Welcome Spring!! New lambs!

We began our lambing season Friday evening.  This ewe's name is Oregon, a grey Katmoget

http://www.mtn-niche.net/NASSA/members/nm_pedigree.php?pregno=S33987

She delivered two beautiful Katmoget ram lambs.  I didn't get a lot of 'hands on' time with them, as she was doing quite well by herself.

She was bred with Sheltering Pines Grand Luxe, a very fine fleeced fawn ram.

http://www.mtn-niche.net/NASSA/members/nm_pedigree.php?pregno=S34244

I'm sure either of these two little guys would make someone a great ram.

  



One of my Shetland crossbred ewes also delivered last evening.  I put my crossbred group together with three rams, a purebred white shetland, a shetland/rideau arcott cross and a shetland/cormo cross.
She delivered two ram lambs, one white and one black.  Everyone is doing well.

We have about 24 more ewes to deliver, many of my finer fleeced ewes I have bred with Grand Luxe.
Can't wait to see what we get.........just hope it's not a ram year as it has started so far.

Oh, and you were right Michelle, my crossbred group did not breed earlier as I had hoped......genetically they're just not inclined to breed in September.

Happy Lambing to everyone!!



Shorn Sheep and many bags of wool

We had our shearers come on Saturday and in about five hours, fifty-six sheep and two llamas got shorn.
Fourty-two of the sheep are mine and friends brought their sheep to have shorn.
I can't believe I have this many sheep, it is amazing how fast your numbers grow with sheep.
I started out in the fall of 2007 with two ewes.  In the summer of 2008 bought three more ewes and two llamas, that fall bought a ram.  Had nothing but ram lambs born those first two years.

Began to learn more about fiber and what I wanted in a fiber.  Micron tested my flock and began to learn more, one being that ram I bought wasn't a good buy because his micron numbers were terrible, but back then I didn't know any better.

Since then we have added a few more ewes and much better rams.  Remember, that ram you buy will be 50% of your flock.  Today we have five quality rams in our flock.  Some of those original ewes are still here and will always be here, but in the last 5 years we have had some really nice lambs with quality fleeces being born.

Three years ago I started crossbreeding some of the shetlands, those you will see in the above picture....all those white girls.  They are bigger and produce a very consistant staple length fleece across their whole body.

The shetland's fleeces are smaller but quite nice.  I have many greys, musket, several moorits, a couple of blacks and some I would call fawn.  I have not put coats on my sheep so some VM will be in fleeces.
I plan to begin skirting fleeces soon, if interested in raw fleeces send me an email.
All raw fleeces are $16.00 lb plus shipping.

 

Looking for a break in the weather

The girls are looking for some better weather and some tasty grass too!
This winter has really hung on.  Our extended forecast looks like it will be in the 30's and 40's.
It seems strange to say, but I am looking forward to it.  It will feel like a heat wave compared to what it has been.

I've been away from the computer for several months, so I will try and post regularly to update everyone with what we have going on here.

This Saturday, March 3rd we will be shearing our sheep, approximately 50 head will be sheared.
I have a wonderful young crew that comes in and within a couple hours all will be done.
Then the real work begins, when the weather cooperates with washing fleeces and having roving made or selling fleeces, roving and making items to sell at the various events we participate in.

Anyone who might be following my blog and be interested in fresh raw fleeces would be welcome to visit on our shearing day.  Just email me and I can give you more details.  I will have a crew of fellow spinners that will be helping with the sheep.  There is nothing better than getting to sink your hands into a freshly shorn fleece and what a great experience it is for any spinner to experience the different types of fleeces and colors.



 

Wool for socks!

OK.................forget the background clutter.  The house is a mess, it's been several weeks in a row of festivals to attends, 'work' to go to and sheep records to look over (in my red notebook).
I am finally  getting wool sent out to the processors to have socks made.  This project has taken much longer than I anticipated.  I have eight Shetland crossbred ewes' fleeces that I've had to tip to meet the requirements for the yarn to be spun for these socks.
I have 16 pounds of washed white wool mashed into the plastic vacuum bag shown above.  This was quite the feat.  Getting that bag of wool into the box shown below it. 
We did manage to get it in, by vacuuming the air out of the bag and pushing it down into the box.  The minor problem was that I could hear the bag taking in air...a leak!  I only had one bag and this had to do!
As I prepared my letter and payment to go into the box, we watched the  bag grow out of the box.......so, again we went through the process of sucking the air out with the vacuum and quickly attaching the letter and payment inside.  Then, while my husband wrestled the box closed, I grabbed the packaging tape.  Ripping large strips of tape and pressing across the top of the box and down the sides.  As we turned the box onto it's side to encase it in another layer of tape, the first couple of tape strips began to pop off.  I knew this was not going to work.......the packaging tape was just not strong enough!
....and that darn bag was taking on air! as the box was beginning to bulge across the top and sides.
HOLD IT! I told my husband, let me find the duct tape......off to the garage I go. 
Back for a third try, with the red duck tape.  Again, we vacuum out the air, push the bag back into the box....quickly close the bag....quickly grab the tape and start wrapping the box with tape.  Three strips across the top and all the way around, then three strips from the side and and all the way around.
....the box still bulging, we decide to have breakfast and wait a while to make sure that the box is not going to explode. 
Several hours later, the package is still holding together.  Delivered to the post office and en route to Conneticut. 
    

2013 Algonquin Mill Festival

Another Great year for the ALGONQUIN MILL FESTIVAL!!
This is the third year in a row that we have had fantastic weather for our festival and the attendance was great too.
Got to meet some really nice folks again this year, which is always a pleasure to visit and talk knitting or sheep.....or just time when you remember your 'Grandma used to do that'.
......
...those that I spoke with about shetland sheep and are interested in some ewes that I have available, please contact me soon as we will be putting the breeding groups together real soon and if you didn't want them bred I will need to know soon.
.....
also.....DISCOUNTS FOR SMALL FLOCK PURCHASES!!

Now some pictures with my new camera....as I am still figuring it out.  Tried out the 'sepia' setting too, pretty cool.....

Above two pics. are of some shetland ram lambs that participated in the festival.

Scott and Kathy making a delicous meal for all the spinners and weavers demonstrating.

Beautiful Fall day at the Festival.

Our spinners cabin, with dye pots in the front.

Bob working on a needle felting project.

Emma tending to the dye pots.

Lynn working on some quilting.

Brenda working the great wheel, Julie and Kathy running sock machines.

Jo and Kate spinning in the spinners cabin.

Ann taking care of sales.

Many more guild members participated to make this a successfull event, but I was not able to get out and get everyone's picture.

...as we close festival year 2013 we can call it a SUCCESS and can only hope for next year to be as good.

 

sheep for sale

For now, I am pulling pictures taken a couple of months ago.....

The picture above is one of a four katmoget ram lambs that I have available for sale, each of them has a very desirable fleece, uniform and crimpy.  Another ram that is available is solid black with good correct horns, his fleece is also very nice! 

$350.00 /Ram

I have a few ewes that I would like to see move on to new homes, these are good hardy ewes.  As long as I have them I will use them in my crossbreeding program for market lambs.  I have bred them to my shetland rams in the past and do have some very nice ewe lambs from them, it's just time to make some room and make some of these ewes available. 

Since we are getting into the breeding season soon, I will consider offering some of these ewes for sale as being bred or exposed to my ram.

$250.00 /Ewe

At this time I have two ewe lambs that I would let go as unregistered for $100.00 each.

Moorit ewe born in February, she could be bred this fall. 

Fawn ewe born in April, she is nice, Moorit based coloration, dark brown legs and head, body coloration is lightening up to maybe fawn, as her lamb coat grows out, nice crimp is developing in her fleece.

email me if interested in these possiblities.... 







Great Trail Festival - 2013

In progress now, the 2013 GREAT TRAIL FESTIVAL
http://www.greattrailfestival.com/db/Home.html

This past weekend I did my duty participating in demonstrating at the Great Trail Festival.
I will be there again this coming Sunday, to meet more festival go-er's.  This is always a nice event, with such a great location. 
Vendors scattered about in a nice wooded setting, with paths to travel throughout. 

This is the 'kickoff ' of all the festivals to come......a very busy, but enjoyable time.

Also, planning to attend the Stark Co. Fair Wednesday to take in some tastee fair food and watch the 4-H sheep show. 
Hope to see Ellie with her shetland ewe Autumn participating in a class.

Good Luch Ellie!!