Author: Laura & Chris Lough

Welcome to the farm Izzie!

| Laura & Chris Lough
Izzie on her way home to the farm
Izzie on her way home to the farm

Apparently today is #NationalPuppyDay which makes it even more perfect that today we are announcing a new addition to the farm- Izzie the puppy! Izzie was found abandoned in a Burger King parking lot at the beginning of March. Thankfully, the people who found her knew to contact an animal rescue group, Homeward Bound, to get her the help she needed. Homeward Bound took her to the doctor to make sure she was healthy and then took care of her for a few weeks until our people, Laura and Chris, met her at a doggy adoption fair. As soon as they saw her sweet little smile they knew that she needed to join the farm.

Izzie meets Elizabeth for the first time.
Izzie meets Elizabeth for the first time.

As a sheep, I’m naturally a bit wary of dogs because they have sharp teeth and often bark really loud which can be scary. Izzie isn’t as scary as most dogs though because she is so small! She looks like a baby but really she is a year old and probably won’t get any bigger. I’ve been told she is a Chihuahua / Pug mix, whatever that means! When she comes out to the barn she gets scared of all the big animals so Laura puts her in the wheelbarrow so she can see everyone without getting trampled. I think that all dogs should be trapped in wheelbarrows, that way I don’t have to worry about them chasing me!

Izzie still has a lot to learn about being a farm dog – like to not chase the chickens! – but she has a good roll model to learn from. Avi has been on the farm for as long as I can remember and she almost never chases us or barks at us. Hopefully Izzie will become a great farm dog like her!

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World Read Aloud Day

| Laura & Chris Lough

Wednesday, March 4th, is World Read Aloud Day- a day for celebrating all the wonderful things not just about reading, but about reading out loud! Books are wonderful things and they are only made better when we share them with those we love by reading stories aloud. Reading aloud to kids helps expand their literacy skills, love of reading, worldview, and so much more. Plus its a fun way to spend time together!

This week, make a special point to read a book aloud to your kids, grand kids, neighbors…in fact, they don’t even have to be a little kid. I’m all grown up and I still love to be read to!

To celebrate, Laura found one of her favorite “kids” and sat down with The Story of the Unique Sheep for a special story time in the pasture. Grab your copy of The Story of The Unique Sheep, click here, and read along!

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#ReadAloud #wrad

Lambing Season!

| Laura & Chris Lough
Liam’s son, Bran

One of the best times of year on the farm is lambing season. This year we aren’t expecting any lambs at Square Peg Farm (the pasture is just getting too crowded!) but one of our ram lambs from last year has become a daddy at a nearby farm. Liam was the only lamb that we sold last year and he went to live on a farm with Soay sheep. Soay sheep are a very different type of sheep than Shetland sheep. They have longer legs and are thinner without as much thick wool. They are a very rare breed so most people have never even heard of them. Shepherd Sarah is raising purebred Soays but she is also experimenting with breeding Soays with Shetlands to produce a sheep with longer wool (like Shetlands) but the beautiful color and unique breed characteristics of the Soays. Her first soay/shetland cross was born last week to Princess, one of her Soay ewes. She is expecting at least one more lamb from Liam later this spring. Follow along as little Bran and his cousins grow up on Sarah’s blog.

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Book Review: Head to Toe -Kid’s Knit Accessories

| Laura & Chris Lough

Here is another great book filled with knitting patterns for your little ones. Accessories are perfect for kids because they are quick to knit (ideal for the busy parent!) and the fit is generally a bit more flexible than with sweaters so they won’t grow out of them as quickly! Plus accessories can be knit in all sorts of fun colors. I love that all of the patterns in this book work for both girls and boys and

I love the unusual cable on the Simonside hat. Cables and ribbing are so classic, but the single extra large cable with the wide stockinette center makes it fun and modern too!

Simonside

Another modern take on cables can be seen in the Tyne Green cowl. These subtle cables seem to grow organically out of a bed of stockinette.

Tyne Green

Of course, if cables aren’t your thing there is plenty that can be done with simple knits and purls!

Coldstream

If your little ones are boys- or tom girls- you should check out Katya’s other book, Boy’s Knits.

Book Review: Tiny Treads

| Laura & Chris Lough

One of the most popular things to knit are socks. Almost everyone wears socks and they are small, portable projects that don’t require a huge investment of time or yarn. If you have little feet scampering around your house, it might be time to wrap them up in warm hand-knitted socks. If so, Joeli Caparco’s book Tiny Treads is just what you need!

This book includes the normal selection of toe up and top down socks from basic stockinette to fancy texture stitches. What makes it really unique, though, is that it provides size options that range from newborn to 11 years old (or US shoe sizes Child’s 2-13 and Adult 1-7) for ALL the patterns. That is a HUGE range of sizes including all those hard to find sizes in between baby and adult. The book is probably worth buying just for basic patterns in sport and fingering weight in all those sizes. BUT, if you want something a bit fancier than plain stockinette or ribbing, there are a number of great patterns to pick from. Here are a few of my favorites.

I love, love, love these color-work slippers. The cute little folded cuff is great. I have small enough feet that I could probably make the largest size fit me and I’m seriously tempted by this pattern.

Cinderslippers from Tiny Treads

The Sandman socks would look adorable on a pre-school aged child. The unique horizontal ribbing reminds me of the cute rolls of fat babies so often have on their arms and legs. As your little one starts growing up and stretching out, you can bring back memories of those sweet rolls with these fun socks!

Sandman Socks

If you aren’t ready for the adventure of turning heels and shaping toes, Tiny Treads even includes a pattern for a simple pair of leg warmers. Leg warmers are great for kids because they are so easy to layer and don’t have to be removed for frequent diaper or clothing changes. When its particularly cold they can even be worn on top of a cozy pair of hand knitted socks for extra warmth!

Geppetto

If your little boys have grown up into big men, or if their daddy’s don’t want their feet left out in the cold, make sure to check out our book of men’s sock patterns, Unique Feet.

Coloring Sheet

| Laura & Chris Lough
Coloring Page
Coloring Page

Do you like to color? We LOVE to color and paint. Crayons, colored pencils, paints and dyes- we love it all! Just in case you like to color too, we made you this UniqueSheepColoringPage Just download it and print it out and you can color or paint your own Unique Sheep. We’d love to see pictures of your sheep- just take a photo and “share” it with us on Facebook!

 

Enjoy!

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