Adventures in Yarn Farming

BARBARA PARRY raises sheep on her 220-acre Springdelle Farm in western Massachusetts. She and her husband, Michael, keep a flock of 77 sheep, goats, and llamas. Every year Barbara converts hundreds of pounds of her spring wool clip into high-quality yarn and handspinning fiber. She markets her yarns and fibers under her label Foxfire Fiber & Designs and has created a substantial presence, both online (www.foxfirefiber.com) and at major sheep and wool festivals throughout the Northeast. She has worked collaboratively with several well-known designers in the industry. Barbara's diverse background in fiber arts, sheep farming, and yarn production makes her a sought-after speaker for fiber retreats and guild presentations. Barbara regularly chronicles farm life on her blog, Sheep Gal: Notes from a Shelburne Shepherd (www.sheepgal.com). She is also the author of Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing (Wiley Publishing).