LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY/TN – March 16, 2017 – The Homeplace 1850s Farm at Land Between the Lakes hosts a week of programs dedicated to working with wool Saturday, April 8 through Saturday, April 15. Visitors are invited to get some hands-on experience and lend a hand preparing the new fleeces for spinning into yarn.
“The sheep are ready to shed their wool from the past year and that means new fleeces to wash, tease, card, spin, and dye,” said Cindy Earls, Homeplace Lead Interpreter. “We will show each step it takes to process our sheep’s raw wool into yarn, which we knit or weave into clothing during our Ewe to Yarn Challenge.”
Invited artist, Gary Larson, will give Homeplace sheep their “haircut” for the year, 1850’s style, on Sheep Shearing Day, Saturday, April 8, 10am-12pm and 1-3pm.
Programs included with regular admission: ages 13 and up $5; ages 5-12 $3; ages 4 and under are free. Fourth grade students can go to www.everykidinapark.gov, get their free Every Kid in a Park pass, and get their family in for free.
Program schedule includes:
Sat, Apr 8-15 | 11am-3pm | Wool Week: Ewe to Yarn Challenge
- Sat, Apr 8 | Sheep Shearing Day
- 10am-12pm & 1-3pm | Going to the “Baa-bar Shop”: Spring Sheep Shearing
- 11am-3pm | Washing the Fleece
- 12-1pm | Meet and Greet with Sheep
- Sun, Apr 9 | Teasing Dried Wool
- Mon, Apr 10 | Carding Wool
- Tue, Apr 11 | Spinning the Wool
- Wed, Apr 12 | Begin Knitting the Wool
- Thu, Apr 13 | Carding, Spinning, and Knitting
- Fri, Apr 14 | Spinning and Knitting
- Sat, Apr 15 | Finish Knitting Projects
To find more information about Land Between the Lakes, log on to the official website at www.landbetweenthelakes.us or call 800-LBL-7077 or 270-924-2000. Photos available on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/lblkytn/albums.
Photo credit: Border Leicester sheep after its haircut by Chris Thornock, Forest Service