Friday, March 04, 2011

Harvard Mass, NYC Sheep and The Lamb Races Begin Again!

First off, I'll be teaching a Two Color Knitting and Steeking Class at the Fiber Loft in Harvard, MA on March 19th. Here is the link for more information. Hope to see some of you there. If you are coming and would to purchase some lamb for your freezer, I'll be happy to bring some down with me! E-mail me to set it up..... or to ask about pricing.

Second - don't forget all you NYC knitters - go check out the sheep at Times Square and send me a photo of you in front of them. I'll post it on this blog next week. I'm wondering if I will get any???? I'd be checking it out if I were closer! See the post below...

Lamb races are a peculiar occurrence that evidently happens in sheep flocks all over the world. They are something I wait for every year! Once the lambs get strong enough to become really playful, the races begin. Just before sunset, they get all riled up and start chasing up and down the barnyard...... never fail. A couple years ago I made a silly little video of them which you can find on my sidebar. Here are a few stills of the racing lambs running through the barnyard before dark.




If we have time on Sunday, and the weather cooperates, maybe I can convince Julia to help me with another video. By the way - we will be at the Amherst Winter Market at the Amherst Middle School tomorrow (3/5) from 10 to 2 p.m.

The snow that falls cleans up the barnyard but it quickly gets turned into slush by the feet of the animals. Mud season is going to be brutal here! Look how dirty some of the lambs are!


And then some of them stay quite clean. These photos were taken on the same day. Who can figure? I suppose it is like people - some spill all over the clothes and some stay pristinely clean! Funny to think about, isn't it?


And I have found another soul sister in agriculture and her name is Ella MacSweeney. Check out Ella's blog - Cowluck. Ella is a "presentor" on Irish radio. She co-hosts a show called "Ear to the Ground". If you check out her YouTube channel, you will learn a little about artificial insemination of cows. The ETTG YouTube Channel has many other fascinating videos and great Irish accents.

(And by the way, I bet you don't know this about me.... when I was in grad school, I took a "Sheep Production" course and I had to artificially inseminate a sheep. I don't think my Mom even knows that! I bet not too many knitwear designers have ever done that.... Wool - from conception to finished product! Maybe I should add that to my resume.)

8 comments:

Robin Allen said...

Paper sheep in NYC are cool, but I would much rather see live lamb races at a farm. Too cute!

Kathy said...

Hope you and Julia get to make that new video. I'll look forward to it.

Rose said...

Sheep insemination! Wow, the things we get to do in this life! Definitely add that to your resume. And by the way, I do hope you keep blogging!!

Caffeine Girl said...

I'm amazed by how many things you have going. I don't know how you keep track of it all!

Jennifer said...

Ha ha! That's so great. I love it. :) Can't wait for another video. Our cats get all riled up at times and it's so fun to just watch them rip around the house!

MicheleinMaine said...

The lamb races are most adorable!

Erica said...

Lamb races--how sweet! I'd be out there every night watching them! :)

Kathy said...

Because I grew up on a farm your blog brings me so much pleasure.
LOVE LOVE LOVED the lamb races, so sweet.

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