BabyDoll SouthDown Sheep

Dave, our shearer, sheared our 6 sheep a week ago. This was another first for us. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for sheep shearers now. The shearer tips the sheep over backwards onto its butte onto the shearer's lap and legs, and while holding the sheep head to the side, leans over and shears. You need to visualize what a long reach this is. These sheep are only 24 inches high.
For some reason most sheep don't struggle and fight much in this position, but our two pregnant ewes, Cardigan and Jenny, protested greatly. Beth, Smitty, and I tried to help, but it was mainly Dave's job. Granddaughter Meredith was holding a flashlight because it was getting dark.
Above is the fleece from Maddy, pictured below, she looks so brown in the picture, but her fiber spun up quite black.

This is our white lamb Phoebe, in her new coat. Everyone will be wearing coats this year to keep the fiber clean. Phoebe's fiber seems to be finer than Maddy's but has more lanolin in it. I have washed up these two fleeces and listed them in my Etsy shop.

I'm very encouraged that we have some nice sheep after my friend, Cary, a long time sheep breeder, evaluated and likes our fiber. She talks about Maddy's fiber in her blog here.

Washing this stuff has been challenging. I soak the fiber in a big mesh bag that goes over the spinner in our washing machine (don't worry - I don't agitate), and then I spin it out.

Cary has a very good tutorial on her farm site if you want to learn how to wash fleece. I'm learning that the vinegar rinse is quite crucial to removing the grease.

I'm anxious to try blending our sheep with our alpaca. Cary suggested using close to the same staple length when combining. After I play with it a while and after we shear alpacas in May, I will probably send some combinations off to the mill. I have already sold two of the fleeces (from the naughty girls mentioned above) so have 2 whites and 2 blacks to experiment with.

Ain't Life Grand!

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Marie asked in the comments if we coated the alpacas. No, Marie, we really don't need to. Because the fiber is dry (no lanolin) it doesn't seem to attract the VM like the sheep. Many breeders blow out the fiber with vacuums before they shear, but we just hand pick the big stuff out. We don't get much trash in their coats probably because our indoor pens are lined with rubber mats instead of straw. They don't need bedding to stay warm because of all that lovely fiber. Another thing is that unlike sheep who poop and pee anywhere, alpacas are very clean and have a communal poop site. It's very easy for me to sweep their pens daily.

Dyed Raw Alpaca Evolves....

Do you remember a few months ago when I was dyeing the raw white alpaca fiber? Look here ↑ what it has become. Beautiful yarn, handspun by Carrie. To get a description of how she produced this lovely stuff, take a look at her shop, TemptressYarn
Carrie, a certified fiber art fanatic, mother of two wee ones, lives at Long Island, New York, and creates a multitude of lovely products from hand spun yarn to hand made cards. She crochets, she dyes, she spins, she does it all.
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Granddaughter Meredith made some yarn and pot holders and listed them in my Etsy store today. Can you guess? Yep, Carrie, from above, bought her yarn, and friend Collette of Epicurus bought three pot holders. You really must visit the shops of these two who are kind enough to encourage a budding 8 year old future fiber addict.

Blog Neglect

Oh, my gosh, you need to go here and see what Kristen has written on her blog about me. It makes me feel a little sheepish and sort of embarassed - yet really pleased and is giving me big smiles. I've gone back and read it a couple of times for a big ego boost.
Kristen is one of the very first folks that I felt a connection with a few years ago when I started my Etsy shop. I have checked out her blog weekly and admired her handwoven goodies. You know the pictures that you get in your mind of what someone must be like? Kristen remains there as a kind, generous, intelligent woman out East, but I was sure she must be in her late 20s 'cause she has two wee kids. Now I find out this Attorney trained woman is about the same age as my own girls. Well past 30.
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I've been neglecting this blog because I'm out of my normal routine with the grandgirls and their dog, Knox, staying with us for the week. We have played tons of games, knitted, spun, shorn sheep, groomed winter hair out of the horses, and last night went to see "Nim's Island" 8 year old Meredith has decided that she wants to put some stuff in my Etsy store so is right this minute weaving a pot holder.

Renee and Magnolia

This delightful little hat is from white Magnolia's fiber that I handdyed and spun. It's created and knitted by Renee from Madison, Wisconsin, (solmama on Ravelry) (graymama on Etsy). I know that I've said it before, but it's so much fun to see where and how our fiber ends up.

My Little Corner of the World

Because I love to see other folks' work spaces, I just naively think that everybody does. This is our living room where I spin. Normally the drapes are open so that I get great light. Cassie, my Golden, is usually to the left of my chair, and Max, our Sheltie, lays along the wall to the right. Bliss, I tell you....
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Tomorrow I am going to Corunna to stay overnight with the grandgirls, get them to school on Friday, and bring them home for a week. Their folks are taking high school students to Costa Rica. And my other daughter is in Germany chaperoning high school students for two weeks. This daughter, Terre, is a high school counselor here in Ithaca. Don't you think that it's amazing and wonderful that kids today have such wonderful opportunities?

Fun Weekend Spinning

Did some fun spinning this weekend..... The skein above is a single alpaca blend plied with a gold flecked Wooly Nylon serger thread. I threaded about 300 gold and pearl beads onto the thread before I plied. I thought I had about a hundred yards of the white all spun up and figured I wanted a bead every foot. For some reason I came out with beads left on my thread but think that this looks nice. Maybe the left over beads need to go on some black now. Think that will be today's spin. I listed this in my store here.

This was also a fun spin. Remember the Tulip inspired roving that I dyed last week. Here is some of it. I couldn't resist it! I still have a couple ounces left. This was experimentation - It's a single. The thread that you see, I just added as I was spinning the thick and thin, slubby single. I never spin singles because I'm always worried about the finished knitted project slanting - and after knitting this little swatch (there's that dirty word, Cary), yep, it will slant. It's here in my Etsy shop. I hope you don't think I'm blatantly promoting because that's not why I have my blog. It's only if you want to see more picture. Really!

Remember you can click on a picture to enlarge and see all those happy slubs.

And here's the guy responsible for all this. Okko. Yea! Okko! The fiber is from the blend that I picked up last week at Zeilingers. 75% alpaca, 20% merino, and 5% mohair.

Go State!

This is a big weekend for Michigan State hockey fans because the team is out in Colorado playing for the National Championship. They won last night and if they win tonight they move on to the Semifinals on April 10 in Denver.
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You may recognize these two darlings as my dear granddaughters. The pictures were taken last year when Michigan State won the NCAA National Championship in St. Louis, MO.
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And I'm sure you are asking why the kids were at that game...... Right? Well, their Dad is the hockey team physician, so, of course, goes to the games - and the whole family got to go.

Life could get a little sticky for their family because next week the girls will be staying here (YEA!) because their folks are taking high school students to Costa Rica. They will return April 10th when, should State win, Dr. Bob will fly to Denver instead of home to Michigan.

Sunday a.m. - just in case you care, MSU lost last night..... :-(