Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Winter Planning for the Spinning C Flock

 I spend a lot of time taking pictures of our flock during the fall each year.  I review the pictures again and again during the winter months to plan for the next breeding season.  I am looking at size, characteristics of the sheep, their wool, and each sheep's health records to determine the future of our breeding program.  Have you ever taken a picture and when you went back a couple of months later, you seen something different than when you first took the picture? 
 Birdie and Gerty are two of my choice ewes.  Bonnie, a registered Oxford was their mother, sire is White Knight, a hybrid BFL ram from Herbal Maid Farms.  both of these ewes are very large, gentle, long soft  wool.  We will see if they twin at lambing time.  I will also be monitoring the wool fleece that they will give me this Spring.  So far we favor this line.  Can't wait to see the babies this Spring.
 Gerty....look at that wool...It has a very soft handle.  She is a big baby. 
We added Liam, Registered BFL, to our line this last fall.  He is just a lamb but really growing this winter.  Liam has beautiful wool, not quite as long as White Knight's wool but his wool is finer.  I will probably send samples off of his wool to have it graded.


Liam's wool...first fleece

I took this picture in the fall.  We keep the flock up closer to the barn lot during the winter.  That makes it easier for the dogs to do their job of guarding the flock.  Coyotes come closer during the winter months when their food supply gets slim.  We have seen a few coyotes cross our pastures in the last few weeks.  Also see their tracks in the snow. 
I dyed a BFL fleece and have been running it through the drum cardeer.  Notice the glimmer of the wool.  This wool will be spun for weaving a scarf to wear with my black dress coat.  Working with the fleeces also helps us develop our breeding program. 


I love color...I think dyeing a rainbow of wool is the favorite part of working with wool fiber...what is your favorite task of wool preparation?


9 comments:

  1. Your sheep have the sweetest faces, and the colors you dyed are just amazing. BEAUTIFUL!!

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  2. Oh...I love the pictures. Such sweet babies. The colors are wonderful !! Hope you are not covered in snow again like I am ! Come on spring !!!

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  3. You have been busy. Blog fixing and knitting!!! Love Liam's wool!! I started lambing last night. It was a balmy-26C out. Go figure. Anyway between Dat's Alzheimer and lambing I'm shot.

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  4. I know what you mean about the pictures. Sometimes I worry that I am taking more of my animals than of my children! But I really am not. Hope you are not smothered in snow again!

    ~Lori

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  5. I am really happy with my blog, but I can't take credit for any of it except most of the pictures. Angie put in all the work. So I thank Angie and Cat.

    Lori, keep taking the pictures, I ssometimes look back 3 or generations. But take lots of pictures of your kids too! We just got a dusting of snow...getting ready to warm up for a few days.
    How many lambs do you have so far?
    Dyeing wool and yarn is the best part...I love colors. Thank you.

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  6. Mary Carol told us about your blog -- it's really nice! I do a lot of knitting and crocheting, and want to learn to spin -- I have a Turkish spindle and some roving, but I haven't gotten the hang of it yet. I have a loom, too, but have been a little intimidated by the process of warping it. One of these days . . .

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  7. Hi Pam, Do you live in my area? Mary Carol is a great friend. Let me know if I can help you. I have a video on 4 harness loom weaving that really helped me get started with all aspects of weaving. don't give up on the drop spindle...but I prefer the wheel for spinning...it is each person's choice.
    I have a laptop computer that I got last year and greezzzz, I can not type on it...always typing away and look up to see that I am in the paragraph above while I was typing...looks like after a year of using this computer I would get the hang of it.
    Pam maybe we could get some others with like interest together and play with our spinning and weaving this Spring. I know Brenda over by Princeton would like to play with us too.
    God Bless

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  8. Great pictures and love the time and attention you place in improving your flock and producing your fiber - Great job. I wish you continued joy...

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