Nancy keeps angora and pygora goats and alpacas as fiber animals and pets. She shears them, spins and knits with the fibers to create wonderfully warm sweaters, vests, hats, mittens and socks. During the Indian Lake Country Christmas Tour over Thanksgiving Weekend each year, Nancy sets up a few tables at the restaurant to sell some of her hand spun yarn and hand knitted items.

Nancy learned to knit by her good friend, Eve in 1989. Nancy and Eve traveled to knitting conventions, took classes, loved to explore the marketplace for different and exotic yarns. Soon the girls developed other fiber interests; Eve pursued weaving and Nancy became interested in spinning her own yarn. Nancy’s first experience with a spinning class turned out badly. Nancy is a quiet person in class and there was one participant who monopolized the teacher. Nancy could not get the hang of drafting and became frustrated, dropping the idea of spinning.

Today Nancy spins mohair on her Majacraft Rose spinning wheel while her cat, Cleo sleeps next to her. Below are skeins of mohair for sale during the Country Christmas Tour.

Lucy the cat finds a warm place to nap on a mohair fleece while Nancy skirts.

Nancy was always interested in goats and found them to be marvelous creatures. Nancy and Eve visited a cousin of Eve’s and Nancy experienced nubian goats first hand. That was it! Nancy was hooked on goats and 10 years later when she moved from an urban area to Indian Lake, she decided she wanted her own goats.

 For Christmas that year, Eve gave Nancy a used Ashford Traditional wheel, complete with spinning lessons. An afternoon of one on one lesson gave Nancy the attention she needed and she was off and spinning. Good thing, since she already had 3 bags of mohair waiting to be spun up. After her initial wool project was completed, Nancy converted to mohair and hasn’t stopped yet!

Nancy’s first Ashford spinning wheel with Pearl, who was born in March 2000.

Nancy so loved her goats, she decided to purchase a stud goat and another doe to increase her herd. Her stud goat, McHugh was a very dominant guy, pushed Buck the wether around and ate everyone’s grain before they could finish. McHugh came down with urinary calculi and was euthanized given his prospects and future quality of life. McHugh did produce 4 beautiful kids though!

McHugh with Sky in the fall of 2000.

Cinnamon was added to the herd at the same time as McHugh. She is snacking on Nancy’s Christmas tree.

Sky gave birth to twins during a snow storm in March of 2000. Nancy named the boy Taz, because he had so much energy, he reminded her of the cartoon character, The Tasmanian Devil. His sister, Pearl, became a bottle baby due to Nancy’s inexperience with new borns and mom, Sky, not wanting to take her back. Pearl was half the size of Taz, wouldn’t stand up and Nancy thought if she brought Pearl in the house until she warmed up and stood up, she would be fine.
Pearl lived in the house for the first week. Pearl went shopping with Nancy and also to the restaurant until Pearl was old enough to stay in the stable with the rest of the goats. Pearl would call for Nancy in the morning and followed Nancy around everywhere. Any time Pearl was not feeling well, she high tailed it into the house and jumped up on the bed. Unfortunately, Pearl developed some type of cancer and died at the veterinarian’s office at 6 years of age.

Cinnamon with her son Doolin with Pearl nearby. Cinnamon wouldn’t feed Pearl, but she protected her and watched over her.

Alphie gave birth to a doeling named Ally in April of 2000. Nancy and Walt came home from a food show and there was Alphie standing outside with her new baby. Nancy put them in a stall by themselves, so they could bond for the first 3 days. Ally was a sweet and very quiet girl with ears held out to the side, which reminded Nancy of airplane ears. 
Alphie became a very dominant girl after becoming a mother and decided she was queen of the herd. She was very protective and none of the other goats would dare to touch her baby. At 4 years of age, Alphie became ill and died. Ally was picked on by the rest of the goats and Nancy decided to give her to friends who had just lost their Angora goat. Ally lives in Warrensburg with an Angora wether.

Cinnamon, the doe purchased with McHugh, gave birth to a buckling about a week after Ally was born. This time Nancy was able to watch his birth! Doolin was born on a Friday night during a Mitch concert at the restaurant. Something told Nancy to go home early and lucky she did! Doolin had a sweet disposition like his mother and was very affectionate.
Cinnamon came down with terrible diarrhea in August and no medication helped. Nancy took Cinnamon to the vet, but she died. Doolin became an orphan and Nancy decided to raise him with Pearl. The trio went for walks in the yard to eat maple leaves and other weeds and grass. It was quite a sight for people driving on Route 30. Doolin also died early at the age of 7, 10 months after Pearl.

Ally in the winter of 2003.

Nancy’s newest goat additions are Pygoras (Angora goat and Pygmy cross). Yasligai (Navajo for White Snow) and Yoki (Hopi for Rain) arrived in February of 2009. Nancy decided she would like to have smaller goats, easier to handle and their fiber is useable for their entire life. Mohair becomes coarse and straightens out as the animals age.
Yas (for short) and Yoki are brothers, but boy do they have opposite personalities as well as their fiber! Yas has wild curly hair, blue eyes and is a light caramel color. He is very energetic, loves to play and is always on the move. Yoki has white smooth outter coat with a soft fine undercoat. Yoki reminds Nancy of Moe from the Three Stooges with the way his straight hair hangs down.  Yoki is very sweet, gentle and shy with new people. Both boys are wethered, enjoy apple treats and love to be brushed, especially during shedding time!

Sky at 10 years of age and her son, Taz at 8 years of age.

Yas standing on the bench, has shed his fleece already, while Yoki nibbles from below. No wonder their fleeces get messy!