Meet Lewis

Recently, my folks went raspberry picking at a nearby raspberry patch.  They brought home a glorious car-full of berries to make jam with, and they also met the owners of the patch who happen to also raise a small herd of Icelandic sheep.  I was curious to know what they looked like (the sheep, that is), so I looked up Icelandic sheep on Wikipedia and discovered that they are "a mid-sized breed, generally short legged and stocky, with face and legs free of wool."  Would you like to see the picture that was on Wikipedia? (original source here)



Aren't they gorgeous, smart looking creatures?  I love the expression in their eyes!  The owners of the raspberry patch use the wool from their sheep and lambs to make yarn and felted and embroidered cloth.  The yarn is un-dyed and shows the natural color of the lambs (speckled grey, beige, light brown).  Would you like to see some?  Would you like to meet Lewis the lamb who generously donated his woolly coat for this gorgeous and luxurious ball of yarn?

I'd like to introduce you to Lewis the Lamb:

The wool is so soft and the fibers are so fine that it feels like spiderwebs clinging together! 

And the great part is that little Lewis the Lamb is still alive and happy and growing his hair back while he enjoys being out in the open at the raspberry patch!  Soon he will be Louie 'da Ram, and his hair will be quite different, but for now, he is a soft and beautiful little guy!

I'm really looking forward to learning how to work with lamb's wool and perhaps even felt it and then do some overlay embroidery with different wools- I can't wait to make something beautiful from little Lewis's contribution!