Linda Hayden Saddle Blankets

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2010-04-24T08:38:00.001-07:00

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2010-03-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Get down rope to match blanket

2010-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Henna is derived from a shrub grown in India and Northern Africa. The leaves are dried and ground into powder and is most often used for dyes, especially for the hair. I used henna on some white wool and got a rich brownish-red color that I used in a blanket with a natural chocolate brown wool and a deep black from a young lambs fleece. The colors are striking together and were used to match a get down rope made by Sara Hagel. This picture shows the blanket on the loom as I was weaving it.

2010-03-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

Spring time in California

2010-03-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

We've had a wonderful, wet winter, the grass is already tall and rich and all the springs have been replenished and the ponds are full. We got our brandings done early this year so the calves have had a great growing season and it will be weaning time before we know it. These raining days have given me a lot of time to be at my looms and I've had a productive winter. I have a good supply of blankets to take to the Californio Event in Reno April 30, May 1 & 2. I had the dye pots simmering between rain storms and have some rich, fun colors in some of my blankets. I also have some beautiful natural colors from Cotswold sheep fleeces and these blankets are thick and soft. Hope to see all of you in Reno!

Here are a couple of pictures of the ranch. That's my pet longhorn steer, Joaquin!

2009-11-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

2009-11-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

New colors from the dye pots

2009-11-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

I got so busy at the looms I failed to update you on all the recent colors from the dye pots. It has been a productive time spinning and dyeing all the beautiful Cotswold wool and the colors have been outstanding. Pictures to follow show a rich brown from pecan husks, light browns from oak galls and many shades of red and mahogany from eucalyptus leaves and stringy bark. I recently completed a blanket for Marilyn Golden in Centennial, Co. using all those colors. I also finished a blanket for Emily Kitching using natural tans and browns accented with orange derived from marigold flowers. This a favorite time of year at the dye pots so I have many more colors "brewing." Walnuts, fruit tree leaves, dried tomato vines...the possibilities are endless and the colors from nature never clash so it's great fun trying new combinations. Check out the photos.

2009-09-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

2009-09-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Back to work!

2009-09-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? It's been five months since my hand surgery and I'm just getting back to the looms. In the meantime I have accomplished major amounts of spinning and at this time the dye pots are boiling and producing many great colors. I've acquired some outstanding fleeces from the Cotswold sheep breed and the wool is thick and lustrous. Combined with the natural plant colors I have a good supply of beautiful wool and I'm excited about creating all my orders. I'm slowly getting back to my looms and appreciate all your good wishes and incredible patience! For those of you waiting for your blanket you'll be personally hearing from me soon. In the mean time take a look at the new fleeces in their natural state right after shearing, spun wool hanging to dry, and look for dye pot pictures coming soon. For those of you wanting to place new orders...give me a call.

Bringing you up to date!

2009-05-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I posted any information from Hayden Ranch. We've calved out, grown some nice big calves and just recently weaned them all! We'll go to market in a month and hope for some good prices. Right now we're just relieved to have the gathering over, not an easy job in this rough country.It's a big accomplishment to get every last one in!

We've been to the Californio's and had a great time with all our friends from all over the country! What a great week-end with such outstanding horses and horsemen plus the added bonus of seeing, (and buying!) such terrific gear made by such incredible artisians. I'm thrilled to tell you that I sold all my blankets and meet more nice horsemen and woman from across the country who ordered new blankets. Of course, the biggest compliment comes from previous buyers who order another blanket. Proves that they work and you can't have too many! I am sorry to report that my progress in finishing orders and weaving new blankets is going pretty slow right now due to a hand injury I received in April. I'm undergoing physical therapy and hope to be able to use my hand again in a few months. Oh, the frustration of not having a right hand in working order!!!! I thank you all for your patience and promise to get to your orders as fast as I can. I'll report back soon and let you know how I'm progressing.

Enjoy the beauty of this incredible spring.

2008-11-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Navajo-Churro Sheep in Ohio

2008-11-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

I recently had the good fortune to find Flint Run Farm owned by Tim and Barbara Birkeland in Waterford, Ohio. They raise beautiful Churro sheep which is the same breed the Navajo Indians have always raised for the excellent wool they use in their saddle blankets and rugs. The first blanket I wove with this wool went to Kip Fladland in Griswold, Iowa and I'm pretty excited about the results, as is Kip! I'm in the process of ordering more fleeces and look forward to having some blankets ready for the Californio's show in Red Bluff in April, 2009. Keep an eye on this site for more Churro spun wool and blankets. It's also the time of year I do a lot of dyeing with pecans shells, walnuts, lichens, and acorns. I'll be posting some of the results to give you an idea of what colors come from these natural dyes.

Calving time

2008-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's calving time on Hayden ranch! This is a busy time and a fun time. We ride through the herd each day looking for new born calves and checking cows that are about to calve. When the calf is born we ear tag it to match its mother then we keep track of the pairs checking on their health and any potential problems. Not a bad way to spend a morning out riding your favorite horse and watching little black calves run through the hills! Some rain would help but the heat of summer is leaving us now and we're looking forward to a beautiful fall and a good winter. This is also a good time for me to collect plants for my dye pots. It's always amazing to see the colors these plants will release; beautiful browns from the acorns and oak bark; reds , greens and purples from the lichen growing on rocks; deep reds and rusts from sycamore leaves. The possibilities are endless and they all work together to create new blankets.

New Website

2008-09-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

just in time for the Western Horseman article I have a new website. Contact me with any comments you might have, and keep coming back to check out the gallery of blankets.