Each of the pieces in the Joy collection, as you know, are named for a woman of distinction that I admire, The classy and fun, Tabbethia Ruana is no exception! Tabbethia Haubold-Magee has become a dear friend and has been responsible for so much of my growth over the last 18 years. So many times her vision has stretched my thinking and challenged me to create amazing new yarns and other products. Her passion for relationships in business more than matches mine. And the fun she finds herself in the middle of is extraordinary.
Tabbethia is a herdsman of llama, sheep, alpacas and angora goats as well as angora bunnies. She also has two pot-bellied pigs, Pansy and Piggety, that live with her. I really think they herd her more than the other way around, though. Her 17 acre farm on Long Island (that's NY for my local Phillips County Friends) is an oasis amid the busyness of life. The animals residing there are exceptionally well cared for and the center of attention for the tours and open houses that Tabbethia organizes.
Her farm is on the edge of the Hamptons and she grew up in an English Hunt Seat competing at Equestrian events. That took her to college in Animal Science and then to managing the farm of the local community college. That's how she discovered sheep and ended up researching llamas as a guard animal for the sheep. Today her llama breeding program not only yields guard animals and companion animals but also top quality show animals.
As if her farm-life was not enough to keep her busy, Tabbethia also has built an amazing yarn business. She is part of the "Vogue Knitting Live" world and is also a participant in Fiber Shows like Maryland Sheep and Wool. Of course, that's where our partnership began as we created the yarns for her business. Besides yarn she has also created a custom skin care line featuring lanolin. She understands the healing effects of lanolin because of her other business as a shearer of sheep (lanolin is a by product of wool) as well as alpaca and llama.
She shears from Spring through Fall, up and down the East Coast. To keep her body in shape for the strenuous sheep shearing season, Tabbethia trains as a boxer. Now, if that isn't one active woman of distinction, I don't know what is. She's as comfortable doctoring and feeding the animals as she is in the middle of Vogue Knitting Live or sparring in the boxing ring. But still she has time to answer my daughter's silly text messages and feature Alex's yarns at her CommuKNITy Knit Night; even interviewing Alex and sharing horse and llama stories.
Her philanthropy ranges from supporting rescue shelters to children in need and you can help support her efforts on September 15. Tabbethia "Shear Force" Haubold will be part of Fight For Charity. An all volunteer boxing night dedicated to raising donations to support need on a local level. You can purchase a ticket to the event if you happen to be in the area or watch on Pay Per View.
Follow Tabbethia on Instagram at liyarnandfarm. Her website is www.liyarnandfarm.com. The Fight for Charity event website is www.lifightforcharity.org. Good luck, my friend!