Why I Love North Ronaldsay Sheep

I have two North Ronaldsay sheep - Bobble in the photo above, and Mitten in the one below. They're both wethers and were the first sheep I owned, they're 10 years old now.

I'd always wanted sheep and saw these at a local RBST farm. One followed me all the way around wanting a fuss, so I was smitten. North Ronaldsay's are the sheep that famously were walled out on the island and survived by eating seaweed. After several generations on the mainland the need for seaweed in the diet ceases though so no need to worry about regular beach forages!

They're brilliant, tough, hardy characters and I just love them. Bobble actually had an operation for bladder stones aged two, and recovered amazingly. Obviously I spend a lot of time with my sheep so they're very tame. They are just lovely characters to be with, Ronaldsay's are always amazingly individual, and quite fiercely so. Tends to blow the "people are like sheep" thing out of the water, Ronaldsay's are more uniquely individual than most people I know!

As a spinner Ronaldsay fleeces are variable. Bobble's is very fine, whereas Mitten felts in a puff of wind and rain, so we use it for slug repellent. I did have a third sheep who I sadly lost some years ago and his fleece was completely different again, with a lovely long staple length. For fibre purposes a small flock would produce a lovely variety of yarns.

I also have two commercial mule sheep and much as I love them I far prefer the little native sheep. In terms of food they can survive on relatively poor grazing, with a bit of additional hay and hard feed, and they're really resilient little sheep. Albeit mine are spoiled and run for shelter in any adverse weather conditions! I think it's a shame we don't see more of them about - they're in the vulnerable category on the RBST watchlist. I'd certainly say if you're looking to start out with a few sheep and you can find a breeder they're an excellent sheep to have.

Climate, anxiety and depression - a post from the heart

Sometimes I feel like I can't bear to open my eyes and look at the world because I'm so deeply ashamed to be a human being and worried about what's going on. Much as I try to believe in the goodness and humanity in people I am finding it hard to hold onto that faith right now. I think most of the scientific community, barring those who've received a nice sum of money from the fossil fuel barons, agree about climate change. I certainly would never call myself any kind of expert, some of my degree was about planetary science, but like a growing number I feel climate change has probably been vastly underestimated and will be quicker than people think. There are an awful lot of people thinking "it won't happen in my lifetime" who are probably going to be surprised, and not pleasantly so. We actually live below sea level here so I'm very aware of our vulnerability. But it's not just about me, I feel very powerless when I read of people in other part...

How I Wash Fleeces for Spinning

I use some of the fleeces from my sheep to spin into yarn, and through a process of trial and error have come up with a preparation process that works for me. I don't like to over complicate things, so try and keep preparation to a minimum. I sort the locks into baskets, making sure I keep all the tips and cut ends aligned, this helps save time later on. I arrange them in layers until the baskets are full. I do three baskets at a time to save on water. I then put two buckets in the bath and fill with hot water, it has to be as hot as you can as that helps the lanolin come out. Have them both the same temperature to avoid felting. One bucket just has a squeeze of ordinary washing up liquid in it. I'm not looking to scour the fleece completely, I just like it clean enough to be able to spin. I try to keep some lanolin in there as I don't see the point of removing it all then having to spray oil back on the help spinning. I submerge a basket in the soapy water for a...

When sheep go rogue - The hidden dangers of sheep

Most people think of sheep as docile woolly creatures that hang around in fields. I think the consensus among the general public is sheep eat grass and lay down, and that's all they do. Well sheep are surprisingly characterful and are actually very boisterous things, both amongst themselves and with you. I am frequently covered in various bruises, feeding times I'm basically a human skittle. Get in amongst sheep with a bag of food and you'll know about it. Willow has terrible spatial awareness issues and has frequently hit the back of my legs with the force of a truck trying to get to the food. Put it this way, they won't stand on ceremony. The smaller varieties of sheep will also jump up, it's not been uncommon for me to be wandering about with muddy hoof prints on my bum. And they will quite often ask for attention, or a scratch, in the only way they know how, which is a friendly butt. A friendly butt is uncomfortable and non friendly one bloody hurts. Mit...

A Little Cottage in the Country

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