Hello

I'm a bit of a surprise for everyone.... I was born yesterday on a lovely sunny day so I've been called "Sunshine".....  

My mum stayed in the shelter of the barn with all the other sheep in March, and became very good friends with Choccy, when she was expected to lamb.. but nothing happened then... 

....its because something had happened in February when she was waiting to come in from the fields... rather than in October when it was planned....
Oopps.. she didn't tell anybody........ and even when she was sheered she didn't let on....... so when our tea was brought over yesterday she was looking very smug and I was hiding behind her.......... Boo!  here I am... and I'm very cute!!

Now the other day I was talking about a family sitting on Wests Burton's village cross C1900... and I mentioned this to a friend and fellow maker, Elaine Dobbing... she has lived in the village a great deal longer that I.... and was't certain but thought that the cross was a "Market Cross" and had a village guide that was published in 1987 so that we could check.... I have it here and she's right...

West Burton dates back a thousand years..... and (I quote) in its hay-day over a century ago was a busy cattle and "craft" centre for Bishopdale and Walden.. (there must be something here that touches all we crafters!!.... in the water perhaps!) The Market Cross is its centrepiece, of what was a thriving market town, and with it's stocks and bull ring....  and had many shops and markets and fairs... There we are..... I knew that it was important to the dales at one point.. and that it supported three pubs, not just the one that we now frequent... and that it had a garage at one point...... but there is so much more...I'm going to read on...

Of course the village and surrounding communities still support a school here, and we have a thriving Chapel and Village Hall.......... there are still several business's here too... Moorside Cats, the cat pottery as we know it... Smithy Antiques where Elaine sells all her collectables and furniture.. The Village Store and Cafe which is open 7 days a week.. always useful to know... David Hartle the Butcher... one of the last remaining...... The Fox and Hounds public house and B & B...... loads of holiday lets that you can access through Country Hideaways and Cottage in the Dale.... and of course us...... the newest addition to this perfectly beautiful village... Fabric of the Field.. on Front Nook before you turn up the the green........ selling crafts of every variety from the region... I didn't realise it was quite so apt!!..... do come and have a wander round... You'll love it!

We took 9 ewes in total up to a new field in North Walden... we know the owner of the house and field and he wanted some sheep to graze it down and make use of all the lovely herbage.... so some spained mums and a couple of sheerings went up in 3 lots over the last 10 days

We are going out to dinner tonight and Nigel was worrying about them not being checked today..... so after feeding my gang I jumped in the car to pop over and put his mind at rest.....

I pulled up... got out of the car and started counting as I walked up the garden and into the field..... hang on a minute I thought..... 8 were on there way down.. at some pace, but the last hung back.... there were another little set of legs in behind those of the ewe....... 

Surprise surprise...... our latest arrival... a bit late on the scene but none the less up and running and suckling like mad...... I've called him "sunshine" and what a bonny lamb he is!!...... pics to follow later!

I've had the most lovely children in the shop today.. they must have all been under 7 years old..... and they wanted to know what I was doing..... 

I explained my loo, to them.. describing how warp threads are strung in one direction.... how the shafts are lifted to make the shed in the threads and then how the shuttle is passed through the gap, called the weft thread and how this is beaten in a nice straight line to make the combination  turn into fabric...

We also had a good look at how a spinning wheel could be used to make the yarn from the wool fibre that we get from the sheep........ 

They were so intrigued and listened intently... good as gold.... they were lovey!!

I showed them the cushions that I'd made for the shop.... which you can see here...... they are made from my own wool, ecru and coloured Ryeland, with a combination of natural colours such as Blue faced Leicester, Manx and Shetland....... I love using twills and plaids... and our customers seem to like them too!! ................Happy Days!

Here is West Burton we have a monument, known here as the cross... its a stepped, conical war memorial, and on one side are the village stocks.. still ready for anyone misbehaving or stepping too far out of line..... although I've never seen them used....... (give it time!)

The cross has always been used as a place to sit and rest... possibly eat a picnic...... or drink a pint......view or just to admire the view as it is so central that most of the village can be seen from it......

Today I have had some visitors.. a family... with an old photograph from C1900... it pictures a line of people in victorian dress sitting in a column from the top of the cross to the bottom, with a rather austere lady, an italian great Grandmother perched on the stocks at the bottom.... little else can be seen.....it is known that they came from Bradford..... and it has taken the present day family some time to find where the picture was taken, doing remarkably well to place it at all........ they have visited West Burton today to restage the picture to continue the connection...... and prove the place...

Now they need to find out "why" and "how" their ancestors came to the village... it was quite a distance in those days........ they have left their details and will keep in touch and update me if and when they find out any more information!!
Fascinating! ... if you have any information regarding how or why this may have taken place, please let me know and I'll pass it on....... Thanks!
 

The sound of Giants moving their furniture is echoing all round the dale tonight..... it keeps getting close and then freshens and then back to that unbearable stuffiness again..... its trying to rain.... has a bit of a sprinkle and then changes it's mind..... we could do with a few hours of steady rain if truth be known, just to get the fields and gardens growing again, as they are starting to look a bit burnt in places..... oh come on...... get on with it!!

Melody came walking down the field with a nonchalant swagger this evening.. as though she was doing me an enormous favour..  I waited to give her a stroke... she was followed far too quickly by Jonty who cantered towards me with that bright cheeky look on his face... then the last three called from the pen and came racing with their lovely squiggly bottoms, as they ran at full pelt like only happy lambs can do, pulling some shapes with their back legs flung in the air..... they went straight past me as they were going far to fast...... breaking on their little front legs before skidding to a halt and then burying their heads in my lap... much to Melody's frustration ...... she had walked behind me by this point and started pawing at my back with her chin up the back of my head...... yer.. doing "me" a favour huh.......

Marie from Bishopdale Bags had to do a mercy run with some more stock for me a few days ago...... she has added these lovely Wash bags and Make-up bags to her range recently and they are proving incredibly popular.... there's a great range of Specs cases too.....  do have a look if you fancy!!  Martin from Yorkshire Dales Soap Box had to do the same this morning..... wow we have been busy....... thank you to everyone for ordering from the web site and for calling into the shop in West Burton...... it's just brilliant! 

I've even been selling some of my own cushions...... I promise to photograph the few I have left and post them on the site tomorrow!!

I'm loving my new routine....

I feed the lambs with their breakfast first thing.. and this morning Melody was particularly cuddly.... putting her head on my lap while I stroke her head and massage her back... heaven... until the others come to disturb us... 
This morning after checking for web orders....... I got them packed and then went off the to Post Office... then next I went over to see Rebecca, one half of "@From the Heart Crafts ... who lives in the back end of beyond... All their services are run from sustainable sources.. because there is nothing else they can use... all very "high... low tech" and extremely interesting........ I came home with some beautiful French Style Fabric Baskets....... one of which you can see here... 

On my return there were visitors in the village and I needed to take some pictures for the site so I might as well kill two birds with one stone and opened the shop..........  eventually getting all my jobs done and the site updated...

Now it's time for the lambs tea so I'm off again...Tottie has developed a real sense of humour............Yesterday at teatime....... I sat in the field as usual... with Melody to my right, chewing her cud, Lottie acting as a bolster behind and Megan wedged between my knees zizzing in the warm afternoon...... Tottie came up to play ......... had a stroke from me and then proceeded to play-butt Lottie....... who didn't even bother to get up... then she started on Megan and finally me....... She hasn't got the hang of laying down with us yet... I pat the ground for the others and they sit down.... Tottie thought it meant "eat grass".. she'll be better when we spain her from Millie........ which will be very soon... 

See you later!

After all the excitement of the week, we have all the sheep where they should be.. the weather is cooler so they are all more comfortable and we have had a lovely easy day watching the cricket....... 

Back to normal tomorrow...... with some more products delivered which need to be photographed and put on the web site..... I'll let you know what and when!!.. Karen Busby from @From the Heart Crafts kindly gave me an Ikea shelf unit that was still in its packaging..... so I now have an organised "Post and Packaging" store in the dining room...... very organised!!

A big thank you to all the new customers that have called into the shop this week.... you've all bee very welcome and it's been a pleasure to meet everyone ...... especially the tractor fanatics!!

Have a nice evening in this lovely cooler air!!

Thank Goodness......... its cloudy.... there is some air circulating round all the parts that have been so over heated all week......... like upstairs!!!!

The last lot of sheep are being Clik'd as we speak.. Nigel and I went over to Sunnybank at 10.00 to get them all in....... they follow me with the bucket.. no rounding up required... James came too and I left them to come home and open up the shop...... Clik is a pink solution that is drenched in a line along each sheep's back... it stops fly strike and lasts for 16 weeks I think.. although don't quote me... which covers the horrible months that are just about to come along, when blow flies are so troublesome........ all the lambs that we are keeping get some too......... but the lambs that are going for sale get a spray called Flyaway instead....... (I always get that name mixed up with a type of carrot we grow for some reason.. they take the michael something rotten!) It's sprayed on their bottoms as we can't sell any of the Clik'd sheep until the withdrawal period is over........ Last to be done will be my 5 babies and Millie later today... We'll do it while they're eating their tea and they won't even notice!  

We have taken some spained ewes to a new field at the top end of North Walden.. they re so happy... there is natural spring water, lots of unspoiled herbage and 3 more are joining them this morning.... Mad Hamster's Mum, the Mad Mum who now kisses me ever since I was kind to her in the barn... and a 3rd who also belongs to James........ They'll all mix in as they know each other and will be happy as larry getting nice and healthy for tupping in October... I love it when we are offered more land to use... it helps us and it keeps it eaten down for the owners when they don't keep livestock themselves.. works for everyone!

All the sheep are much happier to be cooler today........ we just need a heavy shower or two to refresh the grass and "job'll be a good 'un!"

Oh dear........ the day came... 

My 5 little poppets who live in the high dependency unit behind the Reading Room didn't know it last night, but it was their last bottle feed...... 

I have a routine which goes something like this... I arrive at roadside gate which leads to the garth, I usually wear waterproof trousers and the rustle alerts the spotter sheep who lets them all know with a certain "ma ma"....... anything that is remotely edible is served up in little white buckets........ the bottles come wrapped in tea towels.. the creep feed in another....... and there is a 3rd which is a top up water source which is usually put into the trailer.... 

The greeting is mutual..... with questions such as "hello... how are we today?".. "what have you been doing" when its obvious they've been up to not good... etc.. Bottles are then shared in a certain pecking order... it makes them wait in line.. the with a call of "Come on" I retrieve the bucket of nuts from the other side of the gate and we walk.. or run and skip to the pen... which lets lambs in and keeps sheep out... where the nuts are evenly spread in the trough for them all to share... Millie the babysitter sheep gets the bucket back with a few left in the bottom.. all very organised and we all know what we are supposed to be doing... when the meal is over the lambs gather round me for a stroke... a preen to pick off any unsightly attachments.... and a big love...... all happy and correct!

This morning we bit the bullet... its time.. Melody is 5 months old...  I missed out the bottles......... oh dear... there was panic and confusion...... we went straight into "come on" as I headed for the trough... I had 5 lambs trying to trip me up and stop me from making a mistake... they all came into the pen with the exception on Jonty who remonstrated with me to put me right..... it took 4 attempts  with repeated "come on's" till he relented..

The cuddles were a most intense affair..... I sat on the upturned crate with 5 lambs heads on my lap vying for attention with desperate looks on all their little faces.. when I walked to the gate.. the entourage came trotting with me.. perhaps the bottles will be dished out now they thought.. she can't be serious Megan said so........ Tottie started to cry...  then went to drink from the water trough.... followed by Melody... Sulking followed.... then as I walked away ....... feeling dreadful....... a chorus of small voices calling up the path behind me from the gate... I didn't turn round..... oh dear.... I'll pop back later and make amends!