Proud owner of Canada’s newest fibre mill, Anna Hunter, says, “There is nothing quite like the feeling of growing, harvesting and processing your very own wool.”
Sheep farmer and mill owner Anna Hunter has been taking photos to document her family’s adventures on the Long Way Homestead
Click to see the photos full-size.
The First Shearing
It was such an honour to witness the first “harvest” of our sheep’s wool, as the shearer gave them all their first “haircut” it felt like all the work was worth it. Picture by Christel Lanthier.
Luke and Sheep
Our work paid off and now the sheep are constantly in our faces for snuggles and cheek rubs.
Frosty Morn
The temperature shifts in November and the sheep are covered in frost every morning as the sun rises, and we offer them their breakfast of hay.
Sheep and Cat
The cats also enjoy hanging out in the pasture with the sheep, and for the most part they really get along.
Grazing
We even graze them next to the house instead of using a fuel-burning lawn mower. This is my view as I do the dishes on a summer evening.
Wool Check
Progress check to see the quality of our wool. Staple length, crimp, structure and handle are things we check for and work to grow through our breeding program, shearing, nutrition and processing.
Big Guy
Rex was our most photogenic sheep for a very long time, with his “emo” bangs and beautiful Cotswold curls.
Foggy Day
This is Fig in our pasture in the fall of 2016.
Sunrise
We do chores twice a day, and first thing in the morning when the sun is rising might be my favourite moment of the day.
The Twins
These twins were our bottle lambs in the summer of 2019. They lived in our house for a week, wearing diapers and drinking formula from a bottle. They both survived and now they are two of the sweetest sheep we have.
Protection
We have two llamas that act as livestock guardians for our flock, we also shear their fibre and process it into yarn.
Mama Llama
Shortly after this picture was taken we had to put Mama Llama down due to a large tumor. I never anticipated how hard it would be to lose animals, and to make the difficult decisions around their health and end of life.
Breeding
We breed our ram to our ewes in mid-December, so we can expect mid-May lambs. Being witness to the process from beginning to end of life on our farm is a humbling honour and responsibility.
Lambs
From May to August we love spending time watching the lambs figure life out.
Little White Lamb
A baby, learning about the world.
Sheep Close Up
This is Selina, one of our Shetland ewes, with distinct eye patches and a beautiful face.
Lambing
Lambing may be the best time of the year. It is always interesting to see what our Shetland lambs will look like when they are born.
Snow
Our sheep enjoy being outside all year long. As long as they have access to dry straw and shelter from storms, they much prefer to be in the snow and sun.
Building Trust
Our first four sheep were not socialized and we desperately wanted them to be comfortable enough with us to let us touch their fibre. We spent the first four months of being shepherds bringing them small treats of oats and moving slowly and quietly until they trusted us.
Lambs Grazing
Little ones finding their way.
Digits & Threads Is a Member-Supported Independent Online Magazine
The articles, tutorials and patterns we publish about Canadian fibre and textile arts, crafts and industry are made possible by our members.
