Sheep Musings

Can anyone really be enraptured with yarn and wool and knitting and spinning and carding and all the various aspects of this avocation .... and not have the passing thought that maybe one should acquire a sheep of one's own someday? The idea popped into my head again as I was reading The Tale of Hawthorn House by Susan Wittig Albert. It's the fourth book in the cozy mystery Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series. And it's for grown-ups.

Beatrix, of course, is much admired by me and generations of other Peter Rabbit fans for her lovely artwork. This series focuses on her life upon her move to Hill Top Farm in the beautiful Lake District of England. She is still writing and illustrating her little books, but she has become very serious about preserving farms as well as the native Herdwick sheep.

Herdwick wool is best for rug weaving and insulation, being a bit scratchy, though the author provides this hat she made of Herdwick yarn and states that it's as waterproof as an umbrella. Nice-looking, isn't it? At any rate, the book has me thinking of what heirloom sheep I would acquire, if I got one, which of course I won't..... still we can think about it, can't we? One never knows what life will bring. I doubt that Beatrix Potter would have imagined the astounding impact her life and writings would have on future generations. It's quite a fascinating story in itself.

To learn more, check my Blog Book Tours site for an interview with the author. You'll find links to the other blog stops, each more fascinating than the next.