Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Fiber Chistmas Shopping? Look no further!

NEW ROVING:
Along with a variety of natural colors in a variety of blends (Alpaca and Mohair).  I have some dyed roving and bats to offer for the first time in 100% Shetland.  The rainbow bats are fawn katmoget overdyes. 

The burnt orange swirl was supposed to be orange and natural brown they overdyed the brown by mistake and left the off white natural.  Not the sample I showed them but super soft roving none the less, and makes for a deep orange that is unique, with a frosted effect.  I am a little disappointed as I was looking forward to the other combination but the mill is working with me to make up for their error.   This is the first problem I have I had with this mill, unfortunately there was 12 pounds of my softest fleece in that order including Sky's lamb fleece!  It is nice roving and available for sale.  It is just not what I envisioned, so I am willing to part with it.  I am hoping I have better results with the yarn they are spinning for me. 
Finally, the natural charcoal is Slivermist lamb fleece, a grey katmoget, and modified black gulmoget Quechee (22.9 average micron) so uper soft.  If you are interested in any new roving let me know.  Also check out  the sale and fiber pages to see pictures of  other roving and yarn I have available.  Inquire about our Christmas Special!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Zeus' patterned keeper ewe lambs...

I also kept 3 of Mapleton Zeus' ewe lambs...

Minwawe Sprinkles' daughter ~ Fawn Katmoget
 HarvestThyme Quechee's twins:
Gulmoget ewe lamb modified (fawn? or mioget?)
 Fawn Gul/Kat ewe lamb
I could go on and on about what I like about these three, but I think they speak for themselves.  Could you have choosen between the three from each ram?  That puts at 9 ewe keeper ewe lambs.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Next three ewe lambs retained...

These are HarvestThyme Champ daughters.  A half poll that I used as a flock sire last fall.  He was of Little Country Acres and Windswept lineage.  Two farms you many not seen crossed often as they seem to be of differing philosphies on Appendix A, however the cross made for some really nice results when crossed with what I have here.  Maybe something to be said for middle ground.  The one thing I did not like about this sire was the power struggle he had with the horned rams here.  Maybe he felt he had something to prove, but after fracturing the pelvis of one, he found his way to the freezer.  Before he did he was bred to three ewes with great temperaments, which yeilded great results.

 Black and white ewe with the SOFTEST handle I have EVER felt, and very nice fine, fine, fine crimp.  She is a High Bid Hester daughter and Maple Ridge Logan grand-daughter.  The largest ewe lamb of the crop.

 Mapleton Opal's ewe lamb...would you call her modified?  Opal is a High Bid Kermit and Minwawe Pearl daughter.  I really like this ewe lamb as well.  She is more petite but put together very nicely, and also has very soft finely crimped fleece.
Then we have a Pike Hill Olympia daughter, twin of the handsome gully fawn (mioget?) ram lamb.  Is she  dark enough to call a moorit gulmoget?  The darkest of this year's gullies, but still may be modified.  Her fleece is not quite as fine as her half or full siblilngs, but still a really nice ewe lamb with an awesome personality to match.  I do not believe she is a half poll however, as she has small horn buds herself.  Her twin rammie has very smalll scurrs so is a half poll.  Her face is still not as light as her fawn mom's but her body and legs have gotten pretty light.  Really love some color imput on her and the rest of the gullies you will meet over the next few posts.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

I had said I was keeping 3...

I guess I should have been more specific...
I had only wanted to keep three ewe lambs...TOTAL.  I ended up keeping 3 ewe lambs from each of the main flock sires I used last year.  So I figure that if I use only one flock sire this year, I will be less tempted to keep so many lambs next year, maybe only my target 3.  We will see how that theory pans out.  In the meantime let me reintroduce you to the ewe lambs kept over the next few posts.  I will start with the Neville ewe lambs, which makes them F2 Heights Orions.

These twin ewe lambs are out of Mapleton Peanut.  Both mom and dad have around a 24 average micron and these two did not disappoint.  I will have to get a parted fleece shot for you, they are uper crimpy under their tips and have a lovely hand to their fleece as well.


 I would still consider selling the black ewe lamb, if anyone is doing a little early Christmas shopping, OR her mom rebred to Neville but not both.  I would like to keep at least one in my flock as they really have such lovely fleece.
Then we have the lovely grey ewe lamb out of Minwawe Marshmello.  She is so sweet and a gorgeous color.  Less crimpy, has a looser wave than her siblings but very soft hand.  She also has a longer staple length.  A petite ewe lamb...she is the little might that spent her first night in the house and weighted less than 3 pounds at birth.  She is growing well and I expect her to do a lot of catching up over the winter. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Neville

Well Neville and his ewes are getting along well.  He is very polite.  Even let me catch all of my ewes  for their rabies vaccination boosters when the vet came.  You would think he would have a problem with me separating them out in a catch pen and then going in to get a few that would not leave him, but he was great.  He is such a good ram.  I have a pretty good idea who is in season and will lamb first as them seem to follow him closely.  They too seem to appreciate his gentle nature.  I was so pleased with last years lambs, I am really looking forward to lambs from him again this spring.   In his group to lamb here he has:  two kats (one black, one fawn), two gullies (also one black and one fawn-both I think are modified), two solid moorit, one solid black that I do think is actually modified rather than iset, two grey flecket, one fawn and one black flecket, one black and one musket HST.  All my adult ewes.  All the big B ewes carry little b, with the exception of Hester.  She is BB.  There should be lots of variety of colors, patterns, and even a few spots again! 
 Can Too Sky will be expecting her first lambs.  I am very excited about this pairing.  She is a beautiful ewe.
 Mapleton Peep will hopefully give me a ewe  lamb this year.  Her ram lambs all have been stunning.  I am keeping her moorit (possible modified) son to replace his dad.  Her other HST black and white ram is still for sale, looking for a flock of his own.
More photos of this past year's lambs tomorrow.  Have to go get ready for the ferrier.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Token Goats

Whistle and her doeling.  I am thinking of naming her Song.
 Watson and Whistle back in January
Close up of Watson
This very nice buck is for sale.  Good home a must, serious inquires only.