Genuine Shetland Lace Patterns

Does anyone out there know of a reasonably small lace pattern repeat that was designed in the Shetland Islands? I am planning on making a lace scarf with Wooly Bear's lovely fleece to save as a keepsake in our farm's collection. I have found some, but would like to find as many as I can before I make a final choice. I'm looking for a charted pattern, small enough for a few repeats across. If you know of one, you can email me at my address shown at the top right of my blog, just under Wooly Bear's picture.

One Beloved Dog.

Some of you know that we've had dogs, all gone now. In recent discussions about dogs, I've come to feel I'm capable of looking at these pictures again without overwhelming sadness.

This is our middle dog, Simon (picture taken days before he died). We called him Simon because he was so smart, you could practically play the childhood game of "Simon Says" with him. He trained himself at lightning speed, something I adore about the herding breeds. They mentally connect with you so that brain waves are continuously flowing between you at all times.

He was also an awesome family dog. He loved being outside, going along for rides, and walking on the leash, although leashes were plumb not necessary for him. All of my dogs were that way; very connected.

Simon was a Shetland Sheepdog who grew too big for the showring, among other things. He was an excellent example of what's wrong with breeding for show these days, and not for purpose and use. He had a collie-like temperment and amazed everyone who knew him at his "unSheltie-likeness"...no snippyness or barkiness or cowering. He was a normal, happy, loving dog who fit in with all things in our lifestyle. He drew grand attention where ever we took him, and was an excellent ambassador of the breed. We lost him just before Easter in 2009, with many, many tears. He had a large bowl of ice cream, and tootie fruities just before he left home...two of his top favorites. On that day, our journey together came to an end, but his memory will be vivid in my mind for years to come. We miss him. A lot.

Sheep can do funny things to you...

It's shearing time on Wheely Wooly Farm. Not only are we busy with getting long awaited fiber off the sheep, but we are busy keeping records of what we raise. These combined processes take much effort, and are not for the large scale producer. As I study over what we've raised and make my notes as I work with the fiber to an end stage product, I have some observations, about me!:

*I really love sheep. I love their temperments. I love their sounds. I love what they require of me, and I love what they give me. Funny. I would not have pegged myself as being a shepherd back in those years of "So what are you going to do when you grow up?" Shepherdess was not even an option. Funny.

*I am thrilled with the sheep I've selected. Before I had my own flock, I spun and knit. I took classes and did all that fun stuff (still do). I wanted to spend the rest of my life learning and growing in knitting and spinning. Funny. (!) Few breeds can do that for you like Shetlands. This breed is going to keep me busy for a very long time! The spinning and knitting skills the Shetlanders had historically are NOT learned overnight!! This is not a breed for one who moves onto new kinds of projects frequently. It never was and still is not today a cull-like-mad-to-improve kind of breed. Fortunately, because it takes time to acquire good Shetland-type knitting skills, I have time to get it right in my flock. My goal is to raise fleeces that mirror what I've learned about in the past. There are some modern things in life I really love. Modern sheep are not one of them. The more I experience modern "breeds" of sheep, the more I've come to realize they've lost their sparkle.

*I've come to learn how intimately linked fiber is with the end product it is used in. If you want to create genuine Shetland knitted garments, you cannot really use a different breed's fiber, or even crossbred fiber. The fiber of other breeds dilutes the special qualities of Shetland. This awareness can turn you into a Shetland fanatic!! Suddenly, you notice lace patterns you would have skipped over before. Things in life around you suddenly get transposed onto grid paper...to see if a nice pattern would emerge! You think about clarity in yarn characteristics. And bounce. And elasticity. And strength. You think about things that no one else in your circles understands...you're suddenly speaking greek to them!

*I've turned into a scrutinizer of old photos! Me! I love looking back, but I'd rather be outside than study photos! Things can sure change. There are many great old photos to look at. My favorite is of a woman shearing a sheep on her lap while wearing wooden shoes.

*You start thinking a sheep is attractive! Take Lil' Rainbow, for example (previous blog entry). She looks a lot like Dr. James Bowie's tup...a photo taken around 1910. She has that wild Shetland look to her; a sheep from a wild place. Her color is like a rainbow...so sensationally colorful....so rarely seen. Her fleece is long, soft, fine. It drapes about her. She sparkles.

There is so much more! Sheep really can do funny things to you. Watch out! You might be next!

Poof.

The bridal wreath bushes are in full bloom around Wheely Wooly Farm. Each year, whatever the weather, they load up with blossoms and bloom away. This year, they are quite early! There is a lovely bush on each side of the front porch, making the porch a protected and secret space.
The pretty little green leaves, along with the white flowers, have given our farm it's theme color. This goes along with the beautiful white lilac planted on the corner of the house. Since the house is white with green shutters, I think we have a theme! An old-fashioned farm house, with old-fashioned shrubs in front, planted decades and decades ago by some unknown hardworking dairy farmer.
The porch has Palladian symmetry along the front. It just doesn't seem right to have such balance, and only one star...so I hung a star on each side of the front door. There.
My favorite hen loves to snatch up bugs along our lush green lawn. We call her Henny Penny, because I have two of these outstanding Australorp hens, and they look so much alike, I have to scrutinize their combs to tell who's who. So we call them Henny Penny. (One is Henny, the other is Penny, but they don't know that.)
I'd love to spend more time out here, watching Henny Penny peck around in the grass, while the breeze cools me off after a round of hard work, maybe sipping a lemonade...but who has time for that?!? (giggle, giggle) I've got sheep to shear!

This is Lil' Rainbow, whom I've written about in previous blogs. She is an iset Shetland ewe of very pleasant and sweet temperment, unless she sees a lamb she wants to keep for herself (!)
I cannot wait to spin her fleece! I snipped a few "test locks" to wash, spin and knit up. I was extremely pleased with the results, so I cannot wait to get more yarn from her fleece! Off the fleece came, while she was chewing her cud. Poof! Done.
Ok...not really! But it is fun to think it's that easy! :) She was actually pretty easy to shear, and stood very nicely for me. First thing I noticed is that, well, she is not exactly starving!I took her fleece off in two big pieces with sides intact head to tail. It is pleasantly soft. I was expecting coarser! I love these surprises!Underneath, she was very clean. I pretty much figured it would be, but it's always nice to find this underside clean. It will be a joy to work with this fiber. It took me only a couple of minutes to skirt the fleece and it went straight into the wash. It's now drying.
So I'll end with Honey's yarn. This is a singles...as a 2-ply, it will be laceweight...probably 20 wpi. I now have eight ounces of this 2-ply spun up. It is very easy to spin, and a pleasure to work with! Shetlands are truly an amazing breed! I'm hooked!

Fleeces

Here is Honey's fleece, washed. The locks on the left are midside, the locks on the right, pointing downward are britch. She has a very fine, silky, lustrous fleece, which weighted nearly three pounds...a lot for a yearling Shetland ewe! I've already spun up a couple of bobbins of her wool.

Underneath all that wool, things were very clean. Longer fleeces stay clean easily, unless the sheep likes to wear their dinner on their head! (Who would do THAT??)

This is Gracie's fleece. She's the second lamb born here this spring, and she's now....38 days old. You can see here how her color is changing already. Fun!!

Gretl Swallowtail Shawl Update: I've been done with the budding lace pattern for several days. I'm waiting for time to knit again to begin the lily of the valley pattern. This is the busiest time of the year for our family, so some projects will slow up a bit! Can't WAIT to start working on it again!

And we extend a warm welcome to the families coming out to our farm tomorrow morning to learn about chickens and ducks! The ducks have already been to the beauty salon, and Coopville has been spruced up after a long winter's rest. See you tomorrow!

Wild Sheep!

Ah, Gracie...that's my shoestring...

Gracie! I just retied that!

Do you know where your Handbook is?

Mona and Wheely Wooly Lerwick; just born

It's time to start assessing lambs! This is where the NASSA Handbook comes out...again! :) The Handbook is a great compilation of basic things Shetland to help you assess the quality of your lambs. If you are looking to buy Shetland sheep, this is a must have! Without the Handbook, you are walking blindly.

On the last page of the Handbook, you will find the Breed Standard. It is a very straightforward document that gives you a good description of what to look for in a good Shetland sheep. You should never buy a sheep without first memorizing the standard, or at least assessing the sheep with the standard in your hand and the sheep in front of you before buying, or you might pay too much money for a sheep that is not as correct. The worst case scenario is you end up buying a sheep (for a fancy price) that is some form of crossbred, but the "breeder" tells you it is a fancy Shetland. How do you keep people honest? The Standard!

So what does a good Shetland look like? There is a LOT of conflicting information out there!!!! That's why it's critical to use the Standard, not what someone says, as your guide. A longtime breeder once told me that all Shetlands are BIG. I wanted a smaller sheep. When I asked about why big, I was told that small Shetlands were "malnourished or something... all the early Shetlands here were big." Upon doing my own research, I learned this was bad advice. Many things "Shetland" are small...ponies, dogs, yarn grist, people (!) spinning wheels, cottages, peeries, and Shetland itself!! The sheep are no exception. Other people tried to tell me that Shetland wool is short. That, too, proved to be bad advice. Things Shetland just are furry, fuzzy and wooly. That is what allows these animals to survive and thrive in a climate with much wind and over 100 inches of rainfall a year. The sheep are no exception.

So how do you avoid pitfalls? READ THE STANDARD! It does not contain secret code. The words are plain and mean what they mean.

So I do.

Here's what Wheely Wooly Farm gets excited about!! This little lamb is Wheely Wooly Lerwick. He is Wooly Bear's son, and he is quite a lamb! First, notice his topline!!! Wooohooo!!! It is STRAIGHT! THAT is what the standard calls for. Sloping backs are disappointing. It is well known in livestock circles that dished backs are weak. You would not be credible showing up in a meat sheep class or dairy class, or even with a horse weak in the back. People who show in these classes go to great lengths to "tickle" their animal into a straight topline when the judge looks their way. Shetlands should not have weak backs, either. Yet this problem is currently running rampant here in the midwest, and weak backs in Shetlands are touted as desirable and right. We are striving to correct this issue. Some of our lambs have dished backs. They are out of AI descended stock. That has been very disappointing. We will be working in the future to get rid of that.

The next thing we get excited about here is wool. Lerwick has wool that nearly gets me hyperventilating! It is sooo much like his sire's!! Woohoo!!! The standard calls for fine, soft texture, longish and wavy. This is what that looks like! His wool is very fine, amazingly soft, and has a lovely wave to it from the day he was born, and is thick and lush and long! Ok... check! Since wool is what we are all about, this is very important to us. We use it for creating (attempting to anyway!) the textiles that made this breed famous. If someone tells you wave means crimp, pull out your standard! You will not find the word crimp on the document! If someone tries to tell you wave means crimp, think door to door salesman!

What else do we get excited about? Expression! This is another thing that is getting lost in our region as sheep are crossbred and pitched as pure. Expression will flatten out, become dull. A good Shetland will have a bright, twinkling expression. That is getting harder to find as "new" genetics get spread around. But you will recognize it when you see it! You can't miss it, actually! Lerwick has that bright expression, just like his sire. Ok...check! We strive to bring correct expression forward. Here is a good start!



A good lamb will stand squarely on all four legs, and not be too narrow in hip or shoulder. Another problem showing up in the midwest is body-builder shoulders. That would not be correct either. Bulging shoulders should not be dominating physique. Bone should not be too heavy or too dainty. If you have your standard in front of you before you register a lamb, or before you buy ANY Shetland sheep, you will know what you are getting/what you have. If the breeder's words and the words on the page don't jive, you know you are in a fishy situation.

So what about the rest of our lambs? We have some dished backs, which we find very disappointing. Overall, I was disappointed with some AI descended stock results. We do have very lush fleeces that are thick and soft. They were born that way, which I still find amazing. You won't find that in many other breeds. Gracie has a lovely fleece that is long (!) and soft and fine and wavy! We did get good conformation other than the back issue, and it looks like we have some nice tails. Pumpkin will be stockier than I like to see, just like his mom. His mom's fleece is not staying typey Shetland as she ages, so I hope his will be ok. Hopefully with Wooly Bear as his sire, it will stay more Shetland-like.


Overall, we are very pleased at the quality of fleece we produced in our lamb crop. All of the lambs had lush, wavy fiber...no sparse or tight, tinsey knots. I think Wooly Bear passed that on. Our ewes were selected for longer fiber as well, as that is what history reveals as the true fiber of many famous textiles. Having those longer ewe fleeces helped, I'm sure. We also reached our goal of "solid" colors. The spotted sheep are soooo cute, and I always enjoy viewing the lamb pictures of spotted sheep...can't go wrong there! However, my spinning preference is "solid", or with fading...as the fading gives dynamics that fascinate me as the sheep ages. I am wildly pleased with the pure black we got with Lerwick. That makes exceptionally nice color to knit up in fair isle and other projects. Finding a nice solid black ram was a challenge in my region, as there were endless kats and guls and spots to look at.

Everyone has different parameters they want to breed for, but the basics of the breed remain the same. We feel very fortunate here at Wheely Wooly Farm to have had such a great first lambing. We feel this is due to luck, and a lengthy/diligent ram selection process. We wish we would have gotten more ewe lambs though! :) It took me years of following Shetlands, and more years of spinning and knitting to learn that our national breed organization was not providing accurate information regarding the breed in recent times, and that I would need to find truthful resources myself. Fortunately, in the age of information, I had access to museums, books, old newsletters, and countless knitting/spinning resources by outstanding authors that consistently reveal the truth about this breed...many of whom live in or near the Shetland Islands, that are not associated with our current national breed organization to my knowledge. The textiles Shetland fiber and the Shetland women created ARE famous after all; history and sheep cannot be broken apart! For that, I am sooooo thankful! Here at Wheely Wooly Farm, that honesty will prevail.

(Gretl's Swallowtail Shawl update: I'm on round 12 of the 14 budding lace pattern repeats. What a pleasant knit! The pattern flows smoothly along and has been a joy to work on.)

Lovely Gretl

Awhile back, I spun a ewe's (that unfortunately I do not own) neck wool into laceweight yarn. It takes a long time to spin laceweight, but it is always worth it. Then, for the whole month of April, it sat while family and lambing took priority. Now, I can get back to where I left off, so here is what Gretl's lovely lace yarn looks like! (Note: Since Mother's Day is tomorrow, I put my new little sheepy salt and pepper shakers in the photos. They were an early Mother's Day gift to me and I sure LOVE them!!)

Her yarn measures 19 wraps per inch with a softer twist (Note: 19 wpi would be pretty thick...too thick by far... for the traditional Shetland ring shawls. Ring shawls originated in eastern Europe near the Ural Mountains and were originally made famous in the 1700's with the use of cashmere goats amazing undercoats that were combed, not sheared. These popular ring shawl patterns migrated outward with the people, and by the 1800's were being knitted with the fine neck wool of Shetland sheep. I have read that Shetland women who made these ring shawls were excused from outside chores so that their hands stayed smooth, enabling them ease of knitting with this fine fiber at such a tinsy gauge. Therefore, my 19 wpi IS laceweight, but too much grist for a ring shawl).

I had thought of a different project for this yarn in which bloom would be nice. The lower twist allows for more bloom, but the compromise is slightly more delicate yarn. Bloom is generally not desirable in lace, as it can hide your lovely stitches and patterns. Yet, when I saw the Swallowtail Pattern from Evelyn Clark, I decided to use Gretl's lovely yarn for that, even if it blooms! This is how far I have gotten on the knitting. :) (giggle, giggle) I started it late two nights ago, so anxious to begin that I'd even tackle it bleary-eyed. I cannot wait to get back to it!
This is the smaller skein, closer up. The larger one is wound into a yarn ball now.
Haven't gotten very far yet!

It's nearly peak lilac season here on our farm. So, of course, I have a beautiful, fragrant vase full, cut fresh everyday to carry around with me in the house. Why do I carry them around with me? First, I can hardly bear to part with them and their lovely fragrance, and second, so Sophie doesn't tip them over time and again! Lilac season is toooooo short to give up even a minute of enjoying them, and it's not very relaxing to have little grey kitten paws swatting at MY blooms! :) Yes, I've been known to bring them along in the vehicle. DH always reminds me he is entitled to ONE drink holder! (giggle, giggle)

Here is little Wheely Wooly Lerwick, 24 hours after he was born. He had some swelling in his face yet, causing his cheek wool to stick out funny. This picture was taken on April 21st.

Wheely Wooly Pumpkin is fast growing, just like Gracie. However, she will grow taller than him. Pumpkin will be stockier, just like his Mom. He is remaining moorit in color still, while Gracie is starting to change. FUN!
I could spend hours out here with the girls and their lambs!

color, color, color!

Here is little Honey. She just turned one year old, so she's now called a yearling. I do not breed my ewe lambs, so she won't be put in with a ram until this fall, so that she'll lamb her first time (hopefully) when she's two. That is when Shetlands are considered "mature". She is MaryBay's lamb. It seemed to me that MaryBay was a very loving mother, and I think Honey will be the same. She is very sweet. She also has Tigger springs in her little hooves!
I bought Honey for her amazing fleece. It is my favorite type. After spinning MaryBay's fleece, I felt I'd just finished the nicest yarn I've ever made. (See yarn photo on right side of blog.) The wool is stunningly beautiful, soft, and has an absolutely lovely handle! As you can see in this photo, Honey is rooing around her head and neck. Rooing is not good on extremely windy days!!!! I did manage to catch her wool, and have it saved for when I have her whole fleece. I think she'll be one of the first ones I'll shear, since she's ready.

She was born black and white, like our little Cosmo looks! That is one of the many fun things about Shetlands! Color, color, color!!!! You can see here that when she's "wearing" her fleece, she looks like, well, honey! But that is going to change...again! :) Once I shear her, this color will be gone and she will look a great deal like her fawn Mom...nearly white!

I go crazy about this color! I love to spin it because it gives the yarn a lovely depth that is unmatched. The color won't fade, bleed, or wash out. It's there forever! Unmatched! I LOVE Shetlands!

Meanwhile, Lil' Rainbow smashed out of her fence to get a lamb! That's the first time I've had a ewe break a fence on purpose. We had her in during our latest bad storm...two more tornados that touched down just northeast of our farm, doing damage. They were small tornados, but damaging. The next day there were frightening wildfires in tinder dry marshes to the east of us, and we had fifty mile an hour gusts! That blew some shingles off our roof. Sigh....:)

...ring, ring...

So remember the funeral? It was three hours away from our farm and there was no way I'd miss it. But only two of my ewes were done lambing, with two more to go. I started planning for fill ins to take care of everyone while we were gone. I was amazed at how many people said they would help us!! We had a whole crew, each specializing in their favorite area. A huge thanks goes out to everyone!!! We are so lucky to have all of you as friends/neighbors!! But how do you ask someone to manage lambing ewes?!? As the days ticked down to departure, I worriedly waited....c'mon girls! Nothing. So DH said he'd stay behind...had lots of work needing to get done that was time-sensitive anyway. Nobody would probably lamb while I was gone for those few hours, right? On my last check out to the barn, all was normal. (Remember Gwennie!?)

So off I went. The funeral and everything with it went smoothly, sadly. I was (still am) sad, but all went great. No urgent ringing of my phone. So we stopped for fast food an hour from the farm on Sunday, when I noticed there were FIVE just made calls, all right after each other on my phone!! Oh boy! My phone had not rung out loud; ONCE!!! Yep!!! Lambs are coming....how faasssst cannnnn you getttttt hereereerererere!! We jumped back in the vehicle, dripping lettuce and melting ice cream along the way. We got down the road a few minutes, when DH calls again..."What does this mean??"....ring, ring "Is this supposed to be happening?? How close are you?".....ring ring "IT"S OUT...A GIRL!".....ring ring "Um, what does this mean??"....ring ring "Should the cord be three feet long??...OK, I'll try it...are you sure???"....ring ring "Nothing's happening, now what do I do???"....ring ring "Do girls have horn buds??"....ring ring "He's nursing!"....ring ring "I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING!!!!"....ring ring "How close are you???" (my passengers are getting very pale.)....ring ring "Oh! I think another one's coming out!!! HOW FAR ARE YOUUU!!! (two minutes!! I'm just around the corner!!) (Note: Passenger controls phone for driver!!)

Meet Wheely Wooly Cosmo (yes, a ram), born at 6:00pm Sunday night, day after the funeral, with my dear, dear DH as the head shepherd (Who never imagined such a thing!! :) Cosmo may be fawn or musket as he matures.

...and shy little Wheely Wooly Wink, also a little ram, born at 6:40pm! Wink was born a dark moorit color with a pinkish tongue, so I don't know for sure what color he will "be".
Their mom tried to hold out for me! She sent me off to the funeral with a "There, there...it will be ok. I'll wait for you." And what an excellent mom she was, continuously talking to her lambs, so gentle and attentive.

Less than two days later, Mona, my last ewe gave me the most gorgeous little ram lamb I could have hoped for! Meet Wheely Wooly Lerwick!
He has Wooly Bear's twinkling expression, a deep gorgeous black woolcoat (and a black tongue), and the softest, finest, waviest fleece dense and thick and cushy that is perfectly what the standard calls for, and excellent conformation with a beautiful topline!! This little guy has it all! He is best friends with Gracie and has revealed his sire's wonderful temperment to boot! We are very pleased indeed!!

What a time it has been; sorrow and joy, death and life, with adjustments to be made inside the house and out. Memories abound, of gatherings, reminsicing, contrasted with excitement and bounding races. I hope you can enjoy this sun-filled moment in a field of yellow as Lerwick plays grown up and Cosmo (in back) attempts to bring out a smile!

My Shawl and more lambs

Remember back in January when I perched my coffee cup next to me, put my feet up, and worked on my knitting to my heart's content? Those moments are long gone now! Spring is in full fling and we've been chasing all the fun things to do around here!

Here is my shawl for the First International Show Your Shawl Day. It is one of the most popular items in our farm collection. It dawned on me that our apple trees are blooming over two weeks early this season, and the colors of the blossoms would compliment this shawl so nicely. Unfortunately, my camera (a cheap used, early make camera) is on the brink and I stubbornly refuse to buy a new one just yet, so the picture quality is not there.
So I decided to take pictures of the shawl out by the apple blossoms but wait!! We've had several days of blasting winds! Gusts have peaked over 40 mph...not exactly good bloom photo taking! Then last night, we had severe weather move through, with a funnel cloud touching down just southwest of our farm and headed straight our way. OK! Down in the basement we went. It got so green outside and deathly still, with no birds singing. Someone I know was huddled in her little boots very worried about her little lamb! But the wind, hail and twisters never materialized and it all passed peacefully, thankfully.
As you can see, the winds continue blasting today! Ahhh, intercontinental spring! Fortunately, we got some pictures before all the petals blew off the tree.

Here is a picture of our second lamb born, Wheely Wooly Gracelyn or "Gracie" for short. She is out of Gwendolyn and Wooly Bear. Gwennie was a first timer. I could tell she was about to lamb, but nothing was happening, and she was happily eating away. Check after check and all was "normal". By eight the next morning, I tried to sleep, to no avail. After checking on her one more time, I laid down with one of my lambing books to review what to do if problems come up. I figured that would help me sleep! Fall asleep I did, having nightmares about all the things that can go wrong. Meanwhile, Gwennie was out there having her lamb! Oh, Gwennie!!! She is proving to be a ewe always full of surprises!! When I entered the barn, there was an extra little baa to greet me, and this little heart-shaped head came out from behind Gwennie! Not only was Gwennie all done, but the lamb was all cleaned off, finished nursing, and out exploring already!! Ok, that was easy!
Gracie is a very fast growing lamb. She is also extremely social and playful! Her wool is very dense, thick, and cushy and beautifully soft. It covers her body excellently so chilling was not much of a problem!! I chose this washed out sunny picture because it's the best I have showing her whole woolcoat. She doesn't stand still much!

Gwennie was the one ewe I really worried about with rejection possibilities. She was always the reluctant babysitter, standing at the fence as if to say "your not really going to give me this responsibility, are you?" look on her face. She also did not like udder checks one bit. So I worried. Meanwhile, Lil' Rainbow was seeing the little lambs and missing her own that died last year, before I owned her. Theft became a very real possibility!!! She really, really wanted her own little lamb! I quickly had to remove her, which caused her more emotional pain, but it had to be done. I feel so bad for Lil' Rainbow!

More to come! Hope you are enjoying displaying your shawls today!