Enabling
I could write to you about something useful, but instead I'm going to be an enabler.
You'd probably be better of not researching Babydoll Sheep. You might just fall in-love with them *ahem* hence the name "Babydoll" sheep. Anyway, if you are too lazy to look them up, I'll continue my Enabling Services...
Just look at those furry critters. Do you want some yet?
Need I even say I wouldn't mind having a couple bottle lambs scampering around the farm? Be honest, who wouldn't want to wake up every morning to see this adorable little critter?
Besides all the cuteness, they are very useful. No really. They mow your lawn for you, provide an unlimited supply of fertilizer, not to mention all the wool you could harvest from them. Plus they are a smaller breed of sheep, extremely docile and great around kids, and on top of all that they make adorable lawn decorations. ;)
They come in an assortment of colors, not just white.
If I had some, they would all be trained to walk on a leash. Because seriously, who in their right mind wouldn't want to take a sheep for a walk??
I think I need some walking carpets. You?
Quite recently I've become very interested in spinning my own wool and making all sorts of things out of it. There are only two things holding me back. #1. I don't know the first thing about spinning wool, and secondly I'd want to harvest it from my own animals..but I don't have any animals who produce wool.
Maybe I should start out with Angora rabbits, and learn to harvest their wool, before taking the plunge into raising sheep. WHAT? You've never heard of Angora rabbits? You need to get out more. (I feel another enabling post coming on...).
Are you in-love with these little sheep yet? I sure am.
What about you, have you ever wanted to raise your own sheep to harvest their wool?
Blessings -
~ Aspen
Photo credit to Google Images...none of the above pictures are mine.
Hehe! Well, with such amazing aspects to those little guys, I think I'll take one. ;-) They are really cute, actually. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Angora rabbits are a GREAT place to learn to harvest. but NEVER pluck them bare..... only when they shed... yeah. learned that the hard way. =P
I'm thinking you've got someone in your family now who can spin rather well... so looks like you'll be in luck. Great choice of a new hobby! =D
Do y'all have some Angoras? Atlanta' mother-in-law raises Angoras, and uses their wool. Next time I take a trip to TN I'm going to see if I can't get some wool spinning classes. Also, I heard that one of her Angora does is expecting a litter sometime in January. Perhaps I can bring home a "couple" of them. ; )
ReplyDeleteBlessings -
~ Aspen
I used to have one as a 'pet', sort of... but the plan was that I could have it if I harvested the wool from it. Which I did, but not in the proper way. =P
ReplyDeleteOh neat! That would definitely be cool if you could. :-) Can you bring me one? jk! They are lots of fun. :-)
We are thinking about getting some French Angoras to pluck and spin. All I have ever spun before is wool, so it would be a new experience. We have a small lot, though, and already have a bunch of animals, we would only be able to get one or two.
ReplyDeleteSure! It'd give me an excuse to come see y'all! ;)
ReplyDeleteReyna - Was it very hard to spin? At some point in the future I'd love to raise Angoras, but for the time being I'd want just want one or two so I could get the feel of wool spinning and such.
Blessings -
~ Aspen
The wool wasn't very hard to spin, but I haven't had experience with other fibers so I don't have anything to compare it to! It took us a while to get the tension right, but I suppose that is only natural.
DeleteI talked to some of my in-laws today, and their Angoras are going to be having a litter soon. When I go up to Tennessee to visit, I'm going to take fiber spinning lessons from my sister's mother-in-law..and perhaps come home with a bundle of fuzz..or two. ; )
DeleteBlessings -
~ Aspen
That's so fun! Post lots of pictures of the little fuzzies so I can finish convincing my family we need angoras please. I have visited Atlanta's mother-in-law's blog many times, and the things she spins and weaves are AMAZING! (The young bunnies are just infinitely adorable also).
DeleteReyna
Rest assured, if I bring home some Angoras, y'all will be bombarded with pictures. No worries on that score. Yes, she is a wonderful spinner. She told me she'd make me into a fiber junkie just like her. I can't wait!
DeleteBlessings -
~ Aspen
Great! We are most likely going to start getting wool free from some friends of friends who raise sheep for meat. We would have our own, but we don't have enough acreage, sadly. Do you knit or crochet or weave? I knit, and it is fun to do so with yarn that I have spun myself!
ReplyDeleteOhh! Fun stuff! What kinds of things are you wanting to make out of the wool? I am sad to say I do not know how to knit, crochet, or weave. But I am eager to learn them all. I bet it is a very rewarding feeling to be able to make something out of wool you spun yourself!
ReplyDeleteBlessings -
~ Aspen
A big goal that I have is to make a sweater, but I don't know when that will happen. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, that would be so awesome! I bet it would be very warm.
ReplyDeleteBlessings -
~ Aspen