Hello and Happy New Year!
Well all the sheep survived in the capable hands of Sarah a friend from down the road whilst we had a well deserved few days in France. However yesterday we had a rather traumatic day. My eldest son George, on his last day at home before returning to uni in Bangor, helped me gather up the rams from their various groups of ladies and put them in their batchelor field. All was well until a phone call from a friend whose house backs on to the field indicated a problem. We rushed down to find my newly purchased pedigree Dorset Down ram Herbert (who was very overweight on his arrival, and who I have spent the last 8 weeks trying unsuccessfully to slim down) had died of a heart attack! I had to then phone the fallen stock help line to arrange for him to be collected by the casualty wagon and drag the body to the gate to await collection today.
Very sad as he was a top class pedigree ram and I was planning to use him on all my ewes next autumn............he was expensive too! Still nevermind, these sad things happen. One a good note I found out that I had come 3rd in the novice class of the Dorset Down Flock competition, where they come and inspect all of your flock...........not just the pretty ones, so I was well chuffed as it was only my 2nd attempt and the competition is hot!
Just launching some new items on the Woolly Shepherd website including hat knitting kits and baby quilts that are filled with shetland wool. The one to the left here is a flower faries design but I will be able to do any design or colour to order.
I have new colours of banana silk too and some interesting hemp and nettle yarn.

Coming soon will be spin and knit kits consisting of fleece, a drop spindle, knitting needles and a pattern all in a little bag.