Meet the Sheep Part 3 Elfaba

Elfaba's, breed is Navajo-churro, if she looks a bit odd for a pure-breed Navajo, it's because she is fine wooled. There is an explaination.....Churro's as most of you know, are famous for bomb proof, course hair, rug making wool! Not Miss Elfie, see there was a time when some guys thought they were going to "improve" the Churro, make their wool softer, more like commercial breeds, not appreciating the fact that for the last few hundred years, the people that raised them, thought their wool was perfect! So they introduced the Navajo churro to the Rambouillet breed. Somehow, old genetics kicked in and poof! She appeared, just like the Wicked Witch she was named after (read the book "Wicked"). She is not wicked after all, she is just Elfie, a Navajo churro in Rambouillet clothing. She is a very special sheep. Hat is for sale at my Etsy Shop.

Meet the Sheep part 2 Caprica

Meet Caprica, she is Roberta's daughter. When I got Roberta, my first shetland, we didn't know if she was pregnant or not. Caprica was the first lamb born here and she was a little fireball! You can see it in her first picture, She was only 1-2 hrs. old and already full of it. You can also see the wool she was born with, OMG! She is three now and her color has gone from black velvet to a beautiful medium charcoal (as in the hat picture), It's soft and wonderful to spin! Caprica had twin ram lambs last spring, they are wethers and both appear to have awesome wool! Helo and Hermes will have their own writings later. I have Caprica's lambfleece (which is velvety black), with prime alpaca with green tones of flash, spun up for sale @ my etsy shop.I will have the hat for sale also.

Meet the sheep

Ok, the evil thing... Just had to be said. Done. Now it's time to meet the sheep. First up...Taa Daa the famous Uncle Snug. You know the name? Humm, where have I heard that?? A mid Summers Night Dream, OK, not as famous as Puck or Titania, or Sweet Hermia, but, my boy is brother to Robin Goodfellow, Robin Goodfellow the shetland sheep that is. Uncle Snug does have magical powers though. With his wool, he will put a magic spell on you that will entice you to spin his wool for hours! His wool will be on our Etsy site soon, along with others from his herd of wonderful fleeced sheep. More sheep bios to come...

Would you Buy Wool from this Sheep?

This is Maddy, she is a rescue and she wants you to buy her wool. Not right now because she is growing it out for next spring. She is taking special care to wear a coat at all times, insuring a vegetable matter-free fleece. She came here by way of my friend Heather, she had not been sheared for over two years and her hooves were so bad, it was hard for her to walk. Her breed is Old English Babydoll Southdown, we are keeping our fingers crossed that her wool will be as advertised by the Babydoll association. As fine as the finest Merino! I did card up what was usable wool from shearing and made a fab hat. She is named after my mothers late friend Maddy, so the hat will go to mom this month for her birthday. I will be spinning up a crap load of Maddy next summer and knit as many hats as I can sell. Look at that face, how could you not want her wool?

What the Frak is up with Shetland Sheep Fiber?

Ok, I have heard people poo pooing Shetland sheep fiber just one two many times! How has this happened? Well I have a theory and breeders are the bad guys. Maybe not on purpose, but, the wild sheep that live on shetland isles are renowned for their fine fleeces. I think the need to breed the "perfect" sheep, has cost our state side shetlands their soft fleece heritage. I have sheep that do not qualify to be "registered" because their tails are not a perfect fluke shape, therefore they are culls (a nice way of saying throwaways), but, my sheep have fine, soft, luxury wool. I have sheep that came from one of the most respected farms in Oregon, they look perfect, have a pedigree that goes back to the original lines in Canada, they have a much courser fleece. One, even has the much sought after "single coat" that is all the rage in Shetlanddom, course, course, course! My 9 year old ewe, too long of tail, eyes set to wide, has double coated fleece that is so soft, it does not need to be dehaired! One of the most disappointing moments I have had in my life, was, going out to my lambs with the total intent of scrutinizing everything about them! I came to the decision after much torture, to only feel the wool. Don't get me wrong on this, I understand the need for certain characteristics, but I think that once money is involved, people try to create a want, a "we can improve them, make them better" attitude. Sheep just want to be sheep. But I maybe I am full of crap. Whatever..... Roberta, my friend, my old lady sheep, you have taught me the true value of what's important in a sheep. Your imperfection in the eye of most shepherd's, gives me comfort, warmth and most of all, a soft fleece!