Blog - Flying Goat Farm

Posted on June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 by Lisa Check — 1 Comment

you asked for it

Hey spinners, I heard from a couple of people that they wanted my viral colorways on roving. So I did it. I have the full set on Polwarth Silk Roving. Each portion is 3oz. I love spinning with this fiber. It is so luxurious. The polwarth is a fine wool breed. So the top is really soft. And the silk is so lustrous. It makes an absolutely lovely yarn. It would also be great for felting. I can see these as a nuno scarf.

If you aren’t familiar with my colorway, the Corona colorway is based on the electron microscopic image that we are seeing everywhere.

The Vaccine colorway was invented because vaccines are made of parts the the virus. So I used deeper, richer colors in the same family.

Finally Antibody is what your body makes to fight the virus. So I used the complementary colors to the virus. I’m expressing my colorful, biology nerd self out here. I hope you like them. You can grab them here.

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Gusman — Leave a comment

what are you doing this summer?

States are beginning to open up, they are. But life is still so different. Will you go on a plane to a summer vacation? Will you drive somewhere instead? Will you go someplace really crowded like an amusement park or will you look to a more remote place like a National Park?

I think we are staying home. We are lucky in that we have 25 acres to roam around. We have Netflix and Podcasts. We have a nice garden and orchard so we don’t really have to go to a pick your own place.

Throughout all of this time, I’ve been working on taking my in-person dye class and making it something that is totally online. It is filled with short classes that breaks down the process of dyeing self striping yarn and kettle dyed yarn. You will learn the two techniques. You will also build your color confidence with color exercises and experiences. There will be live Q and A sessions and a facebook group so that you can share your great yarn and swatches. And you can get all your questions answered.

I’ll be opening registration in the next 2 weeks. The class is $149 with an early bird discount for those of you who are quick to sign up.

The class will start near the end of June so that those of you who have been home schooling do have something of a break. And speaking of home schooling. This class is definitely one you can take with your child. There does need to be adult supervision.

So express your colorful self and learn a new skill. You can learn more about the class here. And you can sign up for the class list on that page as well. The members pf this list get first crack at registration.

Posted on May 27, 2020May 28, 2020 by Lisa Check — Leave a comment

9 days until the Fiber Art Studio Virtual Tour

June 6th will make our 4th annual FAST tour. This is our first year as a virtual show. So what does it mean to be virtual? Well, we are having a “show” on Facebook in our group. Click here to join. During the show hours we will be posting live videos from each vendor. It will be like going from booth to booth in real life, only you get to be in your PJ’s, sitting on your couch, drinking your prefered beverage. You don’t have to carry anything around. You can sit back and have the packages delivered by your friendly USPS carrier.

Just as in years passed, we will have a featured shawl and you can collect mini’s for it. The shawl will take ten 100yd skeins. So we asked each vendor to have sets of 5 minis. So you can buy from more than one vendor, just like before to have a souvenir type shawl, but not get hit with a lot of shipping fees.

The shawl is called “Ticket to Anywhere”. I don’t know about you, but I really want to get a ticket to somewhere, right? The color theme this year was **Neutrals with a pop of color**. So I made a gradient of 4 grayish, brownish spreckled minis. I made 5 different “pops”. So there is *Greek Isles (blue), *Mexico (gold), *Morocco (magenta), *Juneau (salmon) and *Caribbean (turquoise). My wanderlust got the better of me when thinking about the names and colors of these pops. I decided to give you another choice too. You can choose a pop in Sparkly or a pop in the Corrie Sock base. When you purchase a set of minis you will receive a discount code for the pattern. You can get these here. I will be dyeing these to order, fresh yarn just for you.

And just like in years passed, there will be prizes given out throughout the day. So I hope you join our group and visit with us in 9 days.

Posted on May 25, 2020May 25, 2020 by Lisa Check — Leave a comment

hug shot shawl by casapinka

Pattern drops June 5th and is free with purchase of kit through June 7th Click here for your kit

Posted on May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 by Gusman — Leave a comment

terrific threesomes!

Yesterday was my first “Thrifty Thursday”. I showcased my shawl triads. These are sets of 3 skeins that can be used for a myriad of shawl patterns that are available to knitters and crocheters. This is a service that I typically provide buyers at in person shows. I help you pick out yarns that go together. Right now that isn’t available.

I have 12 unique sets. They are all one of a kind. Once someone grabs a kit, it is gone forever. All the sets are made with fingering weight yarn. Each skein is at least 400 yards. So the full set is 1200 yards or a little over depending on the bases involved.

Do you want to see them up close? Click on this Facebook Live video that I recorded yesterday during our event.

Posted on May 20, 2020May 20, 2020 by Gusman — Leave a comment

thrifty thursday tomorrow!

Okay what is this? Well, I’m going live on Facebook tomorrow to show you some of my curated trios of skeins. These trios are all fingering weight yarns. Each skein is a little over 400 yards. So the whole package is 1200 yards. I’ve searched Ravelry just for Shawls that need around 1200 yards and you know how many there are? Over 15,000 choices for you. I know that’s ridiculous right? But I can tell you that major designers like Steven West and Marly Bird have many, many choices for you with 3 colors and 1200 yards.

I love to pick out skeins that go together. And when we are at an in-person show, it is something that I treasure. Since we are now #aparttogether, I can offer these same services online.

I’m offering these trios at a discount on Thursday. I’ve set them on sale Thursday from 8am to 5pm for 15% off. So instead of $84 per set. They are $70. So you get my color expertise and a discount! I will have special sets tomorrow here.

So tune in here at 1pm to see what sets of #terrifictrios I have for you.

Posted on May 16, 2020May 18, 2020 by Lisa Check — Leave a comment

Fun idea for shawl complete with shawl pin

I’ve been going through my newer yarns and curating more Shawl Triads. I know many of you love to have a set of curated yarn that will match and be exciting for a shawl or even for a knitted tank top. Here is my latest set (sh13). It’s all Sparkly yarn. The colors are (left to right): Moody Blues, Four Corners and Azure.

And while preparing for the next Fiber Art Studio Tour which will be virtual. I’ve been talking to Anne Paynter Hill. I love her fused glass buttons, earrings and shawl pins. I have to tell you, I’ve invested a lot into her really unique items. They are so colorful and sparkly and make me so happy. Look at this Shawl Pin. Wouldn’t it look great with a shawl made with these 3 skeins? I totally think so. You can find this pin here. Her shawl pins are magnetic, so they don’t injure your shawl.

Let me know what you think!!

Posted on May 13, 2020May 18, 2020 by Lisa Check — Leave a comment

the joy found in abundance

I told you I was re-reading Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. In her 2nd chapter, she writes about the joy of abundance. I think this is a particular importance to use yarnie and textile pieces. When I think of abundance, I think of sprinkles, candy stores, yarn stores, multicolored quilts and my very own stash.

Earlier this year, before this pandemic was on the horizon, I went through my fabric stash. I wanted to “Kondo”ize it. I went through each piece of fabric and kept only what gave me joy. And I can honestly say that my fabric stash now gives me so much joy. I ended up giving away 3 trash bags full of fabric, elastic (I know…I wish I had that today) and seam bindings (yes I wish I still had that too).

When I walk into my studio, I also feel the joy of abundance. All those colors are chaotic and evocative. They inspire me and they thrill me. I think that’s why it’s so fun and overwhelming to go to a fiber festival.

Even with all the festivals going into virtual mode, you can still experience joyful abundance by visiting our website, watching our Instagram stories and watching our YouTube videos.

Be joyful now and forever!

Posted on May 11, 2020May 18, 2020 by Lisa Check — Leave a comment

Have you started something new?

As we start week 8 of the quarantine, I feel like people are starting to get antsy. There are more people out and about. There are more people in stores. More people on the street. And we still don’t know where this is going, how this is going to end.

These times have been trying. There is a new normal of telework and teleschool. And tele-yarn buying. It was just the virtual Maryland sheep and wool festival. It was a great success. Even with some glitches with websites, we all came together to see yummy yarns and fleeces and pottery and jewelry. While is wasn’t what we were used to, it was a good substitute.

For me, I’ve been starting new routines, healthy routines that I hope to continue after this. I’m spending more time outside, taking morning walks. Observing the changing seasons with beautiful trees and active birds. I’ve also carved out time to learn some new techniques through online classes and continuing to read and study color, wool, clothing construction and doing deep work. I’ve started meeting with friends on Zoom, showing our current projects and seeing the scenes on their farms. And even last week, we had a surprise retirement party on Zoom with participants from Oregon to California, Geneva to Mexico City, Colorado to Maryland. It was fun to see friends and family from around the globe.

What I’m really excited about is my new online dye class. It is a 5 week class that will lead you from blank white yarn to the self striping yarn that you’ve only dreamed of finding. This is a class for the absolute beginner. I’m nearly ready to open registration. If you want to be the first to know when you can register for it, just sign up for my special Learn with Lisa email list here.