Great Time at the Ky Fiber Festival!

Unfortunately, I don't have photos to back up my story, but the Ky Sheep and Fiber Festival was wonderful!

So many people have given of their time and energy to put together a wonderful show, and their efforts were successful!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello! It was great meeting new sheep and fiber folks, and so great to see familiar folks too!

Several people asked where my lil guy was, and him being almost a year and 1/2 already, we thought it would be best if he stayed home with Dad. I can only imagine how exciting a wool festival, with all the tempting wool, and goods within his reach.. it might have been hard to keep up with him, and hard to keep him out of trouble! But here's a little photo update on him. We were trying to get a few photos of lambs to put a list of available lambs together (we've almost got that ready, so if you were on the list, we'll be sending that in the next couple of days!) The lambs weren't easy to photograph, they were all either eating, or being chased...

Boy's best friend

Ky Fiber Festival

Ready or not... here it comes!

www.kentuckysheepandfiber.com

There are pots in the kiln still, and several ideas that haven't surfaced, but here is a few of the new items that I'll be bringing this year.






Ewenice is not pictured here (she's in the kiln) It's been hard with all her jet setting to get her pinned down on a mug, but good news - amidst all the excitement, she had her lamb! We plan to bring Ewenice and baby to the festival as well.

I'm looking forward to the festival, and hope to see you there!

Still waiting...

we are still waiting on 4 ewes to lamb (5 if you count Ewenice) The lambs are growing fast! Time is just moving right along. We have 16 lambs - 8 ewe lambs and 8 rams - all out of Andy, our moorit ram that was sold in December. After he left our farm, we put Ziggy in with the girls, so the remaining 4 ewes were bred to Ziggy - we're looking forward to seeing his lambs.

This is LeRoy... no real reason he's in this post, other than he was posing for a picture as I was trying to get a pic of one of the other fellas... If we could only eat our lambs, I think this guy would be a great sire for meat lambs. We haven't used him as a ram, but maybe next year we might use him to breed a few of the ewes. (if not, why are we keeping him again? oh it's something about the way he runs up to us and turns his head sideways and says "what's up" when we go out in the pasture. Yes, he's figured me out)
ok, lambs.. these aren't the newest pictures, but they are a little more recent than the last ones posted.

This is our moorit ewe, cheyenne with her babies. This isn't a great picture of Cheyenne, but as soon as I get a better one, I will be listing her and one of our other ewes on the website. I've had people ask if we had adult ewes available, and up to this point, we haven't... but then came shearing time. She's a good ewe, she's just a little much for me to try to shear. She's strong.. lots of muscle and she just won't settle down during shearing at all. Thought it was just me, but she fought our shearer that we hired too. (probably has something to do with the year I was learning how to shear..) (i didn't cut her or anything, but it was surely tramatic for her just the same)

Iced Mocha.. does he remind you of the bernstein bears? For some reason, I think of that when i see his pic.. maybe it's that smile?

And dear Alice. She's our non-trusting wild girl. Not so much as 'ewes gone wild' kind of wild, but she is just very leery of us. As wild as she is, you'd think she'd be a handful to work with. However, if I can get 'trick' her into the barn, she's the easiest to work with of any! She sits still for her shearing, while the tamest of them kick and squirm the whole way. Isn't she a pretty ewe? Nice girl Alice.

And since i haven't been posting more regularly, here's our weather. It's definitely "mud boot" season! This is a lot that the cows are in, so it's one you could easily lose a mud boot in. I don't mean to complain about the rain, but i have to say it's the first time i've heard the slugs and snails complaining about having too much rain.

And my little guy... I sure thought he would be a baby just a little longer than it's been. I look at him every day and just wonder how he got so big - so fast!

Eweniversity sports

A Few More Lambs..

and a few more pictures.





The last post ended with Myrtle, so I'll start with her... this is her little guy. 1/2 icelandic, 1/2 ? non icelandic. The little brown ram is not hers, he's just trying to sneak a little milk. He must think she'd never notice a little milk missing.



this is a little better pic of her guy, isn't he cute?

this little ram lamb is 1/4 shetland and 3/4 icelandic. We bought 2 icelandic / shetland crossed ewe lambs last year and this is the first lamb borm from them... can't wait to see what the other ewe comes up with! (i don't think she could top this little fella)

another picture of the mouflon ewe.. same lamb as on the last post, just a little older

What a little character. We might have another 'ziggy' on our hands. This guy loves a face rub. He'll put his head on your shoulder and fall right to sleep.

and his sister.

There's several more out there that haven't had their pics taken yet.. we're up to 15 lambs, with several more looking like they will lamb any day now!

Happy Spring!

Lambs

We had the first of our lambs earlier this month. I was anticipating late March, and the first ones arrived on the evening of the 1st of April.

We have 4 ewe lambs and 1 little ram. That'll be great if they keep coming 4 ewes to a ram!

These little mouflon twins were the first to arrive. This pic was taken a few hours after they were born. They're so active jumping around, it's hard to get a pic of them now! Plus, it would be easier to get a picture if I could set Wyatt down, but with the protective mothers, we've learned that is not an option. So, pictures are going to be limited to just what we can get. It doesn't help that my camera is acting up either! I'm having a hard time getting it to focus.. arh.

we've been putting the lambs up in the barn for just a few days when the lambs are born. We generally leave them on the pasture, but i'm shearing them as they have their babies... and keeping them in the barn for a few extra days just to make sure all is going well with them.

This is Josie's little girl. I should say big girl. Josie has twinned every year, but this year she 'singled' with this big beautiful girl.

These 2 belong to Delilah.. they're sweet. Not that i can catch them now, but when they were in the barn.. they were pretty friendly.

And of course, my helper in training! He's having fun. (well, except for the protective mother stuff... we bring the lambs to the other side of the gate now)

Meanwhile, the others are enjoying the sunshine, the green grass and the breeze... waiting for their time.

Except maybe Myrtle:

What's that Myrtle? I can't hear you.

"""I SAID SHEAR ME!!"""

"""HEAR ME?""""

"SSSHHHHEEEAAAAARRRRR ME!"

Oh, yes, now that you said it slower, and louder, I get it.

That was kinda creepy!

In the absence of a better title...

Is this the same ram that drives the 'Ewe Haul' truck?

Looks like it from here... must be his day off.

The Self Reliant Spinner

Little Ewenice, Big City!

Ewenice has packed her box and is headed to New York City!


She was thrilled when I told her she was invited, but when I told her exactly where in the city she was going, her eyes got big, and her wool stood on end. (Just as though she had exclamation points following her) !! She turned pale and said that now -she really had nothing appropriate to wear!

(this from a ewe that didn't pack a swimsuit KNOWING she was going to California. Imagine my surprise when I heard she was on the beach... a N'ewe'd beach, no less. Talk about a postcard in need of censorship.)



(photo removed due to content)



I told her more important than what she's going to wear, she needed to think about staying out of trouble... and, taking it easy! She is due to lamb here in a few months. (another story.. one of a fence climbing ewe.. well.. you get the picture)

She's actually going to be doing some work while she's in the city. This trip could be a big break for her, but I'm just hoping she has a good trip, and gets there safe. (traveling in a postal box should well prepare her for the NYC taxicabs.. You've not had an exciting ride until you've tried that!)

It might be a few months before we hear back from her, but I'll post more about the assignment she's on when she checks in and there's more to tell..

The Era Following The Pony Express

A pot here...

and a pot there..

It's definitely not been a quick process.. I have been working 3rd shift, well, potting 3rd shift. Not every night of course, but just here and there I'm making pots between the hours of midnight and 6am. I decorate them during the day while Wyatt is awake, but the pots are made while he's sleeping.

I have been working with the white clay, and sgraffito designs. I plan to switch back over to the brown clay here in the next 2 weeks. (Ewenice clay) All the tools, pottery wheel, sponges, wedging board...etc.. everything has to be cleaned thoroughly to use the white clay, so I'm trying to make an abundance of white clay items before I bring out the brown clay again. I am almost out of mugs on my website, so I'm trying to make several of each design so that I can have a good assortment on there, as well as a nice display for the fiber festival that is quickly approaching. The above design is a new one. Very similar to the "ewenited we stand" , but without the wording. I like the simplicity of this one. For whatever reason, I think of Charlie's angels when i see this one. Maybe i'll call it Charile's Ewes? (no, nevermind.. someone might think i'm meaning - sheen..baah! )
(And Alice, if you're reading this, you won't believe it... but I'm making plates. Well, ok, saucers. lol. )

I have another sketch that i'm working up of a postal worker. Ewe.S.Postal worker of course. I probably won't put it on the mugs, but I think they might find their way on some envelopes just for fun.

A Little Helper

But a huge help!

I've been unable to do much of anything this week (i thought i could lift something that my back couldn't) Jack has been wonderful about taking over the sheep chores, and Wyatt has jumped right in too! Plus, it's given Wyatt a good reason to get out on his tractor! (He won't be "old" enough for it until this time next year..but who goes by the recommended ages on the label? )

Boy that was fun!

It was a beautiful week, and looks like we're in for more nice weather this coming week! How nice it is to open the door and hear birds chirping. Winter is so quiet, but it sounds like spring out there. (and feeling like it too!)

Wool art and projects?

Does anyone have any icelandic wool projects they'd like to share photos of?

I have added a page to my website and would love to post your project / projects along with a link to your website, or blog, etc.

Thanks!

http://flatcreekwoolandpottery.com/icelandicfiberart.html

They say it's better to give than recieve

I say "that's not always true"

Our friend Donna Perkins painted this beautiful portrait of Wyatt and gave it to him as a gift. What a talent! Thanks for sharing your talent with us Donna!

The Sign Read "9 Weeks Til Spring"

I was driving into town last week and passing by a Nursery, I noticed a sign that was advertising to many, the hope of warmer weather, birds chirping, and plans of gardening projects. What I got from the sign was a touch of panic - 9 weeks? !! I still have a lot of winter projects to do!!

I think we're down to 8 weeks now. (just in case you have a lot of winter projects to finish up as well)

I am looking forward to spring, but have to admit, I am enjoying winter. Hope you are as well!

I'm Out Of Wool!

Well, not exactly. I don't think the wool well will ever run dry. What I'm actually out of is washed wool to card. It is the goal for the winter to wash up and card all of the fleeces. (yes, it would be so much more practical to send it out, but for now, I'm enjoying processing it here) SO.... with wool drying on the shelf, and having stated my excuse for not carding wool today, I experimented with clay instead.

(i say experiment, because so many times, i have no idea what I'm doing, but I had in mind to try a sculpture today)

I have been adding pages to our website, and when I came across this picture the other day of Carlie it reminded me of how sweet she is and how much i would enjoy sitting out in the field with her. She was sweet from the time she was born, so it is just in her personality. Many times I would go out to check on the sheep and sit down in the field for a minute and here comes Carlie. She would sit down right next to me and put her head on my leg and close her eyes. She is a 1/2 sister to Ziggy, Didi, and Roxy - who also seem to have a "sweet gene."

.

So thinking back on summer days and hanging out with Carlie, this is what came out of the clay.

This is what I love about clay - this looks like just a lump of clay, but Carlie was in there all along! I just had to find her.

The piece still needs a lot of work, and who knows if it will ever make it to the kiln, but it was a fun experiment.

Latest Mug Design..

Ewe.S.Military

Hey Guys!

Where is everyone going?

The sheep seemed to be a bit leary of this guy. They've seen him plenty, but he must have looked different to them from this angle!

It was so warm last Friday when these pics were taken. (60's) It was fun to let Wyatt run around in the field - and it was great for me too, as I was able to take some pictures! It seems it's been a while since I've had the opportunity to have 2 hands free to hold a camera.

Oh wait, someone is going to be friendly. Yes, that's our Roxy. She's a sweet little ewe lamb.

We have a sale pending on the 6 ewe lambs that were listed on our sale page, but this girl didn't make that list. We chose 3 lambs to keep from this years lambing and Roxy was so sweet, I hated to part with her.

Sadly, this pretty little lamb is one that will be leaving. Isn't that a sweet face?


And little Charolette, she will be moving on to another pasture too.

This is a picture of "the gang" that we are keeping. Roxy is the icelandic in the front middle. Her sister DiDi in the back right is the lamb that had a broken leg earlier in the year. She has healed so well, and runs and gallops with the rest of them! I have to say, our vet was amazing and so kind. He said that he wished all of his patients had the will to live that she had. She really was something. She was a good patient. Despite the broken leg, she seemed to enjoy her trips to the vet. She is back to being a sheep now. The little lamb on the left is her little friend, that we've renamed "lil friend". I kept her with DiDi for company the many, many weeks that DiDi had to be separated from everyone else. So... those are the lambs we're keeping. They're nice little ewes. And oh yes, the other characters in the picture...

that is Hickory and Hiccup. They came to stay with us back in the summer (and never went home) They were bottle lambs that our friends raised. They are probably some relation to our "myrtle" but we're not sure. They came from the same farm. They hang close to DiDi and the other 2 girls.

We enjoy all of the sheep here, and while we hate to see any of them leave, we're glad that they will be going to a good home.