Purplequeenvt in 2025

[purplequeenvt]

Well, once again, it’s been a while. I’m still alive, just not a lot of time/energy for extra stuff.

My 2024 shawl got Best of Show at the VT fair


I entered a few skeins of yarn, unexpectedly sold 2 of them for a good price.




I started spinning the yarn for my 2025 shawl while in VT at the fair. The fiber is 55% Border Leicester wool from my ram, Bruno, and 45% mohair from a local angora goat.


I finished spinning the yarn in November.




I decided to shake things up a little and dye the yarn this year.


I was way ahead of schedule this time and finished the whole project in February.




My next project will probably be Shetland/alpaca. I bought a whole alpaca fleece at a sheep and wool festival.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Pretty sure I posted about my new Shetland ram, Triton. He’s looking good. He got all his ewes bred and his first lambs arrived a couple weeks ago.


I’m growing out 2 of the Shetland rams from last year. Twin brothers. This one is a keeper, for now. His brother is decent, but not what I’m wanting.


The lady I bought Triton from contacted me a couple months ago to see if I was interested in any of her sheep. Her husband had a stroke and she needed to cut back. I made a trip to her last week (5.5hrs each way) and brought home 2 ewes and a yearling ram. She gave them to me. Registration papers and all. There’s some other ewes she wants me to take later this spring after they’ve lambed.

The ewes, Edith and Meadow.


I don’t have pictures of Snap, the new boy, yet. His introduction to the rest of the boys did not go well so he’s in his own little pen in the ram barn until he gets confident enough to deal with the bullies. He’s solid dark brown (moorit) with a soft, really fine fleece.

 

[purplequeenvt]

We got a lot of rain followed by several inches of snow a few weeks ago. The ponds at the corner of my property and my sister/BIL’s driveway overflowed. The driveway was 24” underwater. I may have taken that paddle boat across the pond the first day. I used it as road block for the rest of the time.











Of course my sister, BIL, and niece went on a 2.5 week vacation to FL for some herding trials a few days before this happened.

To further complicate things, their Jersey calved a few days before they left town so she needed to be milked 2x/day.

She’s Jersey/Highland


So flooding that didn’t go down for a week, we had an arctic blast blow through right after all the rain and froze everything up, and milking 2x/day. We survived, but I told them they’d better get back before their sheep started lambing because I didn’t think I’d survive that too.

 

[purplequeenvt]

I have a new cat. My sister found her and her sister in the middle of our road and dropped them off with me. They were terribly sick and scrawny little things. They were both treated for ear mites, URI, and worms.

I ended up putting the littler, sicker sister down a few weeks later. She crashed hard, stopped eating, and couldn’t make it to the litter box. The vet said it was highly likely that she had FIP (something I was already keeping an eye out for).

There is a treatment now, but it can be expensive and this particular vet office hasn’t treated any FIP kitties.

The bigger sister didn’t appear sick, but there were subtle symptoms. A little lethargic, she couldn’t/wouldn’t jump on things that a normal kitten would be. The main symptom for her was a huge swollen belly. That is one of the symptoms of FIP, fluid/ascites in the abdomen.

I was able to source the medication for a lot less than I was expecting. Her swollen belly was gone within a week and her energy levels spiked almost immediately. She’s completed her 12 weeks of meds and her last lab work was perfect.

She’s an absolutely ridiculous creature. Basically a dog. She’s extremely attached to me, follows me around like a puppy (she’s currently on my lap), and begs for snacks in the kitchen.

Judy

 

[purplequeenvt]

Oskar obviously had a terribly night last night.






He’s a handsome doofus

 

[purplequeenvt]

The Shetlands started the 2025 lambing season off with some gorgeous lambs.

Evil Twin #1 - black gulmoget ram


Evil Twin #2 - black gulmoget ewe


Fawn katmoget ram


Sweet twin #1 - fawn gulmoget/katmoget ewe


Sweet twin #2 - moorit ewe


Gray Katmoget ewe


The rest of the ewes are due to start any minute.

I put 21 ewes in with the rams last fall. 2 didn’t settle, but the 2 new ewes are bred.

 

[SageHill]

Love the updates! And OMG your new sheep look fabulous and those lambs - way too cute. Makes me think those lil guys might be fun to have!

 

[Baymule]

I’m so glad you are back. I always enjoy your posts and the beautiful things you make from your sheep. The 2 new girls are quite lovely and they have a good home with you. It doesn’t surprise me that your shawl took Best of Show, it truly is a work of art.

The yarns you made are beautiful and the colored shawl is so pretty. Your talent is amazing. The angora and wool blend looks like cotton candy! I bet it is so soft. Can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Oskar, my favorite. He’s all grown up now and on the job. He sure has made a handsome dog.

What a mess you had while your sister and family were gone! What a blessing you are to them! Has the pond ever flooded the driveway before?

Don’t disappear again!

 

[Mini Horses]

So glad you found some time for us again

As always, your items are AWESOME!!! It's a privilege to see them. That flooding -- boo!!. The sheep are gorgeous. Lucky freebies...

 

[murphysranch]

I cannot gush enough about the quality of your yarn and your creations. Its like that shawl was made by an angel. Soooooo pretty!!