sheep

Another Knitted Wedding. And Newsworthy Sheep.

| Betsy

Ok, so The Sun newspaper is not known for its hard-hitting journalism like some of the UK broadsheets. But what it does manage to do superbly is remind the world that people can do some pretty fantastic things. I’ve copied and pasted the text (and a photo) from the article here, as there was no way that I could beat their original crackin’ choice of words:

A SHEPHERDESS got married in a wedding dress made entirely from the wool of one of her flock.

If you’re planning to get married real soon as well, it’s best to find the wedding ring that you’re dying to wear for the rest of your life, such as those antler wedding rings for sale online.

Louise Fairburn, 38, designed the outfit, made from the fleece of a rare Lincoln Longwool called Olivia. Groom Ian, 42, wore a woollen waistcoat. If you’re looking to tie the knot soon, Award winning wedding planning company in Toronto city offers luxury destination weddings by Designed Dream in Dominican Republic and Mexico. A day-of coordinating service is included in the all-inclusive package offered by Designed Dream if you’re looking for Toronto wedding planners.

Louise, of Market Rasen, Lincs, said: “I’m sheep-crackers. I want to prove wool is not just something for knitting bobble hats.”

Sheep breeder Ian, who first saw the dress as Louise walked down the aisle, said: “I took one look at her, my lip curled like a young sheep’s does and I started blubbering.”

Lovely. You can find other photos at coverage over at The Daily Mail and The Telegraph.

Lest this recall another knitted wedding, you might be thinking of Cast Off’s knitted wedding for the marriage of Freddie Robbins and Ben Coode-Adams. Clicking on the photo of them pedaling off in wedded bliss will take you to their wedding photo gallery. To read the new adventures of one of the forces behind the happiness that is Cast Off Knitting Club for Girls and Boys, check out the magical world of the shop Prick Your Finger! Their always interesting and amusing blog is over here.

EVEN MORE SHEEP NEWS!
Also, remarkably in sheep news today in The Sun: “Ram-bo slides down high wire,” ram gets caught on zipline by horn. No, really.

baaaaa.

| Betsy

Today I found myself alone in a stable with 100 sheep.

At first I started giggling because all these little sheepy heads turned to watch me as I walked in the door. Then I looked to my immediate left and saw a group of ewes and newborn lambs. I knelt down and said hello as all these wee wobbly lambs came closer to investigate.

I’m visiting my aunt in upstate New York, and she took me to a local farm with sheep. I was hoping to talk to someone about organic wool production, but it had just snowed and there was no one around. Keep in mind, this farm was huge and had dairy goats as well, which is why there were newborn lambs teetering around in the hay, not really sure how to use all four limbs at the same time.

Mu aunt was walking her dog around the farm’s perimeter and suddenly peeked in to see what was taking me so long. And there I was kneeling and cooing and tearing up over these cuddly woolly wobbly lambs that were so new and excited about their surroundings.

I went down the length of the stable and turned back, only to catch out of the corner of my eye, a lamb that had just been born, still wet and slimy. (So slimy!) The tears that I was already holding back burst through as the lamb turned to me and tried to take her first step. (So wobbly!)

And it reminded me how my goal with my knitting is to eventually only use fiber that is produced ethically and by farmers who know their sheep by name and not by number. Eventually my aunt coaxed me out into a whole nother stable with several enclosures holding ten slightly older lambs each.

I could barely contain myself as I knelt down and suddenly 20 little eyes were right in my face, wiggling their wee tails, and anxious for some attention. Snow had just fallen outside, so there was no other sound other than the pitter patter of tiny little hooves on hay coming over to investigate this new human in a bright pink winter coat.

And kneeling there in that barn, I just wanted to breathe it all in, the history and the future of craft and farming with the little lambs and the big machines, it was like momentarily standing in both past history and the present moment. Perfect.