Not EVERYONE'S sick of the snow...

Winter is not going to fade early here on Wheely Wooly Farm this year! Sigh....but it's been pretty. The cardinals have been around for weeks, but have been absolutely silent. Each day I wait to hear that sound of pure delight, of the male calling his spring call. But each day, as the sun sets, I head to the house with disappointment at knowing I'll have to wait another day.

Meanwhile, the little wren's house sits empty. He is usually here, checking things out by now. He comes back every year, and if I don't have his little summer cottage ready for him, he sits on a branch by the front porch and scolds me through the window. After checking that I've not forgotten him and his summer quarters, he flies away again, not to be seen for a few more weeks. Then, one warm, bright, breezy spring morning, his call will be heard at sunrise, just outside my window, letting me know he's back and ready to show off his cottage to the females.





While I may be tiring of winter, little Swifty sure isn't! Each fresh snow we get (and that's been OFTEN!), Swifty heads out the door with boundless energy and excitement! It's a joy to watch him stretch out and run as fast as he can! He races effortlessly all around the farm, sails over drifts, bounds into deep snow and digs just for fun.
Shoveling becomes a real challenge, for he chases the snow that flies off the shovel and snaps at it! Sigh....

One little whistle and he comes a runnin'!

Wait a minute! THAT'S not Swifty! All this snow has not been good for cute little ponies. The drifts have been so deep, he's been getting stuck. So he created little walking paths that he just stands around on all day, not daring to go into any unpathed places. The path he's standing on here is elevated off the ground about two feet. Two days ago, he tried to lay down and roll. I didn't see it, but he clearly rolled OFF the path, right into the deep snow and got stuck! He must have been there awhile, for I could see where he was kicking with his feet, while laying on his side, to right himself. By the time I was out there again, he was standing there, on his path, looking at me with that adorable white snip on his nose, as if nothing had happened. I wish he could tell me his story! So I just hung around and gave him his favorite scratches for awhile instead.

So we're still waiting for even the finches and mourning doves to call spring notes. Pleeeeaaaassseee trumpet spring pretty soon!!!!!

Fun/Pretty Shetland Fiber

Oh Gwennie! Some things never change! For those of you who are new to our blog, welcome! This is Gwendolyn, one of our mature Shetland ewes. She was bred to our handsome ram, Wheely Wooly Lerwick last fall, and we are hoping for lambs from her in April. She gave us a lovely little ewe lamb last spring, whom we named Wheely Wooly Gracelyn. Gwennie, as you can see, is very tame and friendly! ...nor is she camera shy...

Gwennie was born a moorit. That means she was darker brown as a lamb, but over time, she has lightened up in fleece color (my favorite kind of fleece color; faders!). Notice that her legs and face have remained the dark, chocolatey brown moorit color. She is so wooly on her poll (top of her head) and cheeks, that I suspect she carries some merino blood in her, although she is registered as a purebred Shetland.

I took this photo of her recently. Notice how her color is lighter along her back legs? You will see why in a minute, but first notice how wooly she is! I LOVE that about Shetlands! Her fleece length varies from very short under her neck to very long along those back legs. That area, along the back legs is called "britch wool", for it should be of different character than the wool on the rest of the body in a primitive breed like the Shetland. It's the hallmark of a historic breed that has not been changed much in the Northern European Short-tailed group. (I had worried that she would be more consistent in fleece length head to tail when she was younger, for I am not interested in same-o, same-o fiber like all the other more modern breeds. Turns out, I'm not disappointed! :)

Oops! That's not Gwennie!

Anyway (!), the photo below is of Gwennie's fleece. I sheared her myself last spring. She's a cinch to shear, usually chews her cud and pleasantly looks around while I snip, snip, snip. Some of the wool was washed and spun in summer, and it sold right away, but I usually stash the britch wool away for some other time. This photo shows how different her midside wool, along her ribs looks (on the left) compared to her britch wool (on the right). Wow!!! Her britch wool, when washed and left to dry sure surprised me!! Take a look at the next picture down!! Wow!! Yes that's right! Eleven inches long!!! That's longer than Iris's wool! (Iris is out of Dailley lines, Gwennie from Island Skeld.)

So anyway, in the photo here, you can see how the lock structure is very different from midside to britch. The britch is thicker but smooth and soft, and still has that lovely light handle Shetland wool is so treasured for. The color is also absolutely stunning! I couldn't take my eyes off it as it dangled at my wheel one afternoon when I was interrupted by the phone while spinning. This wool, while coarser and not for necks or wrists, is still stunningly beautiful and a treasure to have! It spun up and knitted up beautifully, and it makes GREAT socks! The chocolate brown makes the yarn a lovely warm color, while the more flaxen parts, the lighter golden light amber color adds highlights to the yarn that are unmatched! It's alive! Coarser? SOOO WHATTT! It's lovely! I'm not a weaver, but I can't help but wonder how beautiful something would be woven with this wool, if I saved it a couple of years. The highlights are so unique! It's TOUGH going back to boring plain white fleeces after delighting in spinning lovely color like this!

Gwennie's fleece...on left midside, on right, britch

The midside wool is very fine and soft. I made a scarf with some of it, sold that, and sold the rest as yarn. This winter, I'm catching up on spinning britch wools from a few of my sheep. This will also be for sale soon.

Wow, wowww, wowwwww!

Can't WAIIIITTTTT for this year's fleece!!!!

Shetland sheepies, you're amazing!

Thoughts with New Zealand!

This blog is not about us, or our farm. This time, it's about what the world of computers can do to the word "community". Our thoughts are sincerely with those of New Zealand...especially of the area in ChristChurch. The area experienced a devastating earth quake yesterday (our Tuesday, their Wednesday). Not only do we feel for the people who live there, but we know New Zealand is a land of spinners, knitters, and shepherds (and also people who are related to me). We've watched the images come to us over our TV. Panacaked buildings, amputations, fallen steeples, and disaster declarations. I can't help but think of those who have affected so many of us spinners lives by their excellent products...at Ashford Spinning Wheels. I have some of their most excellent products right here in my house. We here at Wheely Wooly Farm sincerely hope all is well with you, your family, and your workers, and we will keep everyone in our thoughts tonight!

Weather or not...

...it's made me busy! This whole past week has been such nice weather that I've been outside LOTS! (Think yuck, muck, goo, and the earth releasing it's spring freshness..).

Then the next thing I know...snowwwwww! Lot's of snowwwwwwwww! Everyone's cozied up in the barn and happily passing the time by seeing who can make the best matching hat and earrings out of hay......

sigh.......

UPDATE: Well, we sure were dumped on in this storm, too! The rams are still in the barn because after taking one glance at those big drifts 'tween the barn and their pen, I decided to wait for summer sun.....

...and I had to dig the door out so the horses could go out....and I could get IN the barn.....

....and after sweating after that job, Calypso got stuck in snow up to his belly. In his efforts to boost himself OUT of the drift, he got his foot caught under the outside wall of the barn! No injury fortunately! Everything is fine. As I hiked back up to the house, shoveling along the way like a snorkeling mole, I was feeling pretty confident I'll still fit in last summer's clothes....

A Valentine for you!

From Wheely Wooly Farm, Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

(That's sweet little Honey here...we hope she'll give us her first lamb or lambs this spring.)

Crash!

Today, I was out in the barn doing general upkeep and trimming hooves, taking fun pictures of very cute woollies and such. The sun was shining bright so I let the hens out for the first time in awhile, for we've had a pretty good cold snap...temps down to -17 degrees last night (and I was out trimming hooves!)...anyway, I decided to open the big door so the hens could enjoy a sunny warm up. Delighting in watching them happily cluck and peck at treats in the warm sunshine, I started walking on to the next thing I wanted to do when CCCCRRRRAAAASSSSSAHHHHHHH!!!!!! I heard this HUGE, HORRIBLE crashing sound! My first thought was something fell off someone's truck and shattered on the hard, very frozen road! I went tearing out of the barn to look when I saw it! Two vehicles had crashed together and were slammed into a snowbank in my front yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing was moving....not a sound! I started running up the driveway, and I remember hearing myself say over and over something! One vehicle was smashed bad on the driver's side....I'll never forget my thoughts as I ran through the deep snow of our front yard to check on the passengers, senses heightened to smell gas or anything!!! What would I find inside??? As I approached the very quiet, very still, crashed vehicles, I saw the passenger window was not there. I saw someone sitting in the driver's seat...and I asked if they were ok when suddenly I saw two booted feet started coming through and I could hear someone crying!!!! Oh.....!

I helped the person climb out, who looked ok despite the major damage to the vehicle!!! As she climbed out, I took her hand and steadied her, then lead her away from the crash....she was shaking and I wasn't sure of her injuries, or the safety of her crashed vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle came around, and said he was ok thankfully!!!! Well, to make a long story short, turns out both drivers seemed ok, and were the only people in their cars. The woman was very worried though for her dog was in her crashed vehicle. I asked both their names, then helped them make the right calls (both seemed dazed) and making sure she wasn't going to pass out, I went to check on the dog, for it seemed safe to do so. Shock!!!!!!!! I stuck my head in the window and saw THE LARGEST, CUTEST Great Dane I've ever seen!!! And he seemed fine, just blinked at me...patiently waiting for whatever comes next in a nice sit (maybe he was dazed, too?)!! No blood or anything. Everyone turned out ok in the end and I had them come in the farmhouse to warm up in between things, including that very large, VERY CUTE, very nicely behaved dog! (Ok...I think Swifty thought I brought Calypso into the house for he barked a very funny bark when he saw that big friendly fella who stood taller than my desk lamp!) I ended up being outside for a near continuous stretch from noon to four in the afternoon, and it was only 9 degrees out with a freezing breeze. THANK YOU Lil' Rainbow, for keeping my toes so nice and warm through the whole thing, that I never once thought of my feet out there!!! And THANK YOU LORD that everyone is ok tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How 'bout a tip!

When knitting lace, be sure your chart doesn't get turned upside down without you realizing it.....