Jacob's Sheep

I sure wish that I could take a better picture 'cause I think pictures would be the only way to really show what a wonderful farm we visited Saturday. Spring is here and it is time for sheep shearing. Sheep shearing means fleece and nothing makes me quite as happy as a nice new fleece, fresh off the sheep. My friend Lisa knew of this farm near Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire that raises Jacobs (just about my favorite looking sheep). I'd seen a fleece that Lisa had and ooooohhh. She was kind enough to put me in touch with the delightful Janet and Brooks and they welcomed us up on Saturday.

Let me say first that we love the mountains. This farm is in the mountains; in fact, it is surrounded by big mountains. It is down a long dirt road and longer dirt driveway and in a little valley all its own. There are heritage ducks and game fowl, a couple of adorable sheep guard dogs, a cat, a two  inside dogs and a guard goose for the fowl. And sheep, lots of adorable Jacobs and thirteen lambs. The lambs......oh, there were about eight of them playing King of the Hill on a boulder and gamboling. Lambs really do gambol.

And the fleece. The smell of a fresh fleece is one of life's joys for me. Janet kept bringing out fleeces to look at and what lovely fiber. I ultimately chose (with their help) a ram's fleece from a fellow named Hector. Hector has some well delineated colors and my plan is to separate the fiber out between white and dark and spin them separately. I washed about a pound of fiber yesterday and I'm so happy with the results. It is super soft and springy and I bet it will be a lovely yarn.