bring back some of their Shetland roving with us to sell at Fancy Tiger. We picked out seven natural colors provided by Mary Jane, Flower, Abigail, Butch Cassidy, Mercedes, Belle Star, and Gracie. If you want to try spinning or felting some of this lovely local fiber, just come on in!

Ysolda, Jaime, and Amber frolic in nature. Lots of knitwear going on.

Amber and I wouldn't be good tour guides if we didn't show Ysolda some of Colorado's natural beauty. Amber's parents, Neal and Suzan, took us on an epic snowshoe hike near Ouray. Fresh snow the day before made for a beautiful and pristine landscape. We finished off the day with some local beers at a pub and a soak at the Wiesbaden hot springs - it was the perfect day!

Our drive home lent an unexpected surprise. As we drove through Hotchkiss, a group of shepherds were moving a herd of 2000 sheep from one pasture to another, causing a road block on the highway. We were so excited and immediately pulled over for a photo shoot. It worked out pretty well don't you think?

Fun times in Colorado! Ysolda will be back in town next weekend for a lecture and book signing of her two (!) new books! Join us on Friday, February 17th from 7 - 9pm for more fun times.