The camper is home!!!

I bought this almost 2 weeks ago. Last Sunday it was frozen in the ground.

This week hubby and his friend went to get it and it was in LOTS of mud.

They got it to the top of the driveway and parked it.

Eventually it will come down the driveway and get gutted.

Then the racks will go in and Maggie's Shop will be open!

Stay tuned!!!

 It will eventually go at the top of the drive in one of these locations.

 Coming back down the driveway.

 The fiber flock.

Upcycled Sweater Mittens (with Printable Pattern!)

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/upcycled-sweater-mittens-plus-pattern.aspx

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/images/media/pdfs/kidsmittens_RD.pdf

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/images/media/pdfs/adultmittens_RD.pdf

Prevent Meningeal Worms in Your Herd

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/prevent-meningeal-worms.aspx

How to Shear Sheep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_shearing

http://www.wikihow.com/Shear-a-Sheep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZl11JSyE2I

http://www.fiberfarm.com/2012/03/how-to-undress-a-sheep-in-five-steps

http://www.sheep101.info/shearing.html

http://www.sheep101.info/201/shearing.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u88JkfHx1n4

https://www.premier1supplies.com/img/instruction/41.pdf

How NOT TO Shear Sheep

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/hobby-farms-videos/how-to-shear-sheep.aspx

How to Ply Yarn

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/hobby-farms-videos/how-to-ply-yarn.aspx

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/search.aspx?q=ply+yarn

How to Card Wool

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/how-to-card-wool.aspx

Animal to Acreage Ratio

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/animal-acreage-ratio.aspx

Hay Substitutes for Livestock

Hopefully we won't need to do this yet, but it is good to know.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/hay-substitutes-for-livestock.aspx

How to Create a Farm Newsletter

Not going to happen here, unless I do the farm full-time.... Can not even keep up with blogging. That is because Face Book is easier.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-marketing-and-management/farm-marketing-newsletters.aspx

Goat Farming Business Plan

This is good information for any animal business.


http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-marketing-and-management/goat-farming-business-plan.aspx

Livestock First-aid Kit

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/livestock-first-aid-kit.aspx

http://media.animalnetwork.com/channelmedia/hobbyfarms/HF1011.pdf

Infographic: Butcher's Guide to Meat Cuts

Lamb is NOT mutton.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/food-and-kitchen/meat-cuts-infographic.aspx

Farm Safety Checklist

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/images/pdfs/farm-safety-checklist.pdf

Upcycled Sweater Mittens (with Printable Pattern!)

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/upcycled-sweater-mittens-plus-pattern.aspx

Management Basics for Sheep Owners

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/sheep-management-basics.aspx

Understanding Liver Flukes

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/liver-flukes.aspx

Spinning a Yarn of Your Own

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/spinning-sheep-wool.aspx

Dorset fleece

I know there is a lot of verbage here. This next week I will work on taking pictures and posting them on the blog of our Dorset sheep, their fiber, and our yarns.


http://www.raisingsheep.net/raising-sheep-for-wool.html

About the British Dorset sheep. Same as here.
http://www.holeandsons.com/about-our-poll-dorset-sheep/

A great (British) blog on processing Dorset.
http://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2013/10/cleaning-combing-and-hand-spinning.html

I use HOT water through all of my washes and rinses when washing Dorset. Unlike this blogger. But other than that, we wash the same way.
https://osbornfiber.com/2010/05/21/in-which-i-wash-a-dorset/

More from the same blogger.
https://osbornfiber.com/2010/07/17/on-drum-carding-a-fleece/

The following is from http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/wool.shtml

Down Wools

These are short staple wools; therefore, they are not a good choice for beginning

handspinners. The diameter size of down wools ranges from soft to medium. The soft 

fleeces are used for apparel like socks and fine fabrics. The medium range fleeces are 

suitable for knitted and woven outerwear, longwearing garments, and blankets.

Dorset, Cheviot, Shetland, Suffolk

• Fine to medium texture

• Spiral crimp

• Lofty, spongy, crisp

• 2 - 3 1/2 inches staple length

• Very resilient

• Difficult to spin for beginning handspinners

• Lacks luster, chalky

• Good shape retention

• Not well suited for felting

• Wear resistant

• Spin medium-thick yarn

• Blends well with long wool fiber, to add resilience

Another interesting website. 

http://www.rampishamhillfarm.co.uk/wool-and-raw-fleeces

From 

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn

By Deborah Robson, Carol Ekarius

https://books.google.com/books?id=zkhpXDsi_BwC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=dorset+fleece&source=bl&ots=b1jUnSeFzz&sig=50M6shBqZjh2wn6tYw4yGRRSlQA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGufW_o-TKAhUFChoKHezLAF44FBDoAQgbMAA#v=onepage&q=dorset%20fleece&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ie1SqUIjtZIC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=dorset+fleece&source=bl&ots=rQPPhImZ2-&sig=fQAxo28xsW-QVpG-1QJrk5KqkLY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGufW_o-TKAhUFChoKHezLAF44FBDoAQgkMAI#v=onepage&q=dorset%20fleece&f=false

Dorset sheep

We raise primarily Horned Dorset sheep here at Ewe & I Farm. We've had polled Dorset in the past, we lost our last ewe this summer. We do have a couple of Romney, but the majority of the flock is split between Horned Dorset and Horned Dorset (Dorset)  X Romney crosses.

This is the original Dorset sheep from England, called Dorset Horn.
 http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/dorset-horn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorset_Horn

The main reason we raise Horned Dorset sheep is to help get them off the American Rare Breeds Conservancy's Conservation Priority Watchlist. Plus, I love the docile nature of the Dorset and the fact that they are easy lambers and great mothers.
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-breeds/others-profiles/dorset-2.aspx

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Dorset_Sheep_km. Edition Date – 8/10/2006. Researched and written by the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo Education Volunteers. 
http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/DorsetSheep.pdf

http://www.raisingsheep.net/dorset.html

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/dorset

http://dorsets.homestead.com/

http://www.sheep101.info/breedsD-F.html The following was taken from this site.

Dorset
(Horned and Polled)

Dorsets are best known for their ability to produce a lamb crop any time during the year. History tells us that centuries ago when Spain wished to conquer England, Merino sheep were brought into southwest England and crossed with the Horned Sheep of Wales. The result was a desirable, all-purpose sheep that spread over Dorset, Somerset, Devon and most of Wales.

The first Horned Dorsets were brought to the United States in 1885. In 1948, a dominant gene for polledness occurred resulting in Polled Dorsets which are now popular in the farm flock states. Dorset ewes are prolific, heavy milkers that produce lambs with moderate growth and maturity that yield heavy muscled carcasses.

Breed categories: medium wool, meat

Distribution: Worldwide