Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Chianti Cashmere: or, How Nora Got My Goat

A Knitalyer meets cashmere on the hoof

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for goats. In fact, I was once initiated into an all woman 'goat' club where each initiate had to don a sheep's mantle and toss it off while saying: "I am NOT a sheep!" Sheep are followers, known for herd behavoir, lact of initiative, and  dubious intelligence. On the other hand, goats are independent, fiesty and difficult to herd. Which would you rather be? Being called 'an old goat', is a compliment in my books. 

Well, this old goat couldn't help but take my merry little band of fellow Knitaly voyagers to visit a gourmet goat farm while in Tuscany. We arrived around lunch time after winding our way through the glorious vinyards of Chianti, oohing and aahing at the castillos, the golden-leaved vineyards and rolling fields. To make everything even more beautific, the sun shone like melted honey over the landscape.

Our hostess and owner of Chianti Cashmere, Nora Kravis, met us by the pergola under which the table had been set for our lunch. Somehow, though we had stuffed ourselves with every imaginable piece of deliciousnous the night before, plus heaped on a hearty breakfast, we were very ready to eat again. So we did. Fresh-picked veggies, bruschetta worth swooning over, wine and little local cheeses wrapped like little jewels, were devoured in a somewhat goat-like style. True goats like to eat.

Here we are simultaneously admiring the view, studying the grapes overhead and getting ready to dig in.

Nora could write a book about her life story if she'd ever find the time. Hers is a tale worth a novel or two: a young American girl ends up in Tuscany with no money in her pocket yet eventually manages to buy her dream landscape, build a company, and raise these gorgeous animals despite the intricacies of Italian red tape, amoung other challenges. With so many fasinating stories of her experiences, she reveals herself as being incredibly hard-working and tenacious with an indomitable spirit and the courage to follow a dream. This is true goat spirit, if there ever was one. Plus she's funny and very real.

Nora and a favourite kid. Several people have pointed the kid's resemblence to me. Must be the hairstyle.

Meanwhile, we Knitalyers just went a little goofy over the kids. And her dogs. Nora also raises Boglonaise (sp?) puppies, little puffs of vanilla fur that frolic in her yard. Several of us tried to smuggle the wee things out in our purses but Nora was on to us.

 Puppy bliss

I must also add here that we as a group managed to successfully forage in Nora's shop where the fruits of her labors have been crafted into goat's milk soap, shampoos, YARN, body lotion, YARN, plus an assortment of handwoven cashmere scarves, throws and shawls. Most of us did not leave empty handed.

 If there's a message in this tale, it's this: if you're ever in Chianti, call Nora at39 0577 738080 and try to drop over for a visit. Or, better yet, join me next year when Knitaly 08 returns to Chianti Cashmere farm. 

On the farm, admiring the view