Farm – Moonshine Mohair at Keldaby Farm

18th Annual Crafts of Colrain Studio Tour Almost Here!

Come visit us here at Keldaby this Sat or Sun, Nov 13th–14th, 10 to 4 o’clock. Two of my best friends, Jen Kapitulik from Rag Hill Farm (upper left hand image) and Inge Jockers (lower right hand image) will be right here at Keldaby. Park once, visit three of us here–and then walk down Heath Road to our neighbor Tony Palumbo to visit his gallery and see his latest work.

During the weekend I know I will be asked at least once, probably more often, “How long does it take you to make a _____?” So finding myself just 10 days ago without any ruanas in my studio, I decided to actually learn the answer to this perennial query. The bottom line: It’s a labor of love!! The quick answer is that when weaving a run of six ruanas, one ruana takes seven hours. There’s a certain economy of scale here; it would take nearly as long to dress the loom for one as for six. But if you’re interested here’s my breakdown of the time I spent over the past week and a half:

10-12 hours to design the warp, fill the bobbins and dress the loom (wrapping the yarn on the sectional beam, threading the heddles, sleying the reed and tying on to the back beam)

3 1/2 hours to weave each ruana; that is, if there are no major screw-ups!

3-3 1/2 hours to tie the fringes on all six pieces

Next comes washing (a very gentle fulling of the fabric) and trimming the fringes

1 1/2 hours to measure the 96 4-yd lengths of yarn needed to create the six kumihimo braids that will support the neck of each ruana

1-1 1/4 hours to make the braids for each piece

And another 1/2 hour to sew the braid on and sew in a label

All this adds up to about 42 hours, hence my estimate of seven hours apiece.

I have also been busy knitting hats–here’s just one

Visitors also often ask, “But my cat (or my dog) will ruin these pieces.” No, not unless they are truly demonic! Mohair is a very resilient and durable fabric. Don’t forget, it has long been used for military dress uniforms and for upholstery, especially for theaters as it is fire resistant.

This message has been approved by Tommaso (left) and Elli (right)

Where Does Mohair Come From?

Mohair comes from angora goats. Angora comes from angora rabbits.

The angora goat is an ancient breed that originated near present day Ankara (formerly angora) Turkey. Bible references date the animal to 4000 BCE. The Arabic word mukhayyar (mohair) means select or choice, and specifically, the cloth of goat hair – indeed, this is the Sultan’s closely guarded secret! Angora goats were not allowed to be exported from Turkey until the mid nineteenth century. Today the largest herds of these animals are in South Africa, New Zealand and Texas.
The fleece of the angora grows nearly an inch a month. Adult mohair is used for outerwear, upholstery and rugs. Kid mohair is best for fine garments.
We have found that unlike sheep’s wool, mohair does not attract clothes moths as long as the garment is clean.

Moonshine Design Product Gallery

After a great deal of procrastination I have finally assembled a gallery of products that I make here at Keldaby. Although some of these specific items are still available, this series of photos is really meant to give you an idea of what I offer. Of course you know me, the colors are always changing. If you are interested in a specific piece or in a general category put it into a “Comment” or “Contact Form” and I will be happy to photograph what I currently have here in the studio.

Virtually all yarn used in these products is 65 percent Keldaby-raised mohair, 35 percent wool. Unless specified as hand spun, my yarn is mostly made at Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney VT. I do have to purchase the boucle yarns which I like to use interspersed throughout my pieces or as the weft; however, I always buy white and do all my own dyeing. I sell yarn here in my studio and at the shows we go to but it is possible to order from me if you don’t live in our area. Mill spun is $20 to $28 per 4 oz skein and has approximately 220 yards. Hand spun skeins are priced according to weight and composition but are generally $9 to $10 per oz.

The mobius shawl is one of the most popular styles at Moonshine Design. The shawl sits squarely on your shoulders, no fussing with pins or loose ends, and it is perfect with jeans or to dress up with a long skirt at a more formal event. Just enough coverage for a chilly evening, a brisk fall day or a warm wrap around the house. $175

The ruana is an absolutely classic garment…Celtic, South American, you name it. It can be worn hanging straight down the front, pinned or not, or with one or both ends tossed back over the shoulder. This is for the person–man or woman–who likes to make a statement so it’s not for the faint of heart! The split at the neck is reinforced with a Japanese braid so you don’t need to worry about wearing it a lot. It will never fall apart. $350

Unless you live along the equator there are always nights when you will be chilly. If you live in more northern climes, as we do, there are many such evenings. Our mohair throw (56″ by 72″ plus generous fringes) is totally the right piece to wrap up in. Easy to maintain (mohair seldom needs to be washed; a good shake and a day out on the line will freshen it up just fine) this will keep you happy for years…and it gets softer and softer as it ages. Depending on length, $250 to $275.

Nuno is felting on a fabric, generally silk, and often on mine I have created a whole different second side by free-stitching a design on the silk, then cutting out the pattern. The first scarf here has fish on the back. Below you can see one scarf first with the two sewn ends, the second showing the two very different sides. For the price of one you essentially have two scarves! The last photo shows a cobweb felt scarf which has no fabric backing, and yes, they do hold together if made correctly and worn somewhat carefully. Each piece is unique and never reproduced. Prices range from $50 to $95

We sell a lot of hand knit hats in four or five different styles: the punta, the elfin cap, “Lauren’s” hat (a Green Mountain Spinnery pattern), also slouch berets (not shown). Hats range in price from $45 to $50.

The baby fruit caps are $20.

We have hand knit scares as well and they are generally $60. The first one shown is made with handspun yarn

Leg warmers, under or over pants or tucked down inside boots, are $50

After thinking of the fingerless mitts as a wonderfully romantic item from Victorian times…think La Boheme…it suddenly occurred to me one day that the reason so many teenage girls bought these was because they are perfect for texting! The mitts are $30 and $35. These shown are $35

Ahhh, the burnoose…or is it a monk’s robe or a wizard’s cloak? Here is the garment you can live in. Long, warm, hooded, this can be worn (as can the ruana) over another coat or heavy sweater in the depths of winter. These are custom made (though I still have two of these shown); this garment is $400.

Then of course there are the socks. The best sellers and for good reason. They may seem expensive to the uniniatiated, but these are the perfect socks, lasting for years and years (they are mill-made and very strong), always wicking dampness away, warm but not too warm. Then there is the little “dirty” secret about them–they don’t need to be washed that often! They come in two sizes: women’s medium (size 7 1/2 to 9 1/2) and men’slarge for women’s size 10 and up and most men. There are two weights, the regular which work well with most any shoes ($28) and the thick boot sock which I love to wear around the house in Krocs or Birkenstock-style sandals all winter long. Not bad in bed either! ($40). There is also a very small size for little kids and women with shoe size up to 6 1/2 that is somewhere between the two regular weights. These are $22.

Check out these very small socks. Unmistakedly cute! $22

Mill-spun yarns are $20 for a 4 oz skein, approx 220 yds per skein

And So We Come to the End

Fri, May 29 It’s our last day in Orkney and I am trying really hard to stay cheerful. Tomorrow morning we will have to be up at 5, eat breakfast, wedge everything into our car–and our baggage has grown larger, we know because we’ve been practicing fitting everything into our luggage–and hit the road at 6 so we don’t miss our ferry. Michael is feeling a bit under the weather and we three leave him at the cottage and head off to the other farm museum at Kirbuster, not far from Birsay. We make a couple wrong turns, one which goes to Kirbister on the west coast, so we get to see some unexplored places and finally find the museum. Kirbuster turns out to be very interesting for a number of reasons. It is the only remaining farm in northern Europe with an open hearth with its fireback in the middle of the main room, the smoke escaping through the lum in the roof. In the photos below you can see the light coming in through the skylin. The smoke is directed out by the moveable wooden lum depending on wind direction. A peat fire has been laid and there is a group of visiting photography students (from Maine, we hear) who have set up their tripods and cameras. Kirbuster was built or refurbished in the early 18th c by a family of means. It was built with windows and from the beginning the animals were housed in separate buildings. In fact this house was lived in until 1961 and the newer parts are quite commodious in a very old-fashioned way. (I can remember visiting aged relatives in Orleans Co in upstate New York whose homes looked quite a bit like this.) The guide here, however, is definitely not the hands-on sort like our guide at Corrigall. He stays in his little building and sells Orkney ice cream (one more opportunity to indulge!).

The gardens are truly lovely with several ways in…a whalebone gate, an iron gate and a cut in the stone wall. From every angle the gardens are gorgeously in bloom. Lots of bluebells of Scotland.

On a whim we stop at an art gallery just up the road. Jill is good and practises restraint but Lynn and I, as usual, each buy a dyed silk scarf…mine is actually a shawl but will become a wall hanging at home. It is in brooding grays and although it is in no way representational, it reminds me of the Ring of Brodgar. Lynn’s is more a sunset over heathered hills.

As we will be driving through Dounby a final time we decide to stop in for a late lunch and that wonderful coffee. Back in Stromness I take my camera and Lynn and I videotape the walk down South End, Alfred, Dundas and Victoria Streets a final time and then it’s time to get creative with the bits and pieces left to make a dinner from.

All the quantities and ingredients used were dictated by the remnants of our several grocery shopping sprees. Unfortunately there was no final bottle of wine!

The Rovers’ Farewell Frittata

Saute 1 onion, chopped

1 whole head of garlic, crushed

2 small sweet peppers, chopped

Beat together 3 eggs and

1/2 container of plain yogurt and

pour over well-cooked vegetables.

When eggs have set add

3/4 c shredded Parmesan and

2 Tbl chopped cilantro

Simple and very tasty!

While we watch Pretty Woman with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, Michael who has seen it “dozens of times” takes a walk out Ness Road and back up past the golf links and reports back that it is a glorious walk that we have missed. It will have to wait for another trip! The next morning we bid farewell to our wonderful cottage and the amazing two weeks we have spent here. On the ferry back to mainland Scotland we play a last couple of hands of Spite & Malice,

drive to Aberdeen,

divest ourselves of our trusty Ford Focus

catch our plane to Heathrow and the next to Logan Airport (Boston), find Lynn’s car with no problem and arrive back in Colrain, Shelburne and Leyden in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Category: Farm

18th Annual Crafts of Colrain Studio Tour Almost Here!

Where Does Mohair Come From?

Moonshine Design Product Gallery

And So We Come to the End

keldabygoats