Sunday, April 12, 2009

Spring lambs and all


It's spring time and baby lambs are on the way. A trip out to the farm in Chilliwack didn't net us a sight of the new babies - none were born yet, but Stewart got to feed the sheep and the chickens. Loretta has at least two breeds of sheep; a horned Icelandic variety and a more common, North American breed (don't know for sure what breed they are - Loretta calls them her 'woolies') without horns. They were a bit skittish with us, but as soon as Stewart had grain in hand he became their new best friend.

Loretta doesn't sheer her sheep herself, as that is a skill that takes a bit of time to acquire, however she does keep the wool, wash, card and spin it herself. She has tried some experimenting with dying the wool, but mostly she prefers to use the different shades as they come off the sheep. That is why she likes to have dark and light sheep, and is hoping for a few spotted ones among the lambs. After our farm tour, we went inside the tiny farmhouse to have a look at some of her spinning. Specifically, we were looking for some yarn to knit up a hat for my niece, Taryn. We chose a lovely mottled dark/light grey that has knit up into a very nice little Topi. The hat knitted up quickly, however, the brim seems overlarge, and may have to be frogged and reknit. Taryn will have to try it on first, but overall, I am happy with the way it looks.


So we came home without seeing any lambs, but a couple of days after the visit, we received the following photo via email! Here is new baby Ophelia:

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