Craftsy folks frequently share a do-it-yourself ethic. While it's always easier just to buy cheap, pretty yarn at the craft store, some (particularly homesteaders) prefer to create their own dyes. In fact, if you own sheep or other fiber animals, …
What Causes Wool Allergies?
Did you know that many people who think they have wool allergies actually do not? Many people who appear to have an adverse reaction to wool have sensitive skin that is harmed by the rubbing and abrasion of scratchy wool fiber. Even people with a …
Adding Value to Wool
When direct marketing wool, you have some options. You can sell just the fiber, or you can add varying degrees of value. So what is the value-adding sequence for fiber, and which product or products are right for you? Let's dig in. Raw …
8 Ideas for a Bison Business
Want to do something a little different with your family farm or ranch? How about raising bison? From a land stewardship perspective, there are some major advantages to raising bison. Despite their size, these animals are far easier on pastures than …
Tennessee Fainting Goat
The Tennessee Fainting Goat goes by many names—Myotonic Goat, Nervous Goat, Wooden Leg—and receives its claim to fame from its strange habit of falling down stiff when startled. As befits its status as a strange curiosity among goat breeds, it traces …
Cashmere
Cashmere—a word that has denoted luxury and comfort since the most ancient times. Perhaps the oldest reference to this fine fiber is in Exodus 25:4, where God requests offerings of goats' hair (also known as cashmere) to build the tabernacle. The …
