Snow and Sheep

It's been snowing here, off and on...and quite often, if we get snow, it melts the next day! But every time I see those fluffy white flakes, I get this earworm stuck in my head - I absolutely adore White Christmas, so I honestly don't mind!

I think that knitters, crocheters, spinners, and the like are somehow pre-programmed to love snow, or at least to look forward to chillier temps. There is something so deeply comforting about crafting items that not only beautify our worlds, but also keep us and our loved ones warm. But I have loved snow and winter since I was a kid - long before I was bit by the fiber bug! I grew up in Boise where we actually had big winters when I was young, then after college, I lived for 4 years in Montana - and man, the winters there are awesome! Since moving to Moscow 20 years ago, we've seen mild winters and heavy winters, and right now we're in a mild-winter cycle, unfortunately. But mild still means chilly temperatures and opportunities to enjoy handknit sweaters...like the one I just FINISHED!

My apologies to my Ravelry friends who have seen this sweater over and over again...but I just can't get over how perfectly it fits, how snuggly soft and warm it is, and how lightweight it is!  It's made from Elsebeth Lavold's SensuAL yarn, which is baby alpaca with a smidge of polymide - I can't recommend this yarn enough! The pattern, Unn, is from her book, Viking Knits & Ancient Ornaments, and I am looking forward to making more from this lovely volume!

In the above pic, you can see a few white streaks across the sweater - those are snowflakes! And I'm sure you can see the sheepy face photobombing said picture - Black Velvet is my little shadow! No matter where I go outside, she's always right behind me. This particular snowstorm lasted for several hours, and although some melted the next day, we got hit with some seriously cold temps, so there is still quite a bit on the ground:

A couple of weeks ago, we got enough snow that the tree branches were weighted down enough for the sheep to reach leaves they couldn't previously reach - that was a very wet, but very good day for the sheep!

Today, however, we have sunshine, temps in the 20s, and snow on the ground in places - it really is lovely, and the sheep enjoy basking in the sun, absorbing the rays into their wool!

It still surprises me that the sheep are doing as well as they are in the cold - I know, I know...they're Icelandics! But seeing them in the snow makes me feel a wee bit guilty about their beautiful fleeces that are in bags in my craft room! However, I know that if they were only sheared once per year, they would be miserable - by the time they were sheared in the spring, the fleece would be dragging the ground and covered in all sorts of mess...they are much happier getting haircuts twice a year! However, because of the cold, they do need more calories in the winter time, so they get sweet livestock feed first thing in the morning, and veggies in the afternoon - I slice up carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, and radishes, and they absolutely adore all of these! Their bowls are out in their pasture, and they know that when I bring a big metal bowl from the house, something is going to go in them that they're gonna love!

And their hay feeder needs filling everyday, sometimes more than once - I can't quite describe the satisfaction of having a barn full of hay, Readers. Even if it's a small barn that only holds 14 bales, it's a wonderful feeling to know that there is food for my sheep to last a good long time. And seeing their happy sheepy faces totally makes my day!

The other thing sheep (and all creatures) need is water - and yes, the temps have dropped to the point where it was time to get a water-tank-warmer. They have a bucket that is refilled everyday and night inside their barn, and that was staying unfrozen because of being inside - however, with the drop in temps, even that one is freezing, so their big tank now has a heater in it:

My dear husband put the heater in the tank today - not that it was something I couldn't do myself, but he had to find an extension cord for it and then secure the cord inside the barn to keep it from being nibbled upon - in case I don't mention this enough, I am so grateful for having the good-natured husband that I have!

Well, dear Readers, that is all I have for now...I am loving the snow, the winter temps, the sheep (shocking, I know), and doing lots of knitting and spinning. And being grateful, as always, for our home!