End of year review/ Looking forward

Hmmm . . . .  what a year.  Did lots of projects this year.  Fair Isle mitts, vest, hat and gloves, wadmal blankets, gansey patterned stockings, plain mitts, gloves, hats, socks, a shawl and scarf, lots of handpainted yarns, fun classes, tons of handspun yarns, and that is just the "working" end!   

The Shetland sheep, who make it all possible, are just fabulous.  We continue to breed for only the best quality, fine fleeced Shetlands. 

Fine fleeces abound to be made into yarn and roving.   Saved some for the mill spun yarns, which I'm washing up right now.  "Black" and emsket are on the list for yarns, with the black being an off black/Shetland black.  

One lock sample of the several fleeces that are being washed for millspun yarn.  Excellent elasticity as required of fine Shetland wool.  Great length too.

As compared to the black Shetland skein, you can easily tell that these locks are modified and not pure black. 

I really like my millspun yarns.  It is so nice to just run downstairs and grab a skein and start knitting, knowing that there is enough of that "color" already made.  Expanding that repertoire is the goal so that there will be the whole Shetland palette to choose from, for both myself and my customers.

The ISF Best Fleece on Hoof award was supportive of our breeding goals.  It is always nice to win the most coveted top award for our breed stock based on what Shetland sheep are bred and known for - the fine crimpy soft fleece.

WSWF was just wonderful.  It was great to meet Kate and Alan.  Learning just flowed the whole weekend long.  I could do this kind of weekend several times a year!  Winning Reserve Champion Ram with one of our ram lambs under these prestigous Shetland breeder judges was nothing to sneeze at either. 

And, of course, lots of Shetland friends who are so supportive of fine fleece Shetland sheep! 

Looking forward to 2012.  Here are a few of the "things to do/will be done" list:

• There will be LOTS of lambs!  Many of them will be purebred in 2012.  We will be keeping several but many will be for sale this year.
• Several older (but not that old) ewes will be for sale at weaning.  These will be breedstock quality.
• We have several ram lambs that were kept back this year.  We should only be keeping a couple of them so several will be for sale later this summer, after evaluations.  I need to look hard at my older rams as well and possibly sell a couple of those.
•  Will be looking for a second crossing sire, one smaller than the BFL but still possessing fast growth, meatiness, and a narrow front end.  Preferably with a good fleece.  This one will be used on the smaller purebred ewes so I'm not looking for a ram to get over 200 lbs in adulthood, preferrably not over 180 lbs.  Yes, the intention is to breed at least half of the flock next fall to crossing rams (the reason being is that we have almost reached our limit in retaining the best purebred stock for our needs and only need to breed a few for replacements and for purebred sales). 
• Will be looking for another purebred horned fine fleece breedstock ram that is unrelated to our own stock.  Preferrably a dark moorit with no iset and no modifier.  If you who are reading have one with these criteria, or will possibily have one, please drop me a line.
• Lots of wool will be sent out for combed top and yarn, hopefully all in Jan., to be available for sale later in the year.
• Several hides need to be sent out for processing for the same reason.
• On the wool end, I'd like to do more felting and making of garments or blankets out of felt, make a Fair Isle Shetland sweater out of my handspun, preferably out of my hand carded rovings and my own design, weave more wadmal Shetland blankets and make braided rugs out of britch, and keep knitting the stuff that I have been (currently working on a handspun varigated dyed Shetland plied with dark grey Shetland mule sweater and plain light grey millspun gloves - tweaking my own pattern).
• More handpainting yarn - it is just plain fun. 

• Dyeing in general.

• Blending the exotics like alpaca, mohair, and angora with Shetland (I have plenty of all to do that). 
• For education, present more history to those who are hungry for it.  Just found another book showing Shetland photos from 1912 - fine fleece uniform Shetlands that would fit into flocks today.
• Have the spinning guild out more often.  We've had such fun in the past.
• Would love to visit more sheep friends!

For now, that is enough to keep me busy.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.  Happy New Year!