We have a beautiful flock of Shetland and Hebridean sheep which graze on the land of the Dyfed Permaculture Farm Trust and form an integral part of the land management.
We aim to manage the sheep as naturally as possible, using pasture management, vigilance during risk seasons and herbal medicines to manage / prevent common sheep ailments such as internal parasites, foot problems and fly strike. This also benefits the flora and fauna, allowing a greater diversity of plants to flower and avoiding the damaging effects of anthilmintics on invertebrates (Dr Sarah Beynon is doing interesting work in this regard. Here is a link to one of her research papers and this is her website.)
Recently, we clubbed together with two other local smallholders to get enough fleeces to be spun at our local Woollen Mill, Curlew Weavers
I am really pleased with the results, which can be seen in the pictures below. The fawn shade is Shetland wool, while the dark shade is mostly Black Welsh Mountain, with some dark Shetland and Hebridean wool to soften it.
I have been enjoying experimenting with a bit of colour knitting, where the contrast in the colours is very effective.
We have more yarn then we require for ourselves and are offering the surplus for sale. The yarn is double knitting weight and costs £8.50 for a 100g hank. See this page on the Scythe Cymru website.
It is hard to accurately reflect the colours and feel of a yarn in a photograph. If you would like a sample, please send a stamped addressed envelope to this address and I will send you a sample of each colour.
And if you fancied learning how to add a bit of extra colour to the pale shade, we have a Natural Dyeing Workshop at the Trust in August.