Nature's Fireworks & Lambie Cuteness

Weeks ago, I purchased a flowering mixed plant for my container on the corner of my front porch.  With the crazy hot weather, it has been struggling to adapt.  Mr. Hollow and I were gone all day yesterday for a wedding and left bright and early this morning to go flea marketing.  Look what I found when I got home!  My plant is beginning to bloom.  The bursts of color reminds me of fireworks.

 

 

Thought I would share some of the Lambie cuteness happening over at the farm.  Here is Syd catching a snooze in his Mom Sadi's dinner.

We use to wish for black lambs that would REALLY stay black. This year's lambs or should I say ewes delivered big time!  Here is just one of about 5 black lambs born to the farm.  Oh... and that is not my finger in the upper right corner.  It is our wether Sam's ear.  He loves attention and being petted.  I had to keep pushing him to the side to get a descent photo. LOL

Syd decided to do a little posing with his brother Sky.  They are absolutely beautiful.  Unfortunately, I believe they will being going up for adoption. Farmerboy does not want to have a bunch of rams.  These little guys have the most gorgeous crimpy fine fleece like their Daddy Spiez.  I am waiting and dreading to hear what the kid's are going to keep for the flock... They are all so darn cute and charming too!

I think their Shepherdess is going to be dreading the decision as well.  She can be caught between chores sitting somewhere in the barnyard with a little flock of babies surrounding her...   

Lambing Season Has Begun!!!

Spring lambing has just begun!  Prepare for some major cuteness.  :)

 

The first ewe to kick off lambing season was Marlena, and she meant business.  Marlena gave our flock its first ever TRIPLETS!   Yep, triplets!  The first lambs to kick off 2018 were Mae, Maddie and Mario.  As you can see, our Shepherdess is right in the mix of things making sure all is well.  Mother and babies are doing fine.... And without any need for outside relief.  Although tonight, the little ones (at one day old) were pawing and bouncing all over Mom.  God bless Marlena.  She is heading for Sainthood!

 



 

Maddie took after Marlena in markings, along with her brother Mario.  They look like mini fawns.  They are so innocent when their tired.  LOL

Marlena's colors have shifted to grays.  I never realized how much until last year's coat was removed.

 

 

Our Shepherdess went out yesterday to check on the triplets and found Helen with her twins!  They are her very first lambs. The little black one with a touch of white is Hector.

 



And our little Hannah is almost an exact duplicate of her Grandpa Maximillian.  :) 

Our newest baby arrived this afternoon.  Here he is with his mother Trixie.  One really big boy!  He is so new, he hasn't been named.

I believe their are 4 more ewes expecting.  So stay tuned!  :)

Passing the Time in January ~ Wool Roving

January is coming to a close, and cold temps are making their way back into the forecast again.  I have been spending my free time getting a workout combing and drum carding wool from my son's Shetlands .  It is a relaxing past time. :)   Makes me feel like the sheep are close by.

 

Here are the black and variegated grays of Marlena.  She has the softest fleece.  I call her my big bunny!

 

A few of my purchases snuck their way into the line up.  This is some stretchy and lofty Gulf Coast Native fleece.  It is going to make some excellent sock yarn.  It has some canary staining which gives it a nice lemon color.  How is that for natural coloring?  LOL

I save some of this lot for myself.  (Okay, I saved a fleece of Marlena for myself too!)   It is from Blackie and is created from a 1st shearing.  The coveted lamb fleece.  Blackie was black from root to tip.  You could dive into the wonderful jet black depths.  Not gonna lie... I wish I wouldn't have sold the majority of the fleece.

One of my latest projects is from the matriarch of our flock, Miss Lego.  She lends herself to the soft side of the Shetland spectrum.  The roving is from crazy long locks and is absolutely wonderful to handle.  I will be saving some for myself in the next batch!  ;)

Cocoa (a lovely dark brown Shetland) and Liam (the most indescribable color of lamb fleece I have EVER seen)  are currently on the combs.  Most of my winter's work was graciously purchased by the community on Ravelry.  It will greatly help the flock with feed and veterinarian costs.  It really is a labor of love.  :)

My goal for February is to start working on my New Year priorities, so tomorrow is D-day.   So much to do and so little time!  :) 

It's Shearing Time for Everyone

No animal could avoid the shears around here lately.  The first two to fall prey  were Izzie and Gabby.  They went to see Dr. Julie.  Yep, it was spaying time.  A time dreaded by myself (and them to I'm sure, if they could understand).  They seemed to take it well with the exception of some cold tummies.  

 

 

March came in like a lion for the sheep, since the gentleman arrived at Farmerboy's to do some shearing.  Farmerboy was all smiles with that chore finished.  Luke the llama posed happily for a photo op, since he didn't get sheared... this time!

The rest of the crew seemed to enjoy the loss of 4 or more pounds each!  They were scratching themselves on anything they could find.    Last year's lambs were bouncing around the barnyard happy to be free of the excess hair. 

Even Max seemed to be a little more mellow.  :)

I have been spending the last week skirting fleeces and bagging them for proper storage until they can be scoured.  There are some extremely beautiful colorways.  The nice thing about Shetland fleeces is the variety of crimp and locks all on the same sheep.  It is just amazing!  I am going to be putting quite a few to the side for personal spinning and will share some photos later.  But I have to say, there is one lamb that is coal black from skin to tip with locks in excess of 7 inches.  Crazy gorgeous!!  I washed a couple of locks, and they are fantastic.  The whole fleece is like that... A spinner's dream. :)

Down on the Farm Visit

There has been a lot going on lately keeping me close to home.  But on one of the warmer days, Mr. Hollow talked me into visiting the kids' farm.  Farmerboy has been laying flooring in the kitchen and working on his workshop.  I laugh at the fact that I did not take any photos of his hard work... just some animal shots. ;) 

 

In the shop, Farmerboy has three new furry mice catchers:  Here is mama kitty.  I call her Moon Pie.  If she looks directly at you, her eyes are as big as Moon Pies... I swear!!  She is the sweetest tempered cat with the tiniest feet for her size.

 

 

This is a photo of her kitten Patches.  I think her fur looks like someone dripped paint all over.  On her other side, she sports some big splotches.  Patches is very vocal and one heck of a climber!

I cannot remember the name of this one.  Isn't she a beauty?  This is Patches sister.  She is quiet and like her sister loves to climb.  Her favorite spot is looking out the new window Farmerboy just put in.  I imagine she is wondering about where all the mice went, since their arrival.  It didn't take long for the pests to stop going in their domain!

Here are the piglets Farmerboy purchased in the fall.  Oh my, they sure have grown.  It never ceases to amaze me how furry pigs are.   I was there for feeding time.  There is one particular one that makes so much noise when she eats, it is funny.  Maybe the noise has a calming effect on her.  I am not sure. 

The one to the left is not growing like the others, but she can mix it up with the best of them.  They have just got moved to their new digs with plenty of space to sprawl out and relax.  :)

My favorite part of the farm is the barn.  If you go into the upper loft, the ceiling is amazingly high.  I helped the kids stack hay inside over the summer... That seems like such a long time ago.  *sigh*

I have always had a love of barns.  They have that rustic cozy feeling inside, and the hay stacked makes it even better.  It saddens me how many wooden barns in the area have fallen to decay with new steal sheds taking their place.  I understand the reasons for the progression, but it is still sad none the less.

Oh yeah, the sheep have their own cozy shed.  It use to be a home to pigs back in the day but is a perfect spot for the sheep.  They love it!  As you can see, they have quiet the wool jackets going on.  I believe they are scheduled to be sheared next weekend.  Farmerboy's flock this year has a great variety of colors and textures of wool.  There will even be some solid black lamb fleeces coming off this year.  Very exciting to this spinner!  :)

Always a couple of interested sheep wondering if there is some feed in the bucket!  LOL

Farmerboy's wife always can be counted on to pitch in with taking care of the animals.  This girl's not afraid to shovel some pig manure.   And if you ever smelled pig manure, you would know she is a Saint for helping out!   Whew wee!!!

I think they are pretty happy on their farm.  That day was such a fun time and makes me think that spring is around the corner.  Hard to believe it is only the end of January!

Summertime... Fleece, Fabric & the Return of ...



Oh my heavens... Where is the summer going?  I have been so busy!  Here is a little bit of my summer antics.  First, I got some cool new combs and another carder for processing all of that Shetland wool.   Also, I have been doing loads of reading on Ravelry regarding the processing and spinning of raw fleeces.  I have learned so much that I will need to revamp my tutorial on "how to wash raw fleece".   And oh the lovely fleeces!!!  There are many wonderful caring shepherds selling their wares on Etsy and Ravelry... got to have more than just Shetland to spin. ;)   (More on that in future posts!)

 

Here is my latest processed fleece.  The taupe colored fleece is from Farmerboy's Ariel.   The gray bun in the upper left corner is from Lego.   They were two of the original 3 that started out this crazy group.   Beneath the gray, there is some Targhee / Rambouillet fiber from Kami over at "Ranching Traditions".  I haven't spun the fiber yet, but this stuff is spongy and destined to be socks.  So, let the fine spinning begin!

 

At present, I'm still messing around with combed top purchased from "Edgewood Garden Studios" on Etsy...  Love her colors. :)  It is really good practice.   And hey... It  actually looks like yarn!  LOL 

 

 

Did you think I was too busy for the Flea Markets?  Of course not! ;)   Mr. Hollow and I just went up to Jefferson, Wisconsin this morning and had to bring home some vintage fabric.   Although we did not go on the 127 this year (the first time of being a no show in 14 years),  we have been hitting a lot of the smaller venues.   One of the vendors today had an old Viking machine in its original case (heavy metal at its finest)  and also there was an old treadle White, but I managed to pass them up without too much regret.  I am in the process of getting a studio area set up in my house, so my spending has been sparse until my room is semi functional... At least for bigger items anyways! ;)   There aren't enough words to convey how thrilling it will be to get my sewing machines and fabric easily accessible to me... Whenever, I feel the need.  Yipee!!

At the beginning of the summer, Mr. Hollow and I discussed removing the pond from our back yard.  It was June already with no sign of Gary, and Farmerboy is moving out with the purchase of a farmette.  (How cool is that?)  The pond had always been his project.  And as of the last few years, Mr. Hollow has gotten stuck with the cleaning of it anyways. :(  LOL  Not two days later after discussing the demolition, I looked out the back window and guess who was walking across the yard?  Yeah, you know who.  Mr. Gary made his appearance ambling around, sniffing the air and going plunk right into his pond.   Apparently, he winters in our back yard under one of Farmerboy's sheds that he is not planning on moving... Lucky for Gary right?  ;)  Guess that means the pond is staying.

The "Gas and Steam Engine Show" will be in Baraboo this next weekend.  I am very excited to attend.  Hopefully, the rain they are predicting will move out of the weather forecast. :(  I finally purchased a new memory card for my camera and will get plenty of photos. 

Spring has Sprung with Baby Lambs!

Our first babies of the year are twins!  These are Trix's first lambs.  They are so tiny.  Reminiscent of Levi when he was born.  :)

 

 

The lamb with all of the white is a little girl, and the chocolate faced lamb with touches of white is our handsome little guy... They are yet to be named.

I couldn't get a great photo for scale.  They were only hours old in these pics.  And since I was in too much of a hurry to break out my Rebel camera, the Sony with its necessary flash was used. I hate to get to close to newborns with it!

Notice that Luke is taking a drink out of Trix's water.  He is never far away with newbies in a stall and will give an unsuspecting viewer a smack with his head as a reminder to keep a safe distance.  He takes his job VERY seriously!  Wouldn't want him any other way.  :)

An Easter Surprise!

I already had a post ready for Easter, but the Easter bunny had other things in mind for us and our ewe Lego.  She birthed two beautiful lambs in the wee morning hours.  Liam and I had to check them out.  They are really pooped out in this photo and were only semi dry.   Quite a stir for the barnyard on this gorgeous Easter day. 

 

Lego is such a terrific Mom.  This is the second Easter in a row that the flock was blessed with healthy twins.  The smallest of the two is a little girl and is next to Lego in this photo.  She is completely black and has tiny little tight curls.  To honor the day, she has been given the name Lily.

Here is a photo of her twin brother.  He has some odd white markings on his face... Kinda makes him look like X-Men's Wolverine.  Don't you think?  LOL   Keeping in the "L" names and inspired by the season, his name will be Leif.  I know this photo makes him look big, but he is so small... Our little Spring Leif.  :)

Luke the Llama was humming intermittently while I was there.  He gets nervous like a new father.  He does not want anyone getting these little ones excited.  Here is a photo of him sniffing Lily to make sure she is okay after I touched her head.  He kept edging me away from the pen.  The little lambs are not even remotely frightened of his big face in front of theirs.  It is so amazing how Luke bonds to his flock and with each lamb at birth.  They are all his family...  Such loyalty and an inspiration to witness.

 

 

Happy Easter!

Sheep Shearing Time



It is sheep shearing time.  Marlena  is peeking through the feed bin, watching the sheep shearer at work.  Her coat is one of the most beautiful variegated brown fleeces that I have ever seen.  While she was waiting her turn, we had Luke (the llama) outside the barn.  He was absolutely beside himself with worry.  I tried to keep him distracted in the beginning, but he could hear the rams bellowing from inside the barn.  

 

 

Our little ram Max trotted out like a big puppy but did not like the sound of the clippers.  He eventually came through it unscathed and a whole lot lighter. :)  The photo lacks clarity due to the fact that I didn't use a flash.  I thought it might frighten Max.

Isn't he handsome?  He absolutely loves to be petted and stands up on the rungs of his stall for attention.  He was one of the few that looked better for having his locks sheared.   He soaked up all the attention he could after his date with the clippers! ;)  It is hard to tell from this angle, but his horns are black and white.  They remind me of Cruella DeVille.  :)

Well, I have 9 fleeces that need to be skirted and scoured.  It will be exciting to have a few new color mixes to add to the collection.  The drum carder is currently hard at work creating roving out of last year's haul.  I will be listing some of the excess in my Etsy shop for those that might be interested.

HAPPY EASTER ~ Little Levi

We welcomed the day with our final babies -- Leah's twins.  She had one really big boy and this little runt.  His name is Levi.  Farmer Girl is currently feeding him with a syringe.  He came for a visit and pranced around our front yard, sniffing the grass and dried up leaves before retiring to his sleeping box... He is truly a little miracle.

 

From Our Family to Yours

Happy Easter!



Is it Springtime?? The Sheep Think So



Here are the newest members of the flock.  Let me introduce you to Max.  He is the new son of Marlena.  Marlena's  is one of our registered sheep and has fleece in a gorgeous grey color. (Which reminds me.  I have loads of fleeces that need to be washed!)   Although his coat color will change over the upcoming months, he is quite a site with his black and white spots!

 

Marlena had a little bit of a rough time after having these two.  I am not surprised, since her twins are pretty large.   This is a photo with Max a few hours old.  Little Max's fleece colors remind me and Farmer Girl's Grandpa more of a goat than a sheep. LOL

Luke has to check out all of the new arrivals.  So Farmer Girl took Max's sister Macey over for introductions.  Macey wasn't the least bit afraid.  Max, on the other hand, is a ball of energy.  Holding on to him is a chore.  The introduction was to quick for photos.  I have NEVER seen a lamb with such energy.

Hopefully, this is a sign that warm temps are coming to Northern Illinois finally.  I have fleeces to get out and wash and am going to try my hand at creating some roving. :)

Introducing The Dark Knight ~ LLama

Let me introduce you to "The Dark Knight".  This is the papered name of Farmerboy's newest addition to his flock.  He is a handsome black and white llama that has the most endearing large brown eyes that you have ever seen!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Dark Knight" has been christened with the more common name Luke by Farmerboy.  Luke's long curly tresses are so soft.  They took me by surprise.  I thought they would lean more to the texture of sheep's wool.... definitely NOT the case.  :)   

 

As you can see, he isn't very tall but has long ears that remind me of a donkey's.   Did you know that llamas do not have teeth on the top of their mouth?  Just a hard pallet.  Their lower teeth are similar to the shape of our upper teeth.  Luke is the most fascinating animal and was as curious about me as I was of him.  He kept walking up to me and allowing me to pet and talk to him.  He is a very endearing 2 year old.  :)

 



 

 

 

 

I wish that this photo had sound.  Luke kept humming as he walked around.  Here he is with Farmerboy as they hummed a tune to each other.  After they were done, Luke put his nose up against my son's.  I have never seen such a gentle soul as this wondrous critter.   The little lambs were not sure what to think of him (his hair is trimmed in a show cut), but Ariel and Lego accepted him into the group.  I am sure Luke will win them all over, and they will soon be great friends.

 



Twin Lambs from Ariel

Although I have never been fond of the damp chilly winds of Springtime in Northern Illinois, the rural scenery is amazing-- filled with fields dotted here and there with calves and lambs.  Every once in a while, I have spied a little newbie only a few minutes old.  *sigh*

 

Farmerboy's sheep Ariel gave birth two weeks ago.  She had twin lambs-- a  boy and a girl! :)  Unfortunately, the little girl ran into some problems immediately after birth.  As luck would have it, Farmergirl was there to give her some help.  Ariel only cleaned her half way and was determined to get her out of the pen and in with her father, which would NOT be a good situation.  Farmergirl finished cleaning her up and got her to nurse off of Ariel, but the little lamb had some major issues with her hind legs, and her Mom did not really want her around.  So, a bottle of colostrum milk (very important for a lambs immune system) was retrieved from Ariel, and the little one was taken home for the night.       

 

 

 

 

 

Ariel's little girl is named Alice.  She was returned to Mom, after a long night of special care.  So far, everything is going fine.  Alice is learning to work with the problems in her legs with extra help from Farmergirl's Grandpa who is always getting her up and moving during the day.  She had her first taste of the outdoors this weekend, and she would run a little ways then lock up and flop over exhausted.  :)  She is making great strides towards a healthy normal life.  She is a beautiful brown color and as you can tell by this photo with Farmergirl... A little love can go a long way. :)

 



Not forgetting the new man in the pen... Here is Ace.  I know, he looks a little tired from just entering this big world and greets you all with an enormous yawn!  If you look on top of his head, the funny little spot to the side is one of his horns.  He has such tiny little brown curls like his sister and was blessed to be born perfectly healthy.

Spring lambing season has come to a close for Lego and Ariel.  It wouldn't be right to forget to give a little recognition to our Papa in the group, Brick.  I am amazed, after looking at old photos, to see how much his horns have grown.  He has turned into a handsome little ram.  :)