Author Topic: an introduction (Read 2835 times)

Madog ali · « **on:** October 03, 2017, 07:59:45 pm »

Hi, I moved to The Brecon Beacons from Kent 3 years ago. We have a 3 acre field and are hoping to purchase another 2 acres. We have a small flock of Jacob Sheep. I use the fleece for spinning and weaving and we eat those lambs that are not good enough to register as pedigree.
I look forward to hearing other folks experiences and opinions.

DavidandCollette · « **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2017, 12:35:37 pm »

:wave:welcome from North Lincolnshire

Bionic · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2017, 12:40:47 pm »

Hello and welcome from Carmarthenshire. I have a few Ryelands and I use their fleece to spin and weave too. There are a fair few of us crafts people on here.
Looking forward to seeing some of your work

Madog ali · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2017, 01:12:39 pm »

:knit:hi Bionic!
Glad to hear of another who spins and weaves her fleece. I very nearly chose Ryelands as a breed but was a wee bit worried about wether they would cope at 1000feet in the Beacons (Crai is Welsh for raw and we are always several degrees colder than anywhere else around here).
I would be interested to know how you keep your fleeces clean from VM if you bring them in over winter?

Bionic · « **Reply #4 on:** October 04, 2017, 02:12:06 pm »

We are pretty high up here although not as high as you. Mine seem to cope well as their fleece is very thick.

mine stay out all year and yes I do have vm problems. It's a pain in the ****

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #5 on:** October 05, 2017, 01:28:25 am »

Hi and welcome from another spinner but in Shropshire.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #6 on:** October 05, 2017, 07:44:43 am »

from another spinner

with her own sheep.

Mine are bred for meat and fleece. I have a few pure breeds (Shetland, Manx, black Wensleydale) and a lot of crosses, including Castlemilk Moorit x Shetland, Blue-faced Leicester x Shetland and 1/4 BFL, and one 1/4 Icelandic.

Last year I moved from a hill farm in Cumbria to north Cornwall, bringing a subset of my flock with me. It's a cohousing community here, with a small farm to feed ourselves. My sheep joined the resident Zwartbles. We're now combining the flocks, aiming to get sheep a bit larger than my smallest but with good feet and fleece, easy lambers, good mothers, and able to rear on our grass.

I've got a Heb tup booked for my three little girls this time. I wanted a small tup for them to give them an easy first time. We may be able to get hold of a Jacob to use on the two remaining Zwartbles and the three full grown fleece sheep we want to tup this year. In case the Jacob gets sold before we want to hire him, we're making enquiries about a Romney tup lamb.

Madog ali · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2017, 03:26:20 pm »

Hi Sally,
I think I know you!! Wasn't it you who had a wonderful blog on Ravelry? I loved reading about your lambing adventures and knew you had moved south.
I am anxious to improve my Jacob's fleece while sticking to a pedigree flock. I have a nice Jacob tup chosen for his fine fleece. He has given me 6 lambs (from 3 ewes) two of the ewe lambs have beautiful fleeces, can't wait to get my hands on that wool!
It is a shame I am not closer as my tup will have to go after this season.
Good luck with your plans, I look forward to hearing how you do.