 |
| Border Leicester - rabbit ears and a Roman nose! |
It's three years since our last visit and the show is bigger than ever. So big, in fact, we had a hard job trying to locate the livestock! My feelings about this type of show haven't much changed since my last visit and, to me, it seems a shame that a major focus of an 'agricultural' show has become such a peripheral event. Still, the sun was shining and, when we finally managed to find our way to the livestock area, there was plenty to see.
I know that if and when we actually do decide to get some sheep, they will be kept purely for their fleece and not for meat as I have a fearsome fibre habit. Recently I've been trying out some different pure breed yarns for various knitting projects including Jacob, Blue-faced Leicester, Gotland, Shetland and Ryeland to name but a few. My favourite fleece for dyeing and knitting is Blue-faced Leicester, but they all have their different qualities. I like naturally coloured yarns too and here the Jacob has the distinct advantage of producing three colours from one animal: white, dark brown/black and grey (arrived at by combining the brown and white fleece together). I'm working my way through a mountain of Jacob fleece at the moment kindly donated by a friend and, whilst it's not the finest fleece in the world, it's quite pleasant to work with. Gotland is another favourite - it has a lovely lustre and a silky feel and comes in a range of lovely grey shades.
Well, that's the fleece. What about the animals themselves? I must admit, although I like the cute teddy bear Ryeland sheep, I find myself more drawn to the primitive type of breeds, like the Shetland. The Shetland is a small, compact breed that makes them easier to handle (although it can also make them better at escapology) and they come in a range of different colours, black, white, grey, moorit and many shades in between. Shetland wool is also generally accepted to be one of the finest of any UK breed, so these guys are currently at the top of my wish list.
Naturally I made a quick visit to the DGWSD tent. Although I'm not a member, I like to see what they're up to. This lady was spinning up some rather nice looking Romney fleece. Glad to see they've ditched the mob caps!
