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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Yarn Along...Without The Actual Yarn, Just The Book

I don't have any knitting or spinning to talk about this week, but I've been dying (do any other fiber people have trouble spelling that word? Dying/dyeing...) to share my new favorite book, so I'm going to count yarn being grown for an upcoming Yarn Along - next year ;-).

I've been following Herdwick Shepherd on Twitter for a couple years now.  Twitter is fun and easy. Really!  If you haven't given it a try, Herwick Shepherd and Zwartbles Ireland alone are good enough reasons to do so.  I have learned so many interesting things and seen so many beautiful places with just a picture and 140 characters.

My own Twitter feed is like a miniature blog.  I post pictures of Liddy and sometimes other stuff like beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the cats working hard, the sheep out grazing and I'll also re-tweet anything I think someone else would be interested in, like beautiful sunrises and sunsets, cats actually working hard and sheep out grazing...in other countries. Sometimes it's just something that made me laugh, which is just as important :-D. 

Earlier this year...or maybe it was the end of last year...we started hearing about a book coming out by Herdwick Shepherd.  I've so enjoyed his gorgeous photographs of his sheep, dogs, countryside, lambs, rams, sheep shows...that I couldn't wait!  It was released over there (he's in northern England) months before it was to be released here.  Argh!  

Some copies started trickling in over here early and Auntie Reg grabbed one for me.  I was surprised to find it was a "written" book.  I was expecting more of a coffee table book full of pictures.  Still, his written Twitter posts are quite entertaining as well as informative, so I eagerly opened it up.  I was hooked on the first page.

I like my bottle lambs to have as normal a life as possible.  They stay with me throughout the day and we try spend a lot of time outside "grazing".  Some, like Liddy, love to curl up next to me and take long naps just like they would if they were with their real mom.  I grab a good book and go find a shady tree and let them be lambs.  

"Come on, Liddy.  Let's go read about raising sheep in a part of the world where sheep have been raised for thousands of years!"  The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks.


Here we're reading it for the first time.  Liddy (two weeks old) slept through most of it, but we're used to that by now ;-).


I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I finished it, I started it back over to catch what I'd missed the first time.  Liddy gave it another try, too, but once again...


Three weeks old.



If I hadn't loaned my copy to a friend, we could get a five week old picture, too :-D.  I could totally read it a third time.  


This is just a sweet picture I found while I was looking back from the book pictures.  I don't have many pictures of Liddy because other than a moment here and there when she's gone off to investigate something, she's always right by my side.  Such a sweet lambie.  A perfect reading companion.  I'm guessing she'd be good at knitting, too.  Now that the festival is over, maybe we'll find out for next week!

Joining in with Ginny...




21 comments:

Amanda said...

Oh your lambie is making me so homesick. I wish lambies could just stay little forever. I too, find that Twitter and Instagram (for me) are like mini-blogs and sometimes I let them keep me from blogging regularly. So easy to let life speed up and whiz by.

Leslie said...

I follow those two accounts on Twitter also (and you, of course) and need to get my hands on that book. Liddy is just adorable, and never more so than when sound asleep.

Deb W said...

I don't do Twitter, so thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'm SURE you know this, but since this person is all about Herdwick sheep, and lives in the Lake District........ the first thing I thought of was Beatrix Potter, how after she stopped writing her books, kept a home (and bought many farms) in the Lake District, became an honored Herdwick breeder (preserver of the breed?) and how I learned much of that from Susan Branch.... who also does handwritten books. Weird where that stream-of-consciousness thing takes you! I don't know if Susan Branch is your thing, but I would highly recommend her (handwritten) book - http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Romance-Falling-English-Countryside/dp/0984913661

Adorable photos of Liddy! In the 3-weeks ones, her markings make it look like she has a tiny tear coming out of her eye. No way that would be true though. I'm sure she has a very happy life!!!

Lisa W said...

Just got my copy of The Shepherd's Life a couple of days ago and looking forward to reading it even if Liddy won't be here to snuggle. Currently listening to the Gilead 'trio' of books - love the narrators and the stories.

Michaele said...

That is as close to heaven on earth as it gets!

Sarah said...

Your pictures are like balm to my heart. I have never had sheep but my husband and I are discussing whether to get a couple goats or sheep and seeing these pictures, who wouldn't lean toward sheep? :) My little girl (age 5) is named Lyddie so of course I connected with your darling. I have been following the Herdwick Shepherd for a few weeks now on Instagram but haven't really gotten into Twitter but now I am really considering it!

farm buddy said...

Kate is looking great!

Cheryl West said...

By reading your tweets I started to follow the herdyshepherd and now have the book. It is wonderful and I am so happy that it is such a success. It brings back memories of my childhood in Ohio on my grandfather's farm (no sheep but lots of other farm animals). Enjoy your days reading with Liddy.

Susan said...

Already reading it..........had to take a break and go see Mad Max: Fury Road a 128 min car chase/demolition derby with the coolest cars on the planet! OK, WAY off the subject :) but LOVE that book and of course the fleece which is as Norman Kennedy said...CARPET WARP! But as you know I spun and knitted a sweater with it anyway and LOVE it.

Terry and Linda said...

So now I'm heading over to see the book and the tweets!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer

sophy0075 said...

I had read about Mr Rebanks's book from another website and watched some of his YouTubes. So his book is now available in the US? I am glad that shepherds around the world will have an erudite and informative voice to describe the challenges they face, as well as the joys. I recall Mr Rebanks stating in one interview the prejudice he encountered at Oxford (or was it Cambridge?) because of his farming background.

I am so busy with so much other Internet stuff, I don't dare do Twitter - I'd never get anything else done.

As for Miss Liddy, what a little sweetie she continues to be! After the challenge of Maisie, you deserve a peaceful, non-insane little girl!

Lisa Smith said...

I, too, signed up for Twitter because of you and also found the Herdwick Shepherd. Thank you for steering me in the direction of other shepherds and shepherdesses that tweet as well. I'm looking forward to getting that new book. Are there any other books you would recommend, such as Catherine Friend's Sheepish? Or Jenna Woginrich? I've just begun reading Jenna's "Cold Antler Farm". Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge of all things sheep! I appreciate it so very much.

T.L. Merrybard said...

Oooh I've added it to my wishlist! Can't wait!

thecrazysheeplady said...

Rebanks refers to her frequently in his book and one of her books in particular. I've added those to my list :-).

thecrazysheeplady said...

I only follow a few really good "tweeters" as I too don't have time. And there are days upon days that I never get over to check :-(.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Let's do a post on sheep books and see what's out there we may have missed :-D.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Lovely photo of Kate and Liddy:)

Bonnie K said...

Great photos. Life is better with a companion at your feet.

Suzan said...

Sooo adorable of your new Baby Liddy!!
Going through and catching up with your happenings!!

Vermont Grand View Farm said...

My sheep dog trainer just told me about The Shepherd's Life today. I need to get a copy of it!

Vermont Grand View Farm said...

My sheep dog trainer just told me about The Shepherd's Life today. I need to get a copy of it!

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