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SheepPigs
Across the road in Hope there is a farm that has a most unusual breed of sheep. The first time I saw them I thought they were pigs because of their spots but then I noticed the horns on some of them and realized that there was no way a pig would sport those!
Recently, my wonderful neighbor and friend Maria Menegus went to upstate NY to visit her sister CeCe and brought back some terrific undyed wool from her sheep. In fact the wool is so untreated it still had bits of straw to pick out while knitting. My father, who was visiting at the time, took one look at the wool and asked me to knit a scarf. And no sooner had I announced I had finished the scarf he asked for a matching hat! I made the scarf with all knit rows (i.e. purl) as it is thicker and warmer that way but the hat, which has a double layer around the ears when you turn it up, I did in ribbing.
The wool was fun to work with as it had a natural spring to it, no doubt from the lanolin which processing tends to destroy. I was so pleased with the results I signed it at the bottom with some left over red wool from a previous project.
Maria told me that her sister’s sheep actually came from the very farm where I first spied them. Maria and her son drove them up to upstate NY. It’s kind of funny to think of the traveling wool which started on the sheep in Hope, then continued to reside there in upstate NY until shearing, then was carded and spun into yarn and returned to Hope, and then knitted into the scarf and hat and returned to upstate NY!
Maria doesn’t raise sheep but she and her family do have a wonderful farm and roadside stand and her father-in-law Joe, across the road, has chickens and the most delicious eggs which have spoiled me for any other.
This is a photo of Maria’s recent harvest. And the photo below it is a recent breakfast Elliott and I enjoyed on a Sunday in Hope. We called it the boy/girl breakfast—note the difference even in the color of the plates! His was sausage on my filone bread; mine Menegus tomatoes, grilled Vermont bacon, Menegus cast iron fried egg, on lightly grilled Ricotta Bliss Bread.
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Comments
Love the his and hers b'fast. I tried to get into knitting once and a co-worker offered to teach me. I knitted a scarf just like the one in the pic above but in grey(not as neat though). Then I went on maternity leave, never went back to work and that was the end of my knitting.
Reply to this Posted by: Rozanne | October 21, 2008 10:34 AM #
Yes, the sheep is Jacob. They are white with black patches and have two or four horns. They are a heritage breed and nearly became extinct but are becoming established again. I would post a photo of them to the blog, but don't know how.
CeCe
Reply to this Posted by: CeCe Tkaczyk | October 20, 2008 7:18 PM #
i thought i must have been dreaming!
Reply to this Posted by: rose levy beranbaum | October 16, 2008 6:39 PM #
Oops, my mistake (about the Bon Appetit)!
Oh, but I highly recommend Ravelry, too--great online knitting community.
Reply to this Posted by: --Deb | October 14, 2008 4:51 PM #
Hi Deb,
Which cake are you referring to in the new issue of Bon Appetit? I was unable to find one by Rose.
Thanks
Janina
Reply to this Posted by: janina | October 14, 2008 5:49 AM #
The scarf is beautiful and looks very comfy and warm. I love the color....
Reply to this Posted by: Zach Townsend | October 13, 2008 8:57 PM #
yes--the sign by the farm says Jacob!
thanks for the info. on the ravelry site monica.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | October 13, 2008 5:46 AM #
Looks like this might be Jacob - this breed is famous for horns and multi-colored fleece. I'd have to see a picture to identify the breed, though.
But yes, I knit and spin. Ravelry's great. There are quite a few groups devoted to food.
Reply to this Posted by: Lola LB | October 13, 2008 5:02 AM #
If you're a knitter, you should sign up for Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com). It's still in beta, but there are thousands of different patterns and projects to browse through and very inspiring!
Reply to this Posted by: Monica | October 12, 2008 12:27 AM #
Okay, as a knitter and a spinner, I'm dying to know what breed of sheep that was (grin). And, the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY is next weekend and the online knitting world is getting all worked up about it--it's so much FUN!
Oh, and side note--I got my Bon Appetit the other day, and your "signature" cake for the season looks wonderful. I wonder if I have all the ingredients in the kitchen so that I could give it a try this weekend?
Reply to this Posted by: --Deb | October 11, 2008 3:24 PM #
It was a nice surprise to see that you are a knitter too. I think baking and wool should always go hand in hand!
Reply to this Posted by: eve | October 11, 2008 12:04 PM #