November happenings at Withers Wool and Farm
Farm and Animals
The biggest activity on the farm in November has been shearing the Angora goats. They are sheared every six months and since they were sheared in May, they get sheared again in November. I shear them myself; it takes me 30+ minutes to shear a goat and the adults yield approximately five pounds of mohair fiber. There are now 19 goats and I shear one or two a day. I started shearing on 12 November and finished shearing on 26 November. (I did not shear every day.) After a goat is sheared, I quickly skirt the fiber, removing any large amounts of vegetable matter and debris. The fiber is then put in a bag and moved to the bottom of the barn/shop where, eventually, it will be cleaned and processed. The goats need a few weeks to grow back sufficient fleece to stay warm when it drops to the 30s (or colder) at night, so they stay in my white barn and various heaters are turned on in the evening so they can stay warm. And a few had shirts put on them to help stay warm. All done now and there were no issues. (And I put out social media posts on 20 November about the shearing process and on 22 November about how the goats “greet” each other once shorn.)
The Angora buck that was put in with three does on 21 October to breed was removed on 23 November. Hopefully all three does are pregnant (it is very hard to tell especially early in the cycle). Assuming they are pregnant, baby goats could be born starting 20 March 2026.
Nothing new to report on regarding the chickens and peacocks. The chickens are still on strike and barely laying any eggs. Egg production is tied to the amount of light and I assume since we have had many grey, overcast days in November, this has affected the egg laying cycle. (Some people put lights in the chicken coop to overcome this issue but I do not. Doing so can cause health and longevity issues for the hens, such as forcing them to molt in cold weather, potentially shortening their laying lifespan, and increasing stress. Instead, it is often recommended to let them rest naturally during winter.)
Flocks of ducks have started to come again to the pond. I assume they are migrating and take a break and eat a snack. I do not think any of them stay overnight.
Angora goats jousting with each other once shorn
Fiber and Shop
I have put out two new mill spun yarns I have received from a fiber mill. Both are a blend of 70% Merino/wool and 30% mohair. (Merino/wool means that there is Merino and Merino cross as part of the wool mix.) They are both marled yarns; one is a Dk brown and Lt Brown combination and the other is a Dk brown and white combination. Since the blend is not totally Merino, they are priced lower than the Merino/Mohair mill spun yarn blends.
A lot of new handspun yarns have been added to the shop: thick and thin yarns, cable and crepe yarns, yarns with lamb’s tails, and yarns with mohair locks. Many of these have bright color combinations - perfect for holiday scarfs and other holiday garments.
12 November I did a post on social media about a relatively easy way to make an art yarn using a spiral ply technique. Making most art yarns is fairly straight-forward, if you know the specfic technique to employ.
There have been a number of classes at the shop in November: beginning knitting; beginning crochet; beginning spinning; fiber processing; and making a needle felted rabbit. The needle felted rabbit class was the only formally scheduled class and that will continue. That is, if you want to take a class, fill out the form at the bottom of the Classes and Workshops page (at www.witherswool.com) and we will look for a mutually convenient date/time to schedule the class.
New handspun yarns added to the shop
Events
The last external show of the year was the Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival on 8-9 November at the Howard County Fairgrounds. This went well and thanks to everyone who stopped by. The next external show is not until May 2026 - the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.
On Saturday, 29 November, the last Fiber Art Studio Tour of the year will take place. This is not only the last Fiber Art Studio Tour of the year, this is THE LAST Fiber Art Studio Tour. Following is an excerpt from the Fiber Art Studio Tour email about this:
Now, as our individual businesses grow and take on new adventures, the Fiber Art Studio Tour is coming to a natural close. Not because of you — but because our creative paths are branching out in new directions. We’ve built lifelong friendships, shared plenty of laughter (and coffee!), and proved that a rising tide really does lift all boats.
So please join us for one last celebration! Let’s share stories, hugs, and of course, fiber goodness.
And don’t worry — all of our studios are still open and thriving. You’ll keep hearing from us individually with new products, special events, and more ways to stay connected.
So, to got out in style, here is what you will find at Withers Wool and Farm on 29 November: (1) Hot cider; (2) all mill spun yarn at a 25% discount; and (3) the opportunity to make a Christmas ornament. Actually, from 29 November to 20 December on shop days, you are welcome to stop by and make one of the three types of Christmas ornaments I have set up the materials for: 2D felted ornament (e.g. Christmas tree); a stuffed globe (you can stuff the globe with feathers, beads and yarn); and a felted ball.