Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles

Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles! Our farm mission is to enjoy and promote the wonderful diversity of the Shetland breed by fully utilizing to the best of our ability all they have to offer historically. We believe the best preservation and management of this breed includes it's full spectrum of history. We encourage old and new shepherds alike to join in the fun by engaging in fiber arts, especially spinning and knitting, as this breed is so intimately linked with those aspects of the arts.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

It's warm! It's warm!

Boy, have we had a treat here on Wheely Wooly Farm!  We had our first 50 degree day in four months!  All of us had to relearn how to dress when going outside.  How liberating it is to step out the door in normal shoes, and bendable arms!!

The sudden spring warmth sends us into a rush of good things to do.  The barn always needs good spring cleaning, especially this year as everything froze so tight.  There is hauling, repairing, replacing, and scrubbing to do.  All of the lambs make the work a challenge as they are so cute boinging around in my peripherial vision that I can't help but take a few minutes to watch and enjoy them!  What a treat they are!

We are still attending the market and will for the next two Saturdays unless a lambing crisis pops up.  We have some bright colors left for your knitting pleasure, and a little of all the natural colors except dove gray, which is very low right now.  We are also sold out of all but one pair of needles.  Some scarves have been marked down, so if you've been longing for one you've seen, now is a good time to pick it up for a very reasonable price!!

Shearing here on the farm has begun and I must say, even though winter was rough, the fleeces are coming in very fine and soft!  It's amazing to me how that works.  Despite the cold, our staple length overall is not as long as it's been in the past and I think that is because the sheep had to work so hard to maintain body warmth, that they didn't put the growth in the fibers.  Warmer, snowier winters definitely bring us our longest staple lengths, but that is not this year.  This is a rewarding time of year and we are enjoying our work every day in bringing in fleeces, raising the lambs, and spring cleaning around the farm.  There is always plenty to do!

And as I write this, a hen is pecking around out the window!  What a lovely sight!!

Hope all of  you are also getting to enjoy a reprieve from the cold!

No comments:

Post a Comment