Shetlandics on the horizon

After needing rain so badly at the end of the summer, Mother Nature took it upon herself to drop an almighty amount of water on us these past few months. The fields were pretty wet so it was a joy to have crisp mornings for a few weeks but now back to rain again.

Bjarki, a handsome Icelandic ram on loan from Shepherdess Ana, spent a few months here wining and dining the Shetland ewes. The plan is to build up the fibre flock so hopefully there will be a few Shetlandic ewe lambs in the spring. Miriam hasn't gone in with the ram this year and won't ever again. She was the one who had triplets and then got mastitis a few years back and now I've actually started listening to Proper Shepherd and latterly Collie Boss, she's just a grass eating ornament. I'm fine with that. She can be Great Aunt Miriam for the rest of her days with me.

My six orphan ewes, Tiny, Marilyn, George, Keith, Wonky and Nibbly have also gone off to be tupped. So that makes 13 possibly in lamb, fingers crossed.

I can't believe another year has almost passed. When we were kids time stood still. Now I'm 50 the years whizz by and frankly I struggle to remember one day to the next!

My brother and I with Sam and Kestrel on Dads farm a very long time ago!

I get mobbed in the shed each morning feeding hay, the Suffolk cross are the greediest and push in, their wet fleeces soaking my legs and almost suffocating the little Shetlands. The Icelandics are still fairly skittish and tend to hang back until I walk away and then they too head in to get their breakfast. HP, so tame as a lamb, fell into the Icelandic wethers fold but is once again a pet, being fed hay by hand. She'd not get a look in otherwise, she's rotated round and round in the shed like a wurlitzer fair ground ride by the bigger ewes, always looking a little confused. Finally she escapes and comes to find me. Numerous conversations are had, of course no one answers me with anything useful, just a baaa here and a bleat there. Having so few, their different characters can be seen so clearly. Nibbly is a force of nature, she's always the first to race across the field. Tiny is the bully. Keith, always got something to say but hangs back a bit from the others. Floki, the sound he makes, the gentlest of all the Icelandics, and then there's Olafur, he's just a dick! I can't catch him for love nor money! He's slightly lame so I really want to get him sorted. It's probably nothing serious but it would be nice to get a chance to have a look!

Ted and I went out to do a bit of training on Boxing Day. Walkers passing by, letting me know how amazing it was to watch a dog working sheep. I pointed out we were rookies, me more so than Ted and that there 'was nothing to see here'. Thank goodness they'd gone by the time one of the ewes had the genius idea of jumping over the wall and buggering off up the road. I couldn't catch Ted so I penned the others up and called one of my neighbours who I work with. Kiam and I had already spent Christmas morning sawing up a tree which had blocked one of the roads. I bet when his phone rang his heart sank thinking 'what's she going to ask me to do this time?'! Whilst we ventured up the road to find said sheep, Graham, another neighbour asked what was wrong and did we need any help. I'm sure he wishes he'd kept his mouth shut now! The ewe ran off towards the next village, but we managed to coax her down the hill again, almost into the field. However, she decided this wasn't her time to join the rest of her gang and shot off in the other direction. Cornered again, things were looking up but this time she went via a thicket of brambles but still uncatchable. If Proper Shepherd had been there he'd have tackled her to the ground in no time, wry smile on his face, but us amateurs, no chance! Off she went, back towards Chilmark where we discovered another tree had come down across a different section of what is, to a non-native, a confusing labyrinth of single track roads. On foot we weren't able to find her so a pick-up and Landrover were soon heard trundling round our little hamlet. Finally I heard beeping which meant she'd been found and was being escorted back towards Kiam and me. Kiam found a piece of rope to lasso her which I didn't think was going to work, but it was better than the sinister thought I was having after an hour and half of running around after her. She did another Houdini manoeuvre down a footpath which thankfully had a gate at the bottom, there was no way of her going any further. By this time everyone was on foot and I'd run back (swearing a lot) to get Kiams pick up to meet him and Graham by the gate. My phone rang 'we've only bloody caught her!'. Kiams lasso trick had worked! She was piled into the pick up, covered in brambles wearing a 'lead'! We drove to Graham's Landrover, dropped him off and headed back to the field. I'd managed to catch Ted halfway through our escapade and attached him to a neighbours gate. He may have been useful but I just didn't know if he'd worry her more so left him behind. Poor dog had been there for at least three quarters of an hour. No one stole him which was a blessing! We gingerly opened up the back of the pick up and hauled the ewe out. She still had a tonne of fight left in her and whilst trying to detach her blue lasso I held onto her for dear life, if she'd escaped again she may well have still been wandering around Chilmark today! I can't tell you the relief, and the giggles, once we'd shut the gate. I dropped some beers off and sent a text to Graham to thank him. He replied saying he actually quite enjoyed himself, phew! Needless to say, Ted and I haven't been back to the sheep yet!

My workshop

My little workshop had a makeover in September and now the previous chaos is more orderly. Fleeces are rolled neatly in two sections. Those for felting and those for peg looming. The walls have been pva'd and painted. Next year I'll get the ceiling and insulation in so I can work in there during the winter too.

My friend Sal, who amongst many weaving, spinning and crocheting skills, also works in the shop I sell the rugs at, took her spinning wheel to 'Tis the Season', a Christmas fair in Tisbury where the high street is lined with stall holders selling their wares. The wheel was a huge success and brought punters in to see what we were up to. It's so difficult! Not only are you having to concentrate on spinning the wheel with the foot peddle, in the right direction, whilst trying not to let the wheel slide across the floor, you're pulling gently and feeding carded wool trying not to let it get too tight. Sal had brought Erik's fleece, which Proper Shepherd sheared earlier in the year. I made a total mess of it and vowed never to try it again whilst Sal made it look so easy! I have plans to buy a heddle loom to weave spun wool into scarves, shawls and rugs so I will have to master spinning at some point! Sal gave me a lesson on her heddle loom recently and I have to say it's incredibly rewarding. I can't wait to start. The spinning wheel will have to wait.

I've been asked to do a talk in June about my sheep and rugs in East Knoyle for the Women's British Legion. I'm so nervous! I don't think I know anything about anything but I can talk a LOT of nonsense which will be handy! I was so thrilled to be asked. I'll have lots of wool to show them by then, also wondering if I can take a lamb to distract them from me wittering on! I'll make up some small peg looms for them to have a go themselves. It'll be carnage but hopefully they'll enjoy it. Mums only advice was 'try not to swear darling'!

We're off to see Collie Boss this afternoon. After our shameful dramas on Boxing Day I hope it goes well. Ted's outrun a few weeks ago I think even Rob was proud of so we should be fine. In fact we're always fine there, it's just at home we struggle to get things right! Now with the added pressure of telling my boss Ted and I would do a mini trial at the Countryside Learning Day, I'm feeling quite sick! I've asked Rob to help, it'll save the mickey taking when it all goes wrong and there are 20 sheep and 150 kids running around the farm screaming! Maybe no one will notice...

2022 has been brilliant. I've learned so much more about so many aspects of my life. I've seen a bunch of my oldest friends who live away from here and I've made some great new friends who are a constant encyclopaedia of knowledge in sheep, dogs and wool. I'm so grateful for everything my friends and family do for me. Mostly keeping me in check and especially laughing a lot. Here's to 2023, more learning, more first times, and hopefully a few additions to the flock come the spring.

My Ode to Edward - written by my stepdad for Ted, sung at Christmas to the tune of Away in a Manger!

"Away" in a manger - "Away to Me", hee

"Get Back" to the pen, lad, don't stop for a pee.

"In Here" - tis' the best place - nobody will see.

"Come Bye" on the n ear side, alongside the tree.

"Look Back" to the sheep, lad, and bring them to me.

"Take Time" with those lambs, lad, one's got a bad knee.

"Stand" up to the small one's - they're young you'll agree.

"Lie down" on your bed, lad, tis' the end of your spree!