Come on Over to That'll Do Farm

It's official! The new That'll Do Farm website & blog is up and running.

If you have Brighton Wool Gatherings tagged as a favorite or if you link to this site, please change your settings so you can continue to see all that's happening on the farm.

You'll find the blog under the drop down box "Life on the Farm." Hope to hear from you on the new site.

Still Trying

We're still trying to get this blog and our old That'll Do Farm website moved over to our beautiful new site.

I have my fingers crossed, toes crossed and eyes crossed (a really good look for me) that it will happen sooner rather than later.

Please be patient with us.

www.ThatllDoFarm.com will soon be our new forever home.

We're Moving!

The Brighton Wool Gatherings blog is moving to it's new home at www.ThatllDoFarm.com.

Things should be up and running later today if all goes according to plan (fingers double crossed here!!). Please be patient with us during this technical transition time!

Exciting Changes at Brighton Wool Gatherings

We've been busy here at the farm trying to gussy up the place and get it ready for visitors. We're moving along, but like any project, you always wish you had one more day, week, month, etc...

Knitting classes are starting, hook-ins are happening, and the chickens are laying enough eggs that we can sell them. Quite a difference from day one when the farm looked like this:

Now that ratty, old falling-down, dangerous barn is just a memory

and the garden area looks like this:

But all that old wood has been saved and we will soon start construction on a farm stand, from which we will sell produce, eggs, Christmas trees and beautiful, wonderful yarn.

The new barn now has a matching friend.

It is the goat run-in shed in the west pasture.

Once all the fencing is complete, the goats will move into their new home. The old cliche that farm work is never done is a cliche for a reason. Because it's absolutely true!

In addition to the outside work, this blog is changing as well.

Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to follow the strange, yet oddly fun, farm activities at our new website, http://www.thatlldofarm.com/. The blog and website will be incorporated into one site. Please change however you have us bookmarked to find us at our new location. You'll still be following Brighton Wool Gatherings. We'll just be at our new home on the farm.

Learn the Double Faced Knitting Technique

Calling all knitters -- it's time to challenge yourself!

Brighton Wool Gatherings is offering a fabulous class on September 14 from 7 -9:30 p.m., taught by Knitter Extraordinaire Stacey. You'll learn the reversible, double faced knitting technique, which will enable you to make things like this:

or this:

The first time I saw this scarf, I was in awe. No way, I thought, would I ever be able to make that. But Stacey stuck with me and I have learned the technique. Just don't talk to me while I'm working on it. In my book, talking and double faced knitting don't mix.

Stacey will teach you the basics of double faced knitting and chart reading. Bring two skeins of contrasting yarn of the same weight and needles appropriate for the yarn you've chosen.

You'll go home with the beginnings of a knit bookmark and the knowledge, and confidence, to make all sorts of reversible projects.

Cost of the class is $25. You can register by e-mailing us at BrightonWool@aol.com or calling the farm (440-829-3644).

I love this technique. The class is perfect for any intermediate knitter (or above) who knows how to knit and purl. Don't be afraid! After all, I was able to learn how to do it. And if I can learn, you can certainly learn!

Hope to see you on the 14th!

Border Collies Bringin' Home the Bacon

If you were a herding dog, this weekend you were living the dream.

Hado-Bar Farms, in the booming metropolis of Nova, Ohio, held a Herding Ranch Dog trial on Friday and Saturday. Moose and Grady were entered.

They love Hado-Bar Farms. It is where they regularly go for herding lessons. It's the dog equivalent of Mecca. Or Heaven.

It other words, it's a gosh darn good place to be.

It's full of pretty red barns, herding gates and sheep.

And Debbie David.

Debbie is their trainer. Yesterday, she ran Moose and Grady on the Ranch Large Flock course.

They got to move 25 sheep into and out of pens, through gates, around obstacles, and through chutes. All in under 35 minutes. It's not an easy task when you have 22 sheep that want to go one way and 3 rogue sheep that want to go another.

And a judge watching their every move.

Farmer Gal was called in to "scribe" for the trial. She had the task of writing down every point off the judge found with each dog. Not a fun task when the rain started!

Moose and Grady each had a good day, coming in first and second and winning with "High in Trial" scores as well.

As you can tell, they really love their ribbons.

Well, maybe they don't care one little bit about their ribbons. But they sure did like their Milk Bone treats. For them, it was well worth it.

Dog College

On Saturdays, Grady and Moose head off to Sheep Herding College.

It is one of the highlights of their week. Other highlights include playing ball, saying hello to anybody (and everybody) they meet, eating dinner, going on a walk and taking a nap in a cool location. They are pretty easy to please.

But sheep herding is truly their utmost favorite thing to do. They get to see their "professor" Debbie. She's actually their herding teacher, but they call her professor. It's a sign of respect.

When they see Debbie, it's all over. They will do anything she says because she controls their access to this:

Sheep! Sure, sure, Moose and Grady have goats at home to play with, but no sheep yet.

Goats refuse to clump together like sheep. Sheep have fear in their eyes when they see these two fierce border collies crouch down in the border collie stance. Goats eye them with humor. Fear and Humor are not the same to a border collie. They prefer fear.

So off they go for higher learning each week. They are always excited to go.

That is, unless their owners stand around talking too long before actually starting the car to go to college. Then Grady looses it a bit. He's on a slooooow, looong slide to boredom. Don't worry, he knows exactly what he's doing. He's going for sympathy points so we'll start the car. His sheep are waiting.