I hope all of you had a fantastic, happy holiday season and that your new year is off to a good start? We are already plotting our shearing day. How does that happen so quickly every year? I start fussing about it right after January 1 EVERY year. Like clockwork. And we do not even shear the sheep until the first part of April!
What is the big deal you ask? First and foremost, it is very very difficult to find a great sheep shearer. We’ve been lucky enough to have good ones and our standards are pretty high. Our sheep are a little, well, round we’ll say. They are a little extra for the shearer fellow. They are good though and we require a shearer who is gentle, patient and kind to our sheep. Their comfort is the most important. AND that of the shearer of course! Those fellows sure do work hard. We only have 24 sheep now and most likely, we will start around 8 am and be finished up around noon. They are speedy which is good for the sheep- and all of us!
I’ll post more about shearing as it gets closer and have plenty of photos to share. You can find out more of our thoughts about shearing and wool in our FAQ pages. Be sure to know shearing is a kindness for sheep. It is very much required for their health. They do not shed their wool and if left unshorn, they end up with heavy, matted and filthy fleeces that are just completely unhealthy. It is not cruel to shear them and having the best shearer is key. If you have questions about shearing sheep, please contact me ok? We would never put our sheep in jeopardy. Never! It’s over in just a few minutes and they hop and skip around without all their wool like lambs. All ready to go for the warmer weather of Summer. It is around 30 degrees here now and it is too warm for them. They say come on shearing day! Some of them have fleeces that weigh around 20 pounds. Can you imagine never trimming or washing our own hair? Eeks! Anyhoo, more info to follow soon. Have a good February everyone, the sheep send smooches!
Happy Holidays To You All!
December 2023
How in the world does another year fly by so quickly? Seems like it was just 100 degrees in the shade and we were keeping an eye out for heat exhaustion in the critters. They always do just fine but I always worry just the same. It’s been around 30 degrees the past week or so and the sheep are happy. Our favorite temp is 20-25. No crazy ice. Now the sheep really really want snow. Their sleds are all waxed up for a run down the big hill in the pasture. They will have their ice skates out soon too. Petunia is watching out for reindeer and hopes you all have the merriest of holidays. Stay safe, well and enjoy your family and friends!
Smooches and hugs from all of us!
The Great Pumpkin didn't stand a chance...
It’s that time of year everyone! It’s spooky scary October! The sheep break into the pumpkin patch every fall. This year, the patch expanded itself into the pasture to make it easy on them. Pumpkins are good natural food for sheep for quite a few reasons. I did not know they had broken into a pumpkin or two. Saw them running toward the fence that is on the road?? That usually means someone leaned and pushed something over- letting everyone out for a jaunt. Luckily we do not live on a busy road but still. Stinkers. THIS time however, they were just pushing each other around trying to gobble up pumpkins! Fingers crossed we will not have our yearly breakout that results in our sheep touring the neighborhood!
Hope you all have a fantastic month, sending hugs from the sheep!
Sandy
Happy Mail & a Surprise!
Last week I purchased a book at a friend’s online sale. When it arrived, Carol ( @crinkledpath ) also included a surprise! I love our community of wool peeps and since the sheep branched out into junk journals and ephemera, I’m finding the crafters just as wonderful. It’s like having a friend to keep me company while I work thanks to Youtube. Priceless!
I purchased a book called ‘Misty the Wonder Pony’ and ‘Wool ‘round the year’ is my happy mail. Thank you so much Carol- you are a peach!
The wool book was written for the Girl Scouts by the Wool Bureau in 1949.’ I absolutely love it! It includes ideas and instructions for projects made with wool. From spinning yarn to finished items no less!
Very cute illustrations too. The sheep are already plotting to give some of the projects a try!
My purchase was the book ‘Misty the Wonder Pony’ and the little girl with her pony really reminds me of my horse Crissy. I took her everywhere possible. This page where she is taking her pony onto an elevator and all their adventures together brings back happy memories! I got Crissy when I was 11 years old and she was 30 when she passed away. Talk about a hole in my soul right? This page where she is taking her pony onto an elevator and all their adventures together brings back many, many happy memories!
If you would like to support Carol, please have a visit to Youtube and subscribe to her channel. You will not be sorry! I love her Thrifty Thursday videos where she shares all the fun treasures she comes across in her travels. Give her a hello from the sheep while you are there!
Carol’s Youtube Channel: @crinkledpath
She also has a Ko-fi shop : https://ko-fi.com/crinkledpath
Happy weekend peeps, hope you have a fantastic week ahead!
San & the sheeps
Be sure to have a look around the website- lots of updates and new items for sale. We will be offering wool from our sheep very soon! Check out their journals and ephemera!
Our very first sheep- Woolamina!
What in the wool world is going on around here?!
Hello everyone! Hope summer finds you safe and well! We’ve had some crazy 100 degree temps and holy moly humid days. Lots of them. The sheep are doing ok though, they have their cool spots in the dairy barn, leaning up against the old stone foundation. That and the fans keep them nice and cool. The llamas and alpacas spend time standing in the kiddy pools and of all things- laying in the sunshine?? Good gracious!
As you’ve probably noticed we’ve added a new item to the website recently. Woolamina’s Junk Journals and supplies. Woolamina aka Mina was our very first sheep so many years ago. Seemed only right to name my new endeavor after her! I have always collected most anything old when it comes to photos, books, paper, etc. My painting skills have deteriorated due to a physical condition that causes my hands to shake. Specially when I am trying to do intricate detail work. (of course) SO, there was a very big hole in my creative life. A friend suggested I share the finds I’ve accumulated in the form of journals. Thank you to Bridgett- you saved me. Truly.
I create a variety of styles that include mainly vintage/antique papers from books, ledgers and lots more. They are original so each journal has a style all its own. Pockets to save trinkets and notes, places to journal about your days, travel or plain ones to decorate yourself. Make it your own we call that! Covers range from old books to vintage wallpaper. I use a variety of items including vintage photos, cabinet cards, ledger papers, newspapers, ads and more. Where I can I include the history of the items, such as ledger papers and the stores they came from way back when. I have them as far back as 1882 for various stores and even a lawyer from England.
My goal is to give a new life to things left behind in antique and thrift shops. I also have a local auction house that I scoop up lots of good stuff. My other goal is to share these historic items with other journal creators and collectors of old things. They historical value is more important to me than prices. The ephemera faeries are very good to me so I can pass the savings along to you. I love seeing how creative other people are with the items they purchase. It is simply amazing. We are offering supplies to creators of journals including vintage books, magazines, paper bundles, journal kits and more. It is good for my soul to see these precious items shared across the world to be given a new use in life. So as many people as possible can enjoy them.
We are of course still selling the sheep’s wool and handspun yarn! I am so predictably behind with things, please email us if you do not see what you need on the site ok? More info to follow, in the meantime I hope you will have an explore of our new creations. Smooches from the sheep!
Sunday with Jolly dog!
July 2023
Poor Jolly. To look at this peaceful photo, you would never know he is upset? Well, let me tell you a story. There is a rule here about chasing cats. Jolly and Fletcher needed boundaries re-established because their biggest fun is chasing blind cat River. What??? If River did not run, they would not chase him but still. That is pretty terrible right? Last night I broke out not the tiny one, the GIANT spray bottle filled with water. It reaches across the room and it always amazes me how two giant dogs can be so afraid of a spray bottle. Even the tiny one. I usually do not even have to use it, the sight of it is enough. It was not enough last night. Twice they got a spritz and they galloped up the stairs to sleep by Jim. (I have a monster cold so trying to sleep on the couch.) Jolly came back down later and I woke up to him laying on his back right next to the spray bottle. hahahahaha! I put it away and he would not even open his eyes when I got up. I feel terrible but really, do not chase the cats. He will shun me the rest of the day as a good Pyr does. I think boundaries have been re-established!
Winter has arrived
Sort of! We got over 4 inches of rain the past 48 hours followed by 3 inches of snow. Egads what a soggy mess out there! Played some early morning ring around the hay bale so the sheep had fresh hay. (We have to remove the string webbing that holds the big bales together.) It usually ends up with me trying to stay ahead of four or five scamps who like to play tag. They have taken me out like a linebacker in the past so I work hard to be faster than them. Guess I should be grateful for the mud? Slowed them down a little bit! This is our Isaac, one of our East Friesian sheep. Seems we missed a burr bush in the pasture? I love him and EF wool BUT I will not enjoy removing burrs from his beautiful fleece in the Spring. Naughty sheep!
It’s been a wild summer for our family when it comes to our dogs. There have been some losses of good souls but we also have some GOOD news! My parents lost both of their older dogs this past summer and it s time to introduce some new peeps. Lady is a beautiful little Cocker/Poodle cross and she trotted right out of her kennel at the shelter, stopped at my Mom’s feet and said you are mine now. One of those meant to be moments. Lady is middle aged and smart as a whip. Whomever had her in the past loved her, taught her tricks and just to be a sweet dog. We don’t know much of her story but she does have some anxiety/separation issues they are working with so she can relax. She’s very attached to Mom and is frantic when she can’t see her.
Two new rescues in the family!
My parents adopted Rusty a few days ago and he is a sweet one! He is 9 years old and landed in the shelter when his owners divorced. Luckily he was only in the shelter for 11 days- it’s a nerve wracking situation for any dog but older dogs do not easily adapt to being there very easily. Lady really likes him and he is fitting right in. We are hoping he will help Lady get over a bit of her anxiety issue! Welcome home Lady and Rusty dogs!
We have mittens!
The sheep will be offering mittens this year! It is a fun collaboration between the sheep, me and our good friend Bridgett of Sidewalk Pirate. We are working on listing them on the website by November 1st. In the meantime, here are a few photos! Cheers everyone!
To ply, or not to ply
That is the question today! Comfort had me spin up some of her pretty wool when it arrived back from the mill. It is so soft and a beautiful cream/cinnamon-y color. She wants me to ply it with something fun but I like it as it is. What do you think? Watch this space!
Afternoon tea party with Ticco!
June 2022
Ticco’s Amy came to visit him today! I told Ticco last night about her visit. This morning, he was sleeping on the porch with Jolly dog. He sure was early to the party! We spent a few hours chatting with Amy and the day was beautiful. Sunny, breezy and well, just perfect. Ticco sat by us and was quite interested in the conversation. He did not tell us what he was thinking but all we needed was for him to be his cute self. It was fun to see Amy!
Shopping for Fathers Day?
June 2022
Well, this is quite a time here on the farm! The sheep went shopping for Farmer Jim’s Fathers Day gift. Whoa right? In all our 20 years, we have never had our own tractor. We are lucky our friends and neighbors were willing to help us out with hay all this time. We are so thankful. This tractor beauty rolled into the driveway and Jim was out mowing pastures the very first day. It came with a bale spear (for moving big round bales of hay); a mower and the bucket. This place will be getting a makeover of cleaning up, resetting fences and no more thistles in the pasture. If we mow them before they flower, they can’t come back again. There is also a corner way down at the end of the big pasture the sheep never eat down. Not sure what that is about but now it will be mowed to keep the crazy down over there. Not really sure I will drive it- at all or much. It has a dashboard of controls like a freaking air plane! It’s a little big for me too. I’ll stick with the Gator. So far we’ve been able to keep the keys away from the sheep. They do love to sneak into town to Baumgartners pub to have a cheese sandwich. Any chance they get. Their manners are not the best so we do try to keep them home. What. A. Day!
Twas the night before shearing...
And all through the farm
Not a creature was stirring, except in the barn.
Throughout the week the rain it did fall
Followed by sleet, hail and snow.
Wet fleeces, wet fleeces, no that will not do
So Monday into the barn the sheep they did go....
(To be continued…..)
New Roving Arrived!
It’s like Christmas when a box of roving arrives back home! Shari at MorroFleeceWorks.com is a magician I swear! The sheep sort their fleeces into batches for her to card into pin-drafted or loose roving. Loose roving is airy and fluffy. Pin-drafted roving is carded one extra time into a coil. Both are equally easy to spin and lovely. You really never know what they might create- thus the Christmas present factor. We have most of the new roving available here on the website and have done a little adjustment of prices to make things a little more affordable for you in this current world we live in. You can read more about our roving here… and find it for sale on our website here…. Thank you for stopping by to see what is new with the sheep- they send smooches and hope your weekend brings you many Fruit Loop Margaritas!
Here comes March- in like a lamb it seems?
We never know what to expect from ANY weather any more! Will it be warmer, colder, rainy? Weatherman is predicting thunderstorms this weekend? Ridiculous. The sheep have a good giggle watching me use my arms like windmills to keep my balance outside. The top inch or two of ground has thawed. I swear, the ice under the mud makes it worse to walk than plain old ice. Time to put the cleats back on my boots today. It’s been around 30 and breezy so my woolie sheep are not as out of breath today. I reminded them we are about a month from shearing day. Gadzooks right? Sir Maxwell, Millie and Bunny stayed on the cement in their pasture while I was out. A nice oasis from the mud and you would be amazed how many sheep can fit onto that little slip of concrete!
Happy Holidays!
December 28, 2021
We hope you had a great holiday! Do you have fun plans for New Year’s Eve? We always stay home. It used to be because it always snowed on NYE in Wisconsin. Now we are more likely to see rain or freezing rain. The sheep really prefer snow. Lots of snow. So they can sled on the big hills in the pasture. They are working on knitting a few new sets of leg warmers and mending scarves, hats and ear muffs. They are quite independent!
The weather will be cold this weekend, barely a high of zero but a wind chill keeping it -10 to -20 below this weekend. Yikes! We are thinking it is time to invest in automatic waterers for all the critters. It’s a pain in the you know what to haul frozen hoses in, then haul them back outside. After 20 years, I think we’ve earned it. (To be honest, Jim earned it- he waters in the winter.) That is for Spring though. Bucket list!
Jim is on vacation from work this week so I am a bit scattered and very off my daily routine. I guess it really depends on the structure of HIS routine?
The sheep have been busy washing Cotswold fleeces and I’ve been spinning lots of yarn. Jim and I are also doing a lot of reading of books lately. Mine is history (of course) and research related. My current path is the history of Scotland by Sir Walter Scott. He must have been quite a treasure. Someone it would be fun to sit down and have a mug of ale with!
Stay safe and well everyone- Sandy
A view from our front porch- the sheep put lights on the little tree. They are all a bit low, in a circle in the middle of the tree but that is as high as they can reach!
Whoa! It's December??
Good grief! The sheep have been busy growing lots of wool and we have the farm all buttoned up for winter now. Well, one more job to finish but there’s always one (or 10) more things to accomplish!
The weather has been blustery and extra windy. Ugh. The sheep and friends have been staying close to the barn. If the wind slows down by bed time, they do still sleep outside though. I love sneaking outside in the middle of the night to visit them. They are such peaceful creatures. The barn is nice and warm when they are inside lounging about. They like me to read to them too. We’ve started on the history of Scotland by Sir Walter Scott. It is the memories of events as told by his family members. The book was written around 1840. Pretty darn fun reading. The sheep have a visit to Scotland on their bucket list! Hope you are all doing ok- stay warm and enjoy the holidays!
A bit of Fall cleaning!
We have some beauteous weather in Wisconsin this week- seems Fall is here?! Perfect weather to be a sheep.
They have been working on some Fall cleaning in the fiber palace. Vacuuming the carding machine is tedious but wow, sure looks great. They carded a batt up for practice and to be sure everything is working properly. The batt weighs 3 ounces and includes: our CVM girl’s wool; dyed purple wool and a hint of white Tencel fiber. If you are interested in this batt, just email the sheep. They are happy to share!
Smooches from the sheep everyone!
What's in the wash today?
August 19, 2021
Sheldon is busy washing up his wool today! He’s such a helpful sheep. He is a Wensleydale sheep with a beautiful curly fleece. The locks average 6 inches long and are silky soft. I will spin most of the locks, one by one, into our flagship lash yarn. We will be adding lash yarn back to our site soon. It’s really fun to add to projects or even use a decorated skein as a scarf itself. I’ve posted some photos below of yarn and projects customers have created with it. And of course, a few of Sheldon too! Keep an eye on the website… lash yarn to follow soon.
A little wool from our friends!
The sheep have been busy this week sorting fleeces! Go sheep go! They added them to the website yesterday. Grab a cup of coffee and stop by to see if there is something you need to add to your wool stash. Smooches!
(Wool added: Piper’s Cotswold; Comfort’s CVM and Catriona’s Mule sheep wool)
