The Home of Beautiful Bluefaced Leicesters and Shetland Sheep

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

PA Sheep to Shawl Competition

PA Farm Show is a 94 year old farm fair held in of all months...January. One of the biggest crowd drawing shows is the Sheep to Shawl Competition, which has been part of the Farm Show for 31 years.
Yesterday's competition was another fiber inspiration. 5 youth teams competed in the morning and 5 adult teams in the afternoon. The youth teams differ only in that they are fleece to shawl. No live sheep to be sheared. This year,being one of 3 judges was a joy! There is such excitement about fiber. The fact that there were 5 youth teams competing was amazing. These kids were really good too! Sooo creative! For all the details and pictures of this event go to yarnymarni.wordpress.com
Was I surprised when the BFL ewe awarded to Art Lester in the 2008 for his winning essay was brought in to be sheared for the Treadlers in Time team! I love seeing my former lambs as adults and Ava was still sporting all her Potosi Farm tags. She was beautiful and healthy. This team made a lovely all BFL shawl. I accused the team of trying to bribe the judge and we had a great laugh. The man who sheared her won the shearing award! Ava was a calm candidate with no leg wool and belly wool to deal with. The other shearers had fiesty Shetlands, big Romneys and wooly crossbreds. All had beautiful fleeces. And the shawls produced were OOOO LA LA. Wish I could have afforded any one of them at the auction after the event but the cheapest one sold for $175. Every team produced a true work of art that would be a treasure to own and wear.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

2010 Lambing Begins

Went to the barn this morning to find Madeline,an 8 year old moorit Romney/Merino cross in the midst of lambing.In her usual easy independent style, Madeline popped out 2 beautiful black ewe lambs (sired by my CarryHouse V2 ram). Don't you just love ewes like this? Great mother, beautiful long 8 pound lambs and nothing for me to do but move them to a lambing pen and dip navels. Wish it was always this easy.