The early years

 My love of fiber started with a little 4h lamb named Merlin. I loved that lamb, and quickly felt I needed more sheep. Merlin was sold at country fair, but that year I got a scholarship to purchase a breeding ewe. The next January, Allie was born. This little ewe came home later that spring. Soon Alley needed friends because sheep need friends to be happiest, that’s when a little ewe named Stompy came into the picture. Stompy was an Icelandic/ Shetland cross. With the addition of this very wooly little beast I learned how to stand shear, and skirt a fleece for show. 

As with all things life changes and my first flock found safe homes when we moved from the family farm after I graduated high school. 

But my love of sheep definitely did end there. In my early 20’s I acquired a small flock of Soay Sheep. These flighty little deer like sheep lived at my Aunt and Uncle’s house for a couple of years before I could move them home. 

I also met my husband during this time, and he introduced me to crochet, which definitely started making me think more and more about wool.

I was eager to jump back in the show ring, and that’s when my odd little “goat” sheep helped me meet some of my favorite people. I’m sure the young women, who rolled into fair with those odd little sheep and a couple toddlers was quite the sight. 

My neighbor one day stopped by and was very eager to let me know she was adding Shetland sheep to her little farm. She was excited to grow her own wool to spin into yarn to knit with. 

Again I started to think about what I could do with the fleeces I had from the handful of wooly sheep that had joined my flock of Soays over the years. 

Again life took a sharp right or maybe it was a left. Again I found myself dispersing my flock.