Full Steam Ahead!

Well I have been really busy since I last blogged - we have been full steam ahead here!

First of all a quick update on all matters sheepy - rams are again with their ladies and they certainly seem to be smiling a lot!  We are later tupping this year because of the worry of Schmallenberg virus - those in the know recommend that we put our rams in later to avoid the peak midge time as the ewes are especially susceptible in the early stages of their pregnancy.  It may mean therefore that our lambs will be smaller come showing time but I would rather the lambs arrived safely!  So lambing this year will be March rather than our usual end January.....

My 2 young Golden Guernsey girls are also in with my new billy Velvety Brown - much to their disgust! However I think things are a-happening! Watch this space .....

I have also taken on the role of Membership and Registration Secretary for the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepbreeders' Association.  Am really excited to take on this new role and look forward to making a real contribution to the future of one of the oldest sheep societies.  Seem to have my work cut out though!

Finally an update on my work with Emily-Rose Debenham.  We have chosen our colours ......

Emily-Rose has produced some samples which I have to say are just gorgeous!  Lovely cosy chunky handknits for those long winter walks .....

All that is left now is to produce some patterns, dye enough yarn, look at the possibility of producing some knitting kits, take some lovely photos and then get knitting ........ doesn't sound much if you say it quickly!

Watch this space for the photo shoot ......

A new adventure ......

I thought I would just share with you the dawning of a new adventure.......

Over the last year I have been supplying a lovely young designer with hand dyed wool for her degree work.  Well she has now graduated from Norwich University College Of The Arts with a 1st class honours classification in Textiles, and has agreed to help me create some designs and garments especially for Gedgrave Wensleydale Wool.  Her name is Emily-Rose Debenham - here is some of her work http://emily-rose-debenham.blogspot.co.uk/

This will be a new journey for us both, as she is currently establishing herself as a freelance designer in Suffolk and I am wanting to take my wool forward - exciting times!

We are concentrating on my lovely handspun chunky yarn, handspun especially for me from my own fleece, by another true artist from the Western Isles, my friend Sheila Roderick - check out her Scalpay Linen blog http://scalpaylinen.blogspot.co.uk/

We have chosen some gorgeous colours Wild Raspberry, Dusk, Azalea and Kingfisher, plus the natural cream and black of course!

The first design is underway - you will be able to purchase the finished garment plus buy it also in kit form for you to knit yourself!  Kits will come complete with needles, yarn and any other accessories required for the finished look.

Watch this space for a sneak preview shortly ..............

T x

Lambing now underway ........

Well at least it hasn't been another 6 months since the last blog but admittedly I am getting a bit behind with all this!  Where does the time go to?  My New Year's resolution was that I would try and do my blog more often - well it is early days but haven't really got off to the best start have I?  Still I am persevering!

The weather has now been seasonal at last but can't profess to enjoying it at all! Makes life such hard work when you have to haul water in watering cans to fill drinkers.  The girls are all fine they are all now at home and lambing is underway!

So back in the middle of January we had to undertake essential repairs to the roof of the lambing shed.  This was carried out by our good friend Phil - cold windy day but we were up for it and cracked on - job done!

   

Then on the third weekend in January all the girls were brought home to their lambing quarters.  It is very easy to have them so close to the house and much better at 3am when you are trying to check whether they have decided to have their babies!

Jacine was the first off with two lovely ram lambs - both absolutely perfect - adored by her of course as only she can! She had twin girls last year so I was fully expected twin boys this time - and I wasn't disappointed!  Sorry about the bad photo but taken at 10pm under a spotlight - not good for photography - will have to update with a better one soon!

 

Next up was Rosie - who took a week over her due date to think about it - but she will NOT be rushed - but it was worth waiting for! A beautiful black ewe lamb - very cute! Named Rona.

So that is it so far!  One now overdue - so we wait!

In the meantime the snow has all but gone but here are a few pictures taken on my morning walk about a week ago now.

Stan thought it was the best of fun!

That's all for now - not to self....  must be better at blog! x

As I wave goodbye to my Germany lambs ........

I have had a stressful couple of days trying to get to grips with the export papers required in order to send my black lambs to Germany. You would not believe the process - which at times I nearly gave up on. But I persevered through scrapie tests and brucellosis tests and the mountains of forms and vet inspections required, but finally yesterday morning I waved them goodbye as they were loaded onto the trailer for their onward journey to Germany, via the Dover - Dunkerque ferry. The man who has bought them says that they will be the first black Wensleydales in Germany so I am really thrilled that we are not only spreading the word, but that I have provided the foundation flock for this lovely man Silvio.

They arrived safely at the home of the transporter in Holland last night and have left there today, Tuesday, for their new home .............. am eagerly awaiting to here that they have arrived!

The other exciting news is that yesterday I picked up a new white ram and a black ram lamb for new breeding stock this year. The white ram has come from good fleece producing stock so am hoping for even more fleece improvement for this year - watch this space! Will try and post a picture soon.

Now, back to the fleece sorting .................. x

Haymaking and Showing

Well, we attended the Tendring Show on Saturday as planned - wow it was hot! The sheep really didn't want to be there - the rams huffed and puffed across the field in the morning, snorting at us and swinging their heads in a bid to be let off the leads. Noah spent most of the day when not in the ring flat out on his side sound asleep - oh to be a sheep.... Anyway the long and short of it was I don't think they all performed at their best but we achieved a 2nd place for Jacine (shearling ewe) - judge said that the top 3 ewes were cracking and it was a very close thing - a 3rd for Noah (shearling ram) - judge said he had a phenomenal top line but preferred the fleece on others - 2 4th places for lambs and a 5th for my aged ewe Mable. Not a bad result - must try harder for next year!

So, now we have finished showing for the year we can get down to some real work! All the show sheep plus a couple of spares, 8 in total, need to be hand sheared, so we set about that task yesterday and completed 2 of the rams between us, which took about 3 1/2 hours per ram! Don't think we will make much money at shearing do you? Still good job done and just before the rain which was much needed - will have to wait for the others to dry out now.

We also managed to get the hay in before the downpour too - whew! Only two thirds cut as the mower hit a concrete block and broke a something or other (not that good at mechanics!) but all that was cut has been turned and baled - fantastic hay and smells of summer breeze! The girls will love it! Got 80 bales into the barn but couldn't face the other 80 - they are still sat on the trailer, under cover, waiting for me to get up the strength to move them - perhaps later this week!

So down to serious work - more wool sorting, honey harvesting and hopefully a bit of felting! Watch this space ...............