Basking

We had sun today!

(Bear with me, it’s kind of a big deal around here)

Even the sweaters are kind of basking- while blocking.

So I’m two for three on sweater completion this week! Woo hooo!

The Oregon Vest zipper is basted into place

So hopefully I’ll get this last one wrapped up this week!

Out and About

Pups in motion-

Go Walla, go!

Fetch, Sadie, fetch!

Good girl, Sadie.

And sheep at rest:

Handsome Frank (sporting an almost all white face these days. Weird, eh?)

Edgar on the rocks (with a twist?)

Snuggle sheeps getting their chin schritches

Chone trying to nibble my earlobe

Stashbuster top-down raglan sweater marches on-

I really like how it’s coming together, but it’s becoming apparent to me that there is not going to be enough of the darkest color to finish up the sleeves, so I went back to the stash to formulate a Plan B-

I think I’ve got enough of Mariah, (of Little Country Acres) to pull me through
And it’s an amazingly close match for the Border Leicester I used at the neckline.

Long live the stash!

New Girl on the Block

The Male to Female ratio is finally balanced on the homestead.

Meet Sadie!

Sadie came to us from the Whatcom Humane Society, in Bellingham, WA.

She’s a sweet, happy girl who loves to pose for photos (yea!)

and roll in chicken droppings (eeks!)

She’s got a few pounds to lose before she can really romp like she wants to,

But she is such a love.

A big, squishy, golden love.

Wally is a little jealous (he’s been getting crazy amounts of attention as an only dog),

but he’ll get over it.

And Boo Kitten has gone into seclusion to contemplate the implications of this development.

Walkin’ the sheeps

Got the boys a playground ball today, thinking that perhaps they could use some diversion out in the pasture, since they have so much leisure time.
But they didn’t seem to know what to make of it, we did some halter training instead.

For the first time ever sheep got to go out of the pasture on a field trip!
I thought we could walk around the yard, enjoy some unfamiliar grass, and then stop around back where there is a bunch of ivy growing (they love ivy).

Edgar is really my go-to guy for this kind of stuff.
He is so cooperative and just loves the attention. So I slipped on the halter and away we went.

He walked like a champ. Wish I had a video of it. We walked around the yard, and over to the orchard, and back to the ivy, where we stopped to let him much for a while.

Munch munch munch.

Here’s some shots from Chone’s turn-

with everyone from kitty to chickens (in the bushes to the right, where you can’t see them) in attendance to see why in the world the sheep are out of the pasture!

Chone was a little too nervous to enjoy the ivy so much, but did pretty good, considering that Wally was heckling him the whole time.

And here’s Edgar, talking me into giving him another go-

I’m such a sucker for a sweet sheep

New ‘Dos for Sheeps

So, finally here are some post-haircut photos of Edgar:

He seems so happy with his new ‘do, and he’s been super friendly since our bonding experience last weekend.

So, I thought I’d try Chone next.

He’s a friendly little guy, but has less of an attention span Edgar, so I had to take it in stages.
Here he is in the ballerina stage:

Silly, eh?

I finally got the rest off of him today, and now he is naked and lumpy like Edgar.

Also got a start on Felix. Just the neck and chest so far. But it looks like he’ll be a good cooperator.

I have to say, I’m really glad I decided to shear the guys myself.
Would have been a lot faster to have someone come out, and the fleeces would probably be a lot better (not in hunks and chunks), but I am really enjoying harvesting all this wonderful wool from the boys. It’s been a good experience so far-

Here are some samples of the goods they guys have donated:

That’s Felix on the left and Chone on the right.
Both about 5.5-6″. Chone’s fleece has quite a bit of veg in it,, but I was expecting that, and plan to comb it.

I’ve gotten most of Edgar’s fleece washed up already- here it is fresh off the drum carder-

And all swatched up-

Wally has suggested that I use the fleece knit him an “Edgar suit”, so he could go undercover.
But I think his ears would give him away.

Other suggestions?