Sharon Sutton

Update on Sherberts ear infection

2011-11-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Since I last posted, Sherbert's ear infection has progressed and now the plug of puss that was blocking his ear has expanded to the point where it was popping outside of the ear. I took photographs (see below) and then managed to catch him to examine his ear closer. When I touched the plug, it actually fell out. So the good news is that Sherberts ear is now clear, and hopefully it will now shrink back down to normal size and Sherbert's problems will be over.

Ongoing problems with Sherbert the cockerel's ear infection

2011-11-10T02:50:00.000-08:00

Sherbert has been unwell for quite a while, and initially I thought that it could be Mareks, as his symptoms were lethargy, inability to balance, stumbling and walking as though he was drunk, refusing to perch. Since then he has had problems with puss accumulating in his ears. This started with one ear - which cleared, and now the other ear is affected. Since his ears have become swollen with the puss, the rest of his symptoms have become less obvious and he is brighter and more lively - back to being impossible to catch. The photos below clearly show how swollen the infected ear is, in relation to the normal ear.

Giving to Charity

2011-11-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

For my Uni course I am working on a charities project.

If you could take the time to fill in this short questionnaire, I would be most grateful. Follow the link, there are only a few questions over two pages.

http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=42653gnxfe

Chicken red mites

2011-09-08T03:26:00.000-07:00

The red mites have claimed the life of one of my favourite Maran Bantams and proven to be extremely difficult to eradicate. I have bought practically every treatment on the market, and am now finally beginning to get to grips with the problem. I have developed a three phase attack:

I clean the bedding out the hen house weekly, and give the empty house a thorough spray with disinfectant before scrubbing down and hosing out.
When it goes dark I regularly when it goes dark and spraying any mites that I see with fly spray.
When the birds roost, I catch them and liberally coat them with mite killing powder.

I am really concerned about the amount of chemicals I am subjecting the hens to, but I am more concerned about losing any more hens to red mite.

cricket

2011-06-28T04:09:00.000-07:00

I do enjoy watching the cricket at the weekend ,Oakamoor top pitch on Saturday 25th June

Little Moreton Hall

2011-06-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

Went to Little Moreton Hall at the Weekend and had a very pleasant afternoon exploring this historic building. What did I like the most? The inscriptions engraved into the panes of glass in the leaded windows.

The traumas of chicken keeping, mites, worms, feather pecking, egg eating

2010-08-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

We only have a handful of chickens. We have had scaly leg mite in the past, and lice and these haven't been too hard to remedy. The feather pecking and egg eating is starting to become more of a nuisance, to the point where we are considering ousting the culprits.

All of the hens have gone off lay or else the Reds are eating the eggs. I don't know if the lack of eggs is because it is just that time of year, or because the Reds are eating them, or if it is due to the mites, feather pecking or the possibility of worms.

The Rhode Island Reds have turned out to be food guzzling, egg eating pests. They only seem to lay soft eggs or semi hard shelled eggs. They drop them while they are perching - the eggs break on impact with the ground, and I think that this is what started the trouble in the first place. Red and Ruby are pets, they are not farm production animals, but I have to say I am beginning to get more than a little irritated by them. They will even happily break into eggs that I have blown and filled with stockholm tar - and that stuff is really disgusting. My last resort will be to put them in a coop by themselves so that they don't teach the others this trick or eat any of the other eggs. If I was a commercial chicken keeper - they would have to go .... on a one way trip to chicken heaven.

All of the chickens that we bought from Red Road have turned out to be feather peckers (Susan, Chewunga and Miranda). They pluck the feathers and then eat them. They have plucked all of the feathers off the necks and backs of some of their room mates - I have bought some anti pecking spray and given everyone in the main coop a good squirting. Chewunga has been a fantastic mother hen, right up to the point where her chicks have lost their fluff and begun to grown feathers. She is fine one minute, then the next, she is plucking out feathers and feeding them to the other chicks. This is VERY BAD! and I don't want them to learn to feather peck. This makes me think that this behaviour is learned, rather than inherited. I have been separating them a little in the day and putting them back together at night and they have been given a good spray over too. The spray smells and feels like it has a stockholm tar base and does stink and taste horrid (yes I inadvertantly got a mouthfull when I was spraying the chicks). If anyone can recommend any other type of spray - email me, I am at the point where I will try anything.

I have also noticed that we have a mite problem. Not because I spotted the mites on the chickens cuz they are tiny, but when I was handling one of the birds, I noticed that I began to itch, and spotted a few lice on me - yuck. So I have bought some lice killing liquid. I have to dilute this and spray the hen houses very thoroughly, making sure that I get into every nook and cranny. I have also bought some powder (diatomous earth) that I can dust both the hens and their coops with. I have a feeling that this could be something that I have to battle on with for some time to get rid of the problem completely.

So, while I was out buying anti-pecking spray, diatomous earth powder, and mite killing potions, I also bought some wormer and have put everyone on the worming programme just to cover all my bases.

Chicken keeping is sometimes hard work.

5 chicks hatched

2010-07-22T03:22:00.000-07:00

Out of the eggs that we put under Chewunga, 5 hatched. The first three hatched on day 20, then one on day 21 and the last on day 23. We think that we have got a Welsummer from Stevie and Wilma. Three Maran crosses, we hope that the daddy is Sherbert because we think that they will look better and one that we think is a cross between Chewunga and Stevie. Now that the initial excitement of the hatch is over, we are all eagerly waiting to see how many hens we get..... hopefully loads so that we dont have to get rid of any.

The Marans, Mavis, Mabel and Miranda. Miranda is a feather pecking nightmare. Chewunga also feather pecks, but we make allowances as she is a good layer and has turned out to be a brilliant mum. Susan the polish feather pecks too. Infact, all of the hens that we had from Red Road feather peck, and the two Rhodies that were more intensively bred and reared lay soft shelled eggs and egg eat. For me, this just goes to show that keeping too many chickens together in one space without plenty of food to go at to keep them occupied leads to problems. We have tried everything we can think of to stop them egg eating, including filling eggs with some really nasty stuff, but nothing has worked. I am just hoping that the new generation wont learn from the previous one, and that eventually, we get rid of the problems.

Wilma the Welsummer with Red and Ruby the Soft Egg laying and Egg Eating Rhode Island Reds, Susan the Polish Crested and Chewunga the Silkie Cross.

Sherbert (Sherbie) the Silver Laced Wyandotte???

Stevie the Welsummer cockerel from hell. He already has 1 inch spurs and knows how to use them and his beak!

Chewunga is a mummy, the eggs have hatched

2010-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, we went to check on the chickens and Chewunga's eggs had started to hatch. We had three of the eggs hatch - not a brilliant success rate, but I wasn't sure how old the eggs were that we gave her, nor if the cockerels had managed to get with the hens to fertilise them. Our cockerels only 'do their thing' when they are out of the cages and we don't get to let them out as often as we'd like because of the neighbours dog getting to them if they wander.

So, yesterday morning we had three chicks. We have left the unhatched eggs with her just to see if there are any late hatchers - today, there is one that is starting to break the shell, but there is no way to know if it will make it into the world - so all we can do is wait to see what happens and hope for the best.

Here are some pictures of the little ones that hatched yesterday - lets hope they are hens and not cocks.... There are two maran crosses and a chewunga cross - there is no knowing what chewunga is as she is a crossbred chicken herself, but we were told that she had some silkie in her - not that you'd know as she doesn't have silkie feathers. She does have grey legs though and she has been a very good sitter.

What a lovely evening

2010-07-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

What a lovely evening. At 10pm I decided to go and check Ozzy my horse and make sure that he had enough water for the following day. According to the temperature gauge in the car, it was 17 degrees C. It was a bright evening and the night smelt beautiful - surpassed only by the fact that when I put my arms around my horse, his smell, mixed with the smell in the air reminded me of my childhood holidays by the sea.

No matter what goes wrong, or what stresses and strains you have to deal with - moments like this make you realise that life is good and there is every reason to smile and be happy.

Chewunga is sitting eggs

2010-07-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Chewunga, our cross bred chicken with the wonderful personality has gone broody. If she didn't feather peck, she would be perfect - but she is friendly and up 'till now layed an egg almost every day. To make the most of the opportunity we have given her a selection of eggs to sit from each of our hens. We have no idea who the daddy will be as we have two cocks, a welsummer and a cross bred lace winged wyandotte (that is if either of them managed to do the job on these eggs). All we have to do now is hope she sits tight and wait to see what happens.

Staffordshire Moorlands guild wsd - dyeing day

2010-06-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Another great guild day - dyeing with the Staffordshire Moorlands Guild at Cheddleton. We used Gaywool dyes in the morning and then used Koolaid drinks in the afternoon. This was a really fun hands on day in which we managed to cram in loads of techniques.

Handpainting - microwave
Handpainting - steamer
baking
boiling
Koolaid

Spinning yarns

2010-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have been spinning a lot over the last few months and experimenting with different thicknesses, textures, art yarns .... you name it... Here are some of the yarns that I have made recently - plus a few out of my stash bag.

Badger in the Garden

2010-06-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

The last three nights running, I have seen the badger that visits our garden at night. He, or she, doesn't look very well and seems to be limping a little bit. Tonight I am going to get the camera out in the hope that I can get a photo - no doubt I wont see it again for weeks now!

Leek College Degree Show 2010

2010-06-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is my work for the last project at College that will be on display in the end of year degree show. It is applique onto linen and has been inspired by domestic fowl and the traditional craft of penny rug making of north america.

This is just some of the work that was on display - the Nicholson institute is quite a large space and the work of the 20 students on the foundation degree brought the room to life. My favourite pieces were Peter's still life drawings.

Leek Guild of WSD at Blackstone Edge Farm

2010-06-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

The guild had a meeting at Blackstone Edge Farm - up in the hills and what a wonderful day it was too. By chance I bumped into a friend that I made through a women in business networking group - Hello Kym. It was so good to see you again.

It was good to watch the sheep being sheared and then being able to select the fleece literally straight from their backs.

I came home with two derbyshire gritstone fleeces and a zwartbles to add to my collection for this year.

It was a fantastic place to sit and spin - or knit, with friends.

On the way back, Selina and I stopped off at the Mermaid pool and couldn't resist messing around for a photo. We really are blessed to live in such a beautiful area.

first novelty yarns using bits carded in Ashford Wild drum carder

2010-04-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

I will have to get these two yarns up on my website and on Etsy this week. I am quite pleased with the result as this is my first attempt at spinning something different - that is deliberately spining something that has added texture and character.

Double Yolker

2010-04-19T12:13:00.001-07:00

This is a double yolker from one of the Rhode Island Red hens. The only problem is that one of the chickens has taken to egg eating and I think it was the one that lays the double yolkers. I have had to separate her from the others and I haven't had a double yolked egg since.

Ranger is back - but what has happened?

2010-04-07T03:37:00.000-07:00

I have had Ranger back for a few weeks now and I am still struggling with the guilt of letting him go in the first place. For those who don't know the story Ranger was sold without my consent by a woman who was looking after him on the understanding that he was never to be sold or transferred. If there was a problem and she was not able to look after him, he was to come back to me. So, she betrayed my trust because she couldn't manage him and sold him to a woman who was then going to put him into the Leominster Sales on 19th March. This has been a seriously big lesson for me.

At some point while he was away, he has suffered quite a serious injury and now has a large scar on his rump. His feet had also become over grown and according to our vet's estimate, haven't been trimmed for over 5 months.

I will not be able to look after Ranger forever, and as my last attempt to ensure he had a good and safe home went badly wrong I will only let him go to a charity. So am currently waiting for a response from a well known charity.

Ranger is a beautiful horse who is very kind, but has a nervous nature. This combined with his size - he is 15.3 hands and a cob, can make him difficult to manage.

Ouch - my toe - got trod on by the horse

2010-04-07T03:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks after it happened, my toe still hurts - a lot! All the horse did was step to the side and just clip the edge of my little toe. I didn't realise quite how bad it was at the time, but soon did when I took my shoe off. I wasn't wearing steel toe caps - but I wish I was, especially as I do own a pair.

Ashford Day at the Staffordshire Moorland Guild

2010-04-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic day at the Staffordshire Moorlands Guild. Richard Ashford and Kate came over from New Zealand to demonstrate equipment and answer questions, and David from Frank Herring's came too and was on hand to solve any mechanical problems that people may be having with their wheels.

Richard was most entertaining and certainly had everyone laughing with his wonderful personality and humour. I would also like to say a big public thank you to Richard for signing Selina's joy & my traveller.

Janet, from the Threshing Barn put on a wonderful buffet lunch - Janet you are a star! - and there were more chocolate mini eggs than even I could eat - despite my best efforts.

Superb day - supported by lots and lots of lovely weavers, spinners and dyers.

Hand dyed and handspun 2 ply masham in lemon and lime

2010-04-06T06:52:00.001-07:00

This is the latest yarn that I have added to Etsy. It is hand dyed prepared masham tops, two ply and approx 140 yards long. The dye used is gaywool dye and they are bright yellow and a lime green colour.

I have a lot more yarns that I need to get out of the box and put on Etsy too. There is no way that I am ever going to do anything with them - so I have got to stop saving them.

Handspun Gotland & Blue Faced Leicester from tops

2010-03-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Handspun blue faced leicester - top pic, and handspun gotland - bottom pic. Both of these were spun from commercially prepared tops. They are now for sale in my Etsy shop!

Orange Hand Dyed Grey Faced Dartmoor - SOLD!!!

2010-03-10T04:25:00.001-08:00

Approximately 74 yards of hand spun and hand dyed Grey Faced Dartmoor wool yarn. Quite chunky - approx 12 wpi.

I have got to take my spinning more seriously - especially if I want to be a professional handspinner.

This is my first yarn label sample - I like the logo and the address - but now need to think of a way to put on the fibre type, yarn count, length, weight - and most importantly the price.

This yarn is now SOLD (13th March 2010)

Heyup Duck !

2010-03-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone from Stoke on Trent will know that the most common local term of endearment is 'duck'. For my current module I am studying birds for - surprise, surprise - another textile piece. So, off I trotted to JCB lakes to do a study of the birds there. Back in college, we all had to take in materials for a group drawing exercise. This little guy is what I came up with. For someone with serious drawing issues - I really hate drawing - I was quite chuffed with the result. This little chap. Actually - that is a bit of a fib - I like drawing - I'm just not very good at it. Sor for me, this was quite satisfying.

I need more practise on photoshop too - I wanted to turn him a 'duck egg' colour - but could only manage grey, darker grey, darker grey still .... I am not complaining at the result though - I think he looks good.

Spindle Spinning - milk protein fibre

2010-03-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

Two completed pieces for my foundation degree

2010-01-14T06:06:00.001-08:00

I have neglected my blog for what seems like an eternity while I have been pre-occupied with creating pieces for my foundation degree. These are the two completed pieces. I have had both of the them professionally framed and am really quite pleased with the results.

Online Guild Christmas Star Exchange

2009-12-07T06:25:00.001-08:00

This is the gift I have made for my online guild Christmas 'Star' exchange partner. I have posted it today. It is a handfelted bauble made from merino. The thick wool (hanger and line to the right) is hand spun shetland wool with tri-lobal nylon to give a little sparkle and the star is hand embroidered with hand spun silk - accented with mill hill beads.

I hope that my exchange partner likes her gift.

Staffordshire Moorlands Guild Advent Gathering

2009-12-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday 5th December was the Staffordshire Moorlands Guild's 3rd Advent Gathering. The event was very well attended - the hall was packed. It was fantastic day and good that so many guilds came. I went away with three lovely Mike Williams spindles. http://www.michael-williams-wood.co.uk/sitefiles/spindles.htm

I also took along two flyer assemblies so that he can make me some bobbins.

Hooked rug Museum of North America

2009-10-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

Found this link on a blog:

http://chesterns.ca/2009/09/hooked-rug-museum-of-north-america.html

It appears that the Hooked Rug Museum of North America has now found suitable premises and could well be open in 2010.

I hope so, as I am in the process of planning a visit to Canada in 2010 (and trying to source funding for training and professional development) - and this would certainly be on my itinerary.

Swine Flu or just a really bad cold?? The good and the bad news

2009-10-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have not been very well. My son started with a cough/cold last weekend. He is very fit and strong, but has been off school all week. My middle daughter was sent home from school on the Monday with a raging temperature and she came down with it next. By Wednesday I was showing signs of a cold myself. Only the husband and the eldest daughter have managed to fend this one off so far. So, I have had back ache that felt like I'd taken a blow to the kidneys, temperature, tiredness, apathy, sore throat, chesty cough, streamy nose and puffy eyes. Normally I'd think it was just a bad cold, but I think it may be swine flu. I have never had so many cold cures.

So what, you may ask???? - well

it's Guild Day - that it the Leek and District Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers were having a spinning day - core spinning and thick and thin yarns. I really wanted to go... but couldn't.
There was the official celebration of the completion of works to the sluice gates to the River Churnet in the Village - I wanted to go there too - but couldn't.
Tonight, Ada is having a make up party - and I can't go.
There was also something on at the Cricket Club and my son (who is now feeling loads better) wanted to go - couldn't go there either.

On the bright side -

I hadn't booked to go to London for Origin with the College - which is good because I was too ill to go - so my train fare, tickets etc would of been a wasted expense.
I received a Portland fleece in the post.
I have managed to wash and dry some Fleeces, some Jacob, Romney, Mashman and some of the Portland.
I have been practising my wool combing with my Louet Dutch Combs - on some Whitefaced Woodland that I had scoured earlier in the year, the Romney and the Masham.
I then made some pretty nice rovings using the diz that my daughter Selina bought me for my birthday
I spun a few little samples
I have ordered a Hampshire fleece from a lady on the online guild.

Stevie - The Welsummer Cockerel - or is he???

2009-09-29T14:26:00.001-07:00

This is Stevie - our Welsummer Cockerel - his personality is beginning to shine and he is just starting to get to grips with the girls - as cockerels do..... He certainly has attitude and is starting to strut his stuff - and crow in the morning - sorry neighbours - the covers muffle the sound and he is only little so not very loud. If anyone out there knows their birds - do you think he looks as though he has some Old English Game in him????

An hour of peace spinning at the Tissington Trail

2009-09-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

At the weekend, the hubby and the kids went biking on the Tissington Trail. Rather than stay at home cleaning up, I decided to take my wheel and make the most of the sunshine and fine weather before Autumn set in.

I quite often sit outside my house and spin, but as I set the up by the car and trailer I felt very self conscious, but I soon forgot my inhibitions and got on with it. There was no shortage of people coming up to ask questions and several children went away with a samples of fleece and a small sample of spun wool.

Weather permitting - I have decided to get out and spin more often.

New Chickens, Maran Bantam, Polish, Silkie Cross & Rhode Island Reds & Buff Orpington

2009-09-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

When the last of our chickens a 6 year old Buff Orpington that we hatched ourselves called Sunflower died in the spring I was determined not to have any more chickens. At least until we had a smallholding - or at least enough land. Our garden is the size of a postage stamp and it just isn't big enough for a menagerie of animals. We already have a shed, a chicken house and run on it and the small lawn looks even smaller when Ozzy - our Section D Welsh Cob is on it. Anyway - the children have kept asking for chickens and my resolve weakened. So, after phoning around to see who had chickens available, we heard that the 'the egg man' was reducing his numbers, so we went to see what he had available. My advice is - Don't take your children with you when you go to pick animals.

I spotted a cute little chicken that is supposed to be a silkie cross & put it in the box. From experience I know that Silkies are not exactly what you would call 'good layers', but hopefully, whatever it is crossed with will be (unless she turns out to be a he of course!). There was a Maran bantam - we've had lots of marans and they have always been good little birds - so that went into the box. My daughter - bless her - spotted a tiny black polish hen, little bigger than a blackbird. NO - put it down I said as she picked it up and stroked the mass of feathers on it's head. You wil be lucky if it lays six eggs a year. Her little lips pouted, but she put down the bird. The children went to put the box in the car and the hubby and I went to pay for them. As we turned around. The little black polish hen was sprinting down the drive after us. Yes, you guessed it - she came with us too. She is now called Susan and is first out into the run every day.

We are collecting two Rhode Island Reds tonight. I would like a few Buff Orpingtons too, but I really don't have the space.

Navajo Spindle Spinning, Dyeing & Rug Weaving.

2009-08-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

My main areas of textile interest are spinning, dyeing and rugs. Although I have been spindle spinning for years, I have only recently purchased a Navajo Spindle and started to learn to spin on it. It is taking some practise, but I am enjoying this type of spinning. I am quite pleased with the yarns I have produced - the only thing is - does it look like it should? Is this what yarn spun on a navajo spindle should be like? I have no way of knowing as I have no tutor and as I live in the Staffordshire Moorlands in the UK - I am not likely to find anyone whose work I can compare mine to.

I have just bought the book - Navajo Weaving Way - the path from fleece to rug. I bought it as it has a section on spinning with the Navajo Spindle - and I am keen to perfect my technique.

It seems that the 'Navajo Way' of working incorporates all of the crafts I love.

This wonderful book even describes how to make a Navajo Loom. My woodworking skills are practically none existant, but I am not going to let that stop me!!!!

Certificate of Achievement & Ashford Traveller

2009-08-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

After spending a year wondering if I should take the plunge. I have finally registered for the Certificate of Achievement in Handspinning. My daughter Selina (currently busy reading Flax Spinning by Patricia Baines) has also registered and we are hoping to support each other through the syllabus over the next two years.

It is my birthday soon (next week) and I have had an Ashford Traveller (double treadle with single drive and scotch tension) to work on for my C of A. It comes in kit form and assembly is supposed to be idiot proof - yeah right!!!! I thought it would be up and running in ten minutes - I don't know how long it took - but it was lots longer than 10 minutes and it took the combined brain power of 2 adults and 3 children...... I so hate instructions.

I am now feeling terribly guilty for not wanting to spin on 'Chitty', my old wheel, so named because of the noise it makes - when being used, that is. Chitty is fantastic for spinning fine fibres, but is a little 'clunky'. I have no idea what kind of wheel Chitty is, but I think it may be a flax wheel as it spins fine fibres very well and also has a holder for a distaff - so if anyone can tell me, I would be most grateful.

Selina will be working on her Louet S51DT - or at least that's the plan. I can feel a bit of wheel sharing coming on.

Update on Bracken Dyeing

2009-08-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

To test the light fastness of the minty green obtained from bracken I placed the sample skein in the sunlight on the window ledge. Within a few days the sample had lost it's brightness and begun to fade. I will try dyeing with bracken again, but next time I will use a mordant to fix the colour - hopefully, the result will still be minty green. I have also begun to gather and dry some bracken for use later in the year as I will not be collecting the leaves once they have begun to spore.

Natural Dyeing - with Bracken

2009-08-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to spend some time experimenting with natural dyes for a long time, but just never seemed to get started. While my son was practising cricket, I went for a walk around the sports field. Himalayan Balsam surrounded the field in lovely shades of pink and their pungent smell filled the air. There were many other wild flowers and trees - some that I recognised - some that I didn't. Flashing into my mind were snippets of books that I had read on natural dyeing. Now was the time to have a go. I collected bundles of several plants, including bracken. At home, I hunted out my dyepot, chopped up the bracken, added the water, put it on the heat and set about spinning a few small skeins from left over 'wool bits'. I then washed out the skeins, bringing their temperature up before adding them to the dye pot to avoid shocking the fibres. (I had removed the bracken, leaving the liquid). I did not use a mordant and referred to Jenny Dean's 'Wild Color' for the expected resulting shade. What I got was a lovely 'minty green'.

Shetland sheep fleece

2009-07-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

I was given the contact details of a lady who breeds shetland sheep and had fleece that she needed to find a home for. I went to see her and she kindly showed me her flock which had a wide range of colours.

She gave me half a dozen shetland fleeces that she had from the previous years clip and had stored in bin bags in the hay loft. They were very dusty, but seemed to be OK to use. I took them home and inspected a few more closely.

The black fleece was very poor. Last years coat had become matted and was unusable. It contained very short cuts of this years fleece that with a little effort could be pulled away from the fleece. I have gathered a bag of this as it is beautifully soft and may felt well into balls. I did try to card and spin a little long draw, just to gain experience of working with very short fibres. The bulk of the fleece will have to be composted.

I eagerly washed and dried a small amount of the grey and the brown fleeces. The qualities of each of the fleeces was totally different and I will post some photos later. I chose the lighter colour to work with and made some beautiful rolags that were so light and lofty, they kept being blown away by the breeze.