Unbelievable.....Until You See And Feel!
26th Annual Wool Arts Tour
October 10th, 11th &12th, 2009
SATURDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY!
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
HOST FARM # 5
Bill and Audrey Rhoades
Mirage Alpacas
232
Lempster Mountain Road, Washington NH 03280
Phone:
603-495-3435 Fax: 603-495-0065
miragealpacas@gsinet.net
Website: www.miragealpacas.com
MIRAGE ALPACAS in Washington, NH, is home of "Mother Nature’s Precious Fibers": Registered Livestock consisting of Huacaya and Suri Alpacas, Natural Colored & White fine-fleece sheep, Co-Owner of “Mad Alice’s” White & Natural Colored Angora Goats, Miniature Sicilian Donkeys & Australian Shepherds. 70% Alpaca/30% Wool Felting, Quilt &/or Comforter Batts, Farm’s Pure or Blended Top, Roving, & Yarn. Wool Mattresses, Toppers & Pillows, Spinning Wheels, Looms and Accessories. Washable Sheep, Lamb & Angora Goat Hides, Assorted Garments, Socks, Fleeces, Dyes, Books, USDA “Certified Quality” Freezer Lamb & Sausage, Feeder Lambs, Registered Breeding Stock, Gift Shop & New Fiber-Retreat Meeting Craft Room! (Simply call and schedule a meeting time for you and your friends to meet, work and socialize!)
Regular Hours: Open Every Saturday (weather permitting) 10:00 am - 4:00 pm for FREE FARM TOUR
Educational School Tours WELCOME and Encouraged by Appointment.
"Learn To Spin For Free" by Appointment As Well!
- Shari Mead, Mirage's Fiber Manager, Provides a Free Spinning Lesson -
VISITING FIBER ARTIST PARTICIPANTS
Nip & Tuck
Farm at the 19th Annual Wool Arts Tour in 2002
PLEASE NOTE: THEY MOVED! Gale and Ken Frizell, Nip & Tuck Farm of Jaffrey, NH, have relocated home to Texas and will be missed by all! Their Farm’s exquisite quality natural colored and hand-dyed “Romney Roving Bumps,” handspun yarns, hand knitted items & assorted patterns will also be missed! Their "skirting table" will be available for your use when purchasing fleeces at the Wool Arts Tour due to their generous donation! Thank you, Ken and Gale! Keep in touch!
- Friend Betty & Sue Connary of Hodge Podge -
Sue and Tom Connary, Hodge Podge Handicrafts, 59 Belknap Ave., Newport, NH 03773, 603-863-1470, hdgpdg_2000@yahoo.com. Spinning supplies, fibers, raw fleeces, processed roving. Wheels by Louet, Majacraft, Ashford, Kromski & Windsome Timbers. A full line of knitting supplies, books, and homespun hand-knit wearables. NOTE: Sue and Tom won the first NH Food Bank Alpaca Raffle in 2008 and will have some esquisite alpaca fiber available from their farm! Interested in joining a spinning and kntting group? Sue has the location and friendly participants to get you started and keep you company!
- Kitefield Farm at the 19th Annual Wool Arts Tour in 2002 -
Carolyn Terhune (pictured with Stanley Terhune), Kitefield Farm, 173 Page Hill, PO Box 654, Newport, NH 03244, 603-863-2466, kitefield1@aol.com. Registered white and natural colored Romney sheep, yearlings & lambs to start or add to your existing flock! Fresh shorn natural colored and white fleeces, washable lambskins, Romney batts, natural and hand-dyed yarns. NOTE: Carolyn has been our major fiber mentor over the years. Need information from "A to Z?" Ask Carolyn, as she is a walking book of knowledge!
- Julie Patterson of Kelly Corner Farm & Mad Alice's Angora Goats! -
- Kelly Corner Farm's combed and blended fibers -
Julie Patterson, Kelly Corner Farm, 3
Pleasant St.,
- Deb Bury
at the 20th Annual Wool Arts Tour in
2003 -
By special request from Mirage, the custom made buttons of Deb Bury will be a special feature in Mirage Alpaca's Gift and Fiber Shop. Deb, a long time fiber artist, has turned her talents
- Bonny Collard of Painted Shadow Farm 2008 -
Bonny Collard, Painted Shadow Farm, PO Box 65, 207 Marlow Hill Road, Marlow, NH 03456, 603-446-3944, bonny.collard@yahoo.com, www.paintedshadowfarm.blogspot.com Featuring beautiful natural colored and white mohair fleeces, roving and handspun yarn. Merino and mohair roving blends. Hand dyed and natural colored mohair locks, dyed fleeces and yarns. Weaving kits. NOTE: Bonny will provide you with a "Rainbow Dyeing" demonstration daily at 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
- Lisa Letendre & Friend of Boulder Meadow Fiber Mill Farm -
Lisa Letendre, Owner of Boulder Meadow Fiber Mill, 254 Rhododendron Road, Fitzwilliam, NH 03447, 603-585-3461, lisaletendre@yahoo.com , www.bouldermeadowfarm.com Producing top quality betts and roving from lightly, carefully, scoured fleeces. Deliver your raw fleece to us on the Wool Arts Tour for custom processing, or purchase one from a variety of ours! NOTE: Lisa will be offering an "A to Z" fleece processing demonstration starting at NOON! A fleece will be selected, skirted, washed, dried, picked, carded, spun into yarn and a project started before your very eyes!
HIGHLIGHTS & EDUCATIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS AT
MIRAGE ALPACAS DURING THE ANNUAL WOOL ARTS TOUR 2009
2nd ANNUAL NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK ALPACA RAFFLE!
Simply purchase a raffle tick for any amount of money to benefit the NH Food Bank. Winning ticket will be drawn in December by the NH Food Bank and a pair of "Alpaca Fiber Pets" will be donated by Mirage Alpacas to a qualified person/home. Even if you might not want the alpacas, BE A WINNER and make a donation!
NOTE: Any winning ticket holder not desiring to take ownership of alpacas may select the alpaca sweater of their choice from the Mirage Gift Shop!
CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM & SUE CONNARY OF NEWPORT, NH,
WINNERS OF THE 1st NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK ANNUAL RAFFLE!
- Barbara Blakeney Visiting Peter -
“Spinning and Weaving” demonstrations are available throughout the day on a wide variety of wheels and looms. Mirage's longtime friend and Fiber Manager, Shari Mead, will host the farm's traditional "LEARN TO SPIN FOR FREE!" Grab a chair and one of our many wheels like Aaron Sault of Randolph, VT,. NOTE: Shari Mead, Mirage Alpaca's Fiber Manager, will offer "LEARN TO SPIN FOR FREE" lessons between the hours of 9-11am & 1-3pm
(Feel free to contact Mirage Alpacas for a free introduction to spinning lesson any time suring the year!)
- Gwen Gaskell, Mirage Alpaca's Gift Shop Manager of Washington, NH -
It's difficult to define Gwen Gaskell. Both Bill and I feel "adopted" by Gwen, and her husband Jim! As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for Jim and Gwen, our barns would never be cleaned out in time for the Annual Wool Arts Tour. They both devote days of free labor to assist us in getting ready. To know them is to love them, and even when the two of them are "cracking the whip" behind Bill and me!
Look for special items hand-spun and knit by Gwen! She is famous for her "stuffed alpaca mittend" and takes special orders for them, as well as custom spins. As for Jim, we've retired him from the Washington Historical Society's "Sidewalk Cafe" after many years of devotion and successful service for the organization. You will now find Jim escorting you around the family farm and conducting free farm tours!
DAILY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
AT MIRAGE ALPACAS
9 am and throughout the three days - FREE FARM TOURS! Bill Rhoades and Jim Gaskell host guided tours of Mirage Alpacas livestock for an up-close view of numerous species residing at Mirage. College students will also be on hand to answer your questions!
11:30 am - Noon DAILY - "Rainbow Dyeing" with Bonny Collard, Painted Shadow Farm Daily at 12 pm - 1 pm
Noon - 1 pm DAILY - "What To Do With Your Fleece!" Lisa Letendre of Boulder Meadow Fiber Mill will show you how to prepare a raw fleece for afinished products! Daily at 1:00 pm “Hands On Fleece Skirting” of wool.
1 pm DAILY - "Don't Toss That Sock!" Audrey Rhoades of Mirage Alpacas will show you how to make your natural fiber sock even stronger than it originally was! Bring a sock with a hole or worn area and learn how to repair it for continued years of use! Daily at 2: pm
Chef Senator Bob Odell attending Cafe's grill- -Wool Arts Tour Visitors enjoying the Sidewalk Cafe-
They’re Back! "The Sidewalk Cafe," sponsored by members of the Washington Historical Society will again be at your service with morning goodies, lunch and dinner featuring Mirage’s own USDA Lamb Shish-K-Bob, endless Lamb Burgers (sorry we ran out last year!), Grilled Italian Sausage with peppers and sweet onions, Lamb Stew, chili, and the usual assortment of mouthwatering home-baked goodies, assorted beverages & treats! Sit at the Sidewalk Cafe or select a quiet table and chair located under one of several shade trees around the farm!
"Getting Started With Sheep and Goats" Julie Patterson of Kelly Corner Farm and Bill & Audrey Rhoades of Mirage Alpacas will host a round-table discussion in the pasture among sheep and goats for those interested in starting a flock or herd, and for those that may have questions concerning management practices.
- Marje Foss with namesake Aussie puppy, "Marje" -
IN LOVING MEMORY-- Longtime friend, horse and Aussie mentor, Marje Foss, lost her battle with breast cancer. Her contribution to both the Australian Shepherds and their owners lives on however, as well as her talented line of Aussies. No longer able to participate in the Annual Wool Arts Tour, sharing information and demonstrating her versatile Australian Shepherd
“Certified Therapy Dogs,” Marje will be missed...
Audrey
Rhoades doing a fiber demonstration at the 20th Annual Wool Arts Tour in
2003
WOOL ARTS TOUR HOST FARMS
Mirage Alpacas,
Washington, NH
Spring Pond Farm, Greenfield, NH
Chauncey
Farm, Antrim, NH
Western
View Farm, Hillsboro, NH
The Fiber
Studio, Henniker, NH
Directions
to All Host Farms
on the Wool Arts Tour
For more information about the Wool Arts Tours Other Sites
Please visit http://www.woolartstournh.com/
|
Bill and Audrey Rhoades |
Copyright 1998-2009 by Mirage Alpacas. |