A Blanket From Sheep to Finished Project Crocheted by Sandi !

Back in the “ olden days” when we had sheep.  This is Tia and her lamb.  One of our favorite sheep with lots of personality. 

We had a mixture of breeds but all had some Romney in them.  An English breed that has long wool and very tasty meat!  Perfect for the rainy Terrace climate as the wool didn’t part along the backbone so the sheep remained dry and warm.

Me in my younger days showing sheep at the Smither’s fall fair.  Friend Sheri caught me wrestling this unruly lamb around.  That’s our daughter Erika on the left and friend Trudy Rafuse on the right. 

We had a mixture of breeds but all had some Romney in them.  An English breed that has long wool and very tasty meat!  Perfect for the rainy Terrace climate as the wool didn’t part along the backbone so the sheep remained dry and warm.  These are old pictures from a photograph album at home that our daughter Erika took a snap of with her cell phone and sent to me.  Ah technology!

Do you think they know I’m taking their picture?  Note the very distinctive Romney forlock.

Daughter Krista with her 4H project back in 1985.

Eric shearing with hand shears. 

Nice job and a beautiful fleece. 
What I don’t have pictures of is Eric completing the rest of the process.  After shearing he ran the wool through a picker, then a carding machine,  spun it on a wheel, put it onto a lazy kate and then through a ball winder to turn the wool into the most beautiful yarn.  He was an excellent spinner and won prizes for his wool at the Skeena Valley fall fair.  Now….what to do with all the yarn.  Well…I’m not a knitter although I have done some.  At one point when Eric was working outside climbing poles in the winter for B.C. Tel he decided he needed warmer socks.  As a boy his Gramma Tycho had taught him how to knit socks so he decided if he wanted warm feet he’d better knit them himself instead of waiting for me!  Our friend Lena helped him turn the heel and also knit a double heel.  Pretty talented man!  At the same time he was working full time (as was I) and both of us were busy with the farm.  Busy days.

Last winter I mentioned to our friend Sandi in Mazatlan that I had all this wool at home.  She said “ I’ll crochet you something if you want, just bring it along.”  Swell!  Eric and I are both fans of lap blankets in the evening when we are watching TV.  I have one beautiful one that my friend Trudy wove for me on her loom.  It was a present for my 65th birthday.  This one would be for Eric since he processed the raw product into yarn. 

Here you can see Sandi working on the blanket which is being done in natural undyed wool from our chocolate brown and white sheep. 

Many, many hours of crocheting.

It turned out to be quite a project as the blanket had to be long enough for Eric and…the wool when crocheted became a very heavy blanket.

You can see the wool has been made into a ball which you can easily pull from the center.

Once the blanket was the right size Sandi crocheted a decorative edge on it.

A heavy blanket that Sandi had to fold up as she worked as it was so warm.

The finished project which I brought to Tuesday cards so the ladies could see it.  Just beautiful and a labor of love from one friend to another….thanks so much Sandi!
This blanket is special and will become a family heirloom that both daughters will likely want!