The 8 children and 5 moms who attended Sheep & Wool Camp at our farm in late July spent five days playing with drop spindles, skein winders, knitting needles, and wool. Families from as far away as New York City and as close as Brookfield, VT became immersed in farm life and fiber arts for an entire week. Camp activities centered around our main product-wool.
The children learned how to care for the Romney sheep and angora goats that live at Grand View Farm. Their afternoons were spent learning how to card wool and spin it into yarn using drop spindles. They explored dyeing wool with plants found on the farm and then learned how to make knitting needles and knit with their naturally dyed skeins of yarn.
All of the children participated in a joint project, which they plan to enter into the Tunbridge World’s Fair in September. Their project, a needle felted mural, depicts the four seasons of the Vermont landscape.
While the children worked in the barn’s new fiber studio most of the day, their moms worked outside and on the front porch. The moms learned how to process wool from the sheep to dyed finished yarn. Their days were spent washing a fleece, carding it, and then spinning it into yarn on drop spindles. The moms also learned how to take wool roving and turn it into a felted tote bag. The process took five days to complete from felting the bag, to embellishments, to weaving the strap. At the end of the week, all of the children and moms had formed lasting friendships.
This is the third year we have hosted a week-long summer camp for children and their moms. The camp’s goal is to introduce families to the fiber arts and educate them about fiber-producing animals. In 2011, we plan to host two separate camps: one for children ages 7 to 11 and; one for children ages 12 to 15. Reserve your space in camp early!!
