Woolfest preparation.

It's Woolfest on Friday and Saturday and we are busy making the final preparations. The whole family having to help to get the fibres I have dyed packed and labelled in time.
The sheep were sheared last week and have produced some really nice wool. The ten lambs are growing really well but spend their time getting up to mischief. 

Hovingham Market

It was our local village market at Hovingham. The weather was great and the market was very busy. On my stall I sell a mixture of hand made crafts, fibres and yarns and vintage china and glass. The next market is on Saturday 2nd July from 10.30-2.30.

Little Chicks for Easter

Two of Bossy's eggs hatched she has one yellow and one black chick.

Wonder Wool

We have had another busy few weeks (I don't think we ever get a quiet week). Last weekend I had a stall at Wonder Wool in Wales which was very busy this year and the weather was amazing. It was really good to meet so many of my internet customers.

 One of the hens Bossy is sitting on four eggs due any day.

A busy few weeks.

We have had a busy few weeks. At last we managed to plant Mother's fruit trees ready for spring, they probably won't produce much fruit this year but at least they are in the ground! We have also made all the lavender hearts ready for shows and markets through the summer, the fumes almost over powered us lavender is better in small quantites. I am now getting everything for Wonder Wool and my dye pans have been bubbling with some new colours and Mother has been busy labelling all the new wool.
The sheep are all well and are in the barn because the grass has not yet started to grow as Misty May needs the grass especially as she is starting to work again after her winter break. Our dogs have not been as well recently. Rosie our terrier who had to have a lump removed has been feeling very sorry for herself and Dusty stepped on a blackthorn which I had to spray with antibiotic spray and bandage. It seems to has worked as there is no swelling or infection.

Bringing the sheep back.

On Sunday we brought the pregnant ewes back from the field down the village. With my brother helping it all went very smoothly and calmly until we got them home. Brownie my Shetland whether was jumping  for joy at the return of his friends but Skye one of the Cheviot X twins set about challenging Brownie's mother Sophie an old Shetland ewe. The head banging got quite fercious for a while but Sophie stood her ground as leader of the flock.
Later it was Mother's fencing job at an attempt to keep the three chickens off her garden. She has called them Hetty, Betty and Bossy and is getting two or three eggs every day. Bossy is my favourite, she squats down when I go up to her so I can pick her up.
I have been busy dyeing wool and yarn. The new look collage packs are almost complete. They will contain more for the same price and will come with some creative ideas.

Welcome to my new blog.

My New Years resolution is to do a blog every week - well better late than never. The sheep are doing well and we should have lambs in May hopefully after Wonder Wool. The Hebridean Tup went back on Tuesday when I was invited to attend a lambing course . Its three years since we had lambs so it was a useful day out. Yesterday we visited a friends farm to see some early lambs, suffolk and suffolk cross; nice big sheep with good fleeces. After shearing I will have some of these fleeces for sale. My three Hebrideans look tiny by comparison but the North Ronaldsay Esme is even smaller. I also have a Jacob cross, two Shetlands, a Swaledale/Cheviot cross and two Jacob/Cheviot twins.
Today its bright and dry so we are having a mid winter clean up in the barn and yard and taking the horse muck to the farmers huge manure at the other end of the village. I am also taking advantage of this dry weather to dry my new colours of dyed Shetland tops which will be on the website soon.