Sheepy talk

Today was the monthly meeting of my local Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers. We had a talk from a lady who not only keeps her own sheep, amongst other animals, but judges sheep at shows, teaches at the local tec on animal husbandy and whose husband is a freelance shepherd.

Despite not being a spinner or knitter herself she was quite aware of spinners' needs, though she acknowledged these are at odds with the needs of the sheep. Free range is best for sheep rather than keeping them indoors, but gives us spinners lots of work in preparing fleece with bits of grass and burrs in. She implored us all to wear as much wool as possible. The price of selling fleece to the Wool Marketing Board doesn't even cover the cost of shearing them. Thankfully primitive sheep fleeces do not have to be sold to the WMB as they can be exempt.

As usual the other Guild members were in jolly mood. I'm the youngest there but age is immaterial with a shared interest.