It is hard to imagine that spring will come. Here’s the flooding at our place after all the snow melted. We have had ravaging winds and serious rain here, and the flood waters come down from the development above us. In the background of this photo you can see a government worker’s car (on a Saturday!). The flooding was so bad the rams are actually using their shelter. They were thrilled to move into the barn where they wait for the rains to slow down.
But there is one sign of spring coming. My shearing day is scheduled! It is Monday, March 5th. Anyone who would like to help out please let me know. There is free wool for those who help. Also anyone who would like to reserve a fleece, please let me know.
Here’s the Mica hat I finished last night. It is made out of fur from my dog who was a mutt but had the nicest golden fiber. I carded, spun, washed and then knit the Odessa hat with it. Now I am going to make mittens, Feathercrest by Jared Flood. The pattern is in my Christmas present book, Knit Real Shetland. It will not be Shetland fiber this time but should match the hat well.
Here’s our forecast (I could use a warm hat):
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Love the Mica hat. Beautiful color, and I bet it is super toasty being all dog hair.
And count me in for shearing day. I’ll put it on my calendar!
Thanks Denise! So far it is warm but not too hot. We’ll see. I’ll take it into the mountains with me and see how it does. I am thrilled you can make it to shearing day. In the interests of full disclosure some of the fleeces have already been reserved (Jocko, Moll Tanya, & Wilma) but the rest will be available.
That’s fine- I think I’ll be looking for something in grey- light to medium gray. I can’t remember who you have in that color range.
Oh, that’s a lot of water! I’ve just started learning how to spin – I long for the day I can post a project that I made from scratch, like your lovely hat. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks Monique. The water is mostly gone and the rams returned to their field today. Glad to be an inspiration. My hat’s yarn is not beautifully spun, but it is a little tricky using dog fur.
Denise, I have quite a few sheep that are light to medium grey. They are almost all progeny of Babette, one of my original and favorite ewes. I learned to spin on her wool. Hopefully you’ll find one that makes you happy.
Hi, Donna, My guys are scheduled for Sunday the 4th, so I’ll be in the same boat (only I just have five…right now). My little Pebbles is either rooing or pulling her wool out, so shearing can’t come soon enough. It looks like it started in the area of Jocko’s “machinations” (mid-back) and she’s been pulling at it ever since. There’s some black wool growing in there now. I tried pulling on it tonight but didn’t get much so am thinking it’s just her rubbing and pulling at it herself (or is this typical for rooing?). Of course now I’m mildly worried about hairballs/impactions. !! 🙂 I am definitely planning to shear again this September for the Shetland girls at the very least. The BWM boys are long, but not like Pebbles and Cinnamon. And it would be nice to have a fleece that isn’t a mess with VM from winter hay, and not broken with all the rubbing and pulling. Learning as I go here!
Hi Maureen. I think Pebbles is rooing. They do like to rub at it when they are rooing which is why she left wool on our fencing. I have not heard of sheep hairballs though. The longer Shetlands we do shear twice per year. The fall’s fleeces if long enough are particularly nice. I had more sheep roo this year and I think others have too. I will have some more throw away fleeces in March I think.