♪ I’m on a wool tour, with a fleece in my hand (ATCQ) ♪

Never one to let things get too dull, I’ve managed to add a bit of excitement (and a fair share of panic) to my continuing education journey.

Did I sign up for the Master Spinner Certification through Olds College last September? Yes, I did.

Have I prioritized the time needed to complete the program in the 12 months allowed? Of course I didn’t.

I didn’t find out that Olds College is suddenly discontinuing the Master Spinner program after umpteen years until a few months after they made the announcement. Cue the scramble. I now have to finish close to six months’ worth of study, processing, and spinning in less than four months. The pressure is on, and I’m desperately trying to keep up.

Let me rewind a bit.

The first two levels of the Master Spinner Certification are self-directed courses that you can complete at your own pace over the course of a calendar year. I knew I’d fallen a bit behind with Level I after the growing season started, but I was determined to catch up. After receiving an email from my  Level I instructor, checking in on my progress and notifying me of the looming deadlines, I knew I needed to step it up. I also realized that I needed to sign up for Level II, since it would be phased out after next year. Unfortunately, this was around the time I had been traveling  between family gatherings, meetings, and a little trip to Ladakh! When I got back and settled, I called Olds College about registering for Level II and was hit with the disappointing news that the deadline had already passed (by 2 weeks)! Disappointed doesn’t even begin to cover it. Without wasting any more time, I flew into action. I penned an appeal letter, requesting a four-month extension for Level I and late admission to Level II, accepting that I will now have to complete that level in a shorter period of time. Levels 3 – 6 are all in classroom instruction, and next year will be the last time Level III will be made available for those of us who will be closing out the program. Thankfully, the response came back in my favor, granting me an extension until January 31, 2025. The relief was palpable…

…but the clock is still ticking! 

The next step was to gather all of the fleeces I will need to complete each assignment. This led to a full day road trip across North GA, sourcing 10 different breeds of raw fleece for processing and comparison. I naively thought I could supply at least half of these myself, but most of our wool is already stored post-scouring.  I hit the road and visited four of the best shepherdesses I know, who graciously came to my rescue. Each visit filled me with so much encouragement and, of course, some beautiful fleeces. Two of these fleeces, Faith the Tunis and an extra special Clun Forest from the late Daina Rollor of The Marigold Shepherdess have some really special stories about them. I will share more about those later.

The procrastination certainly has added a bit of drama and excitement to the journey is not over yet! I just need to have a little faith. 😉

My plan is to share my progress as I tackle each assignment on our YouTube channel with updates posted here. Stay tuned as I spin my way through this challenge—one fleece at a time and just in time!

#madness #whyamithisway #foodandfiberfarm #DiaryofaFarmVirgin