Baaaaaaaad weather on the way, better stock up!

I think he wants to keep his Sticki :o))

Hope those coats have thermal linings!

I think they might Amy ~ they ran away to start with!...must have been worried!

I hope so too Dwyllis ~ sorry I dont know which breed this is.

I have winter jacket made from their wool fleece.These animals are so peaceful. I like them very much. We had a custom in family, that on easter grandfather used to buy lamb, which he later killed for Easter holiday. But till it happened, my brother and me became friends with the lamb. So its libation was like a betrayal and murder. We didn´t eat the meat and we didn´t speak with grandfather for several hours.... Ach, that youth was so pure.

I can understand how you felt about that Easter lamb Kat, I have some slippers lined with sheep's wool but no jacket :-(

It is warm, but not so warm in our Eastern European winters. That is why men use also Liquid Jacket :))

a liquid jacket?? Im not sure what that is ~ would it be like a 'puffa' jacket ~ filled with air, to keep warm.

It could be more whisky then what you think, Sticki.
Lol.

a whisky jacket ~ now that would be interesting ~ and warm!

What a lovely picture and I hope they are warm enough even with those woolly coats.
Mind you, I'm not all that warm myself at the moment!!!

thanks wildrose, i keep putting on lots of layers! but its snowing AGAIN here!

Great photo. Did you know that sheep walk in single file like this even in deep snow, they make a line and then all get stuck because they can't turn round? Apparently it's called a "sheep line" (strangely!) and they have to be rescued.

Oh, i didnt know that ~ thanks melchi ~ do you remember that country file winning photo ~ sheep all lined up and walking down a long trench in the snow?

cats dont seem to like walking backwards either ~ or is it just my cat? [who is now sitting on the window sill outside ~ silly billy!]

I haven't seen that picture, Sticki. I don't remember when I heard about the sheep line, but it was when I was young. I've never actually seen it, but your photo reminded me about it. I expect cats very sensibly prefer to see where they are going. Don't they use their whiskers to guage widths? That would probably make walking backwards seem hazardous.

It's also reminded me why it is a bad idea to get too close to the car in front in a queue. If it breaks down, nobody would be able to move!

here it is:

http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/countryfile-photographic-competition-2011-best-show

yes that makes sense about the cats! i heard about the whiskers thing too.

dont remind me about cars in a queue ~ its still snowing here and i have to drive at 5.30 tomorrow morning!

I know about sheep line, too, but I never heard that they get stuck in it and should be rescued.
Sticki@our cats love snow. They are playing in it like crazy :))

beautiful creatures, love knitting in wool, wish it was cheaper - although I know the farmers are not paid much for their fleeces. Suppose the middleman gets it all. lol.

Oliveoil@if you come to Slovakia or Poland, you can buy products from sheep wool relatively cheaply - coat or jaket for 5O-60 euros, sweaters with ornaments similar to Swedish (gray-white) for 40-50 euros, socks 3 euros, pillows for 20-40 euros, blankets for 50-80 euros. Cheaper deeper...

Katarina, I think the sheep only have to be rescued if they've ventured into deep snow. They seem to have an instinct for walking in single file!

beautiful photo:-)))

wish I had one of those legs, yummy

My cat will go out in the snow Kat and doesnt seem to mind but i have never seen her play in it!

I cant really understand what has gone so wrong with the price of wool ~ Did you see the Country file article about it ~ Adam Henson had a beautiful wool suit made in Saville Row with some of his own sheeps wool; to prove how lovely British wool is but sadly the farmers are getting very little money for the fleeces.

I got some home spun wool from the hebrides which is fun ~ all different textures ~ thats the sort I like! [not cheap though but they have to make a living so thats fair]

There was a bit more snow here meadowland ~ maybe a couple of inches; I was nervous about driving early this morning but it was ok, it seems a bit colder tonight though.

Thanks Junna

he he Yorkie ~ I have two words to say to you ~ MINT SAUCE!!!! or Rogan Josh for that matter!!

Sticki@maybe this would sounds strange and out of the topic, but it isn´t. Thomas Bata, a Czech guy, who founded world shoe empire in thirties during the large world crisis said sometimes in that time, that he didn´t believe in economic crisis. He said, that economic problems are just consequence of moral crisis. And he named what moral crisis is - if the government/state is pouring cash into companies and factories and banks which are bancrupting, to people who claims they are important as they know whow to lie by image, but they are not able to bring anything valuable to society. When those, who are valuable, are pauperized.
My grandfather works for Bata. He was his chief engineer, taking care for all machines. We had photos, in which my garndfather is living in a beautiful blocks of flats built in English style from bricks. All Bata´s chief workers had got such houses. They had got fresh milk for the family each day, one pair of leather shoes for each memeber per year and wood for the winter. Was he socialist? No. I just think, that it was philosophy of self-made man.
And that is answer, bit longer, to your original question.

Are you thinking that the farmers have been given many subsidies by Government, and now the financial situation is topsy turvey and that may have something to do with very little money for a sheep or its fleece? Have I understood correctly?
Apologies if i havent kat ~ i only had a couple of hours sleep last night, so i am maybe not thinking very clearly!!??

Sticki, I was talking about your farmers. Our farmers aren´t given subsidies by Government. We have the lowest utilization of European funds in all EU. But they live so simply, in such primitive conditions, like Indiands producing expensive silk clothes for Western Europe for 3 euros, which is then sold for 300 euros in EU market.

yes i meant our farmers

Sticki, may I see your lovely grey Kitty cat again? :))
The one which likes to travel in a pocket.

this one kat?

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/262003-a-pocket-full-of-kitten/member/stickitoffee

she isnt mine ~ she belongs to my daughter in law. im not sure she still fits in a pocket??

Lol. She makes me smile. Yes, this one!

Sweet isnt she! Did you want to see a different picture? I have sent an email to my son asking for an updated picture!

Ok. Looking forward to it.

any minute now!

yes Sticki I saw the Countryfile programme, it is a shame that the fleeces are only fetching as much/little as they are doing. Pure wool is so lovely to the touch and fabulous to knit with. I always try and get a blend of yarn that has 25% wool in the mixture. Adam's suit was absolutely beautiful and it was a particularly lovely episode of countryfile. It would be nice to have yarn that has been spun by hand and dyed by hand. Bet it is very expensive. I was listening to a local radio programme the other week and there was a young lady on who had set up a business sourcing local wools and yarns. Very interesting. Put the link on my favourites on my computer but unfortunately I cannot give it to you to have a look at cos computer is down. I am using my daughters old laptop at the minute. When I get mine fixed I will try and remember to let you have it so you can have a look.

yes that would be interesting, thanks olive oil!
I like country file, interesting program, nice presenters too.

I often think that if the Harris tweed industry were to get a high profile celeb or royal to wear one of their coats it would be the making of them. Their jumpers, jackets and coats are beautiful and last for ages.

I wonder if you could get wool sent from there ~ it may be possible although I didnt see much for sale ~ probably all used for the tweed. The home spun wool was on Islay. Have you ever used wool other than from a sheep ~ eg alpaca?

............

two pictures on for you katarina!

Alpaca wool is very fine! I loved it, but I think I do not see it anymore here. It was used more in the past.
Where are the photos? Running there....!)

no sticki not used any other kind of yarn looked and touched alpaca yarn but would never be able to afford the high prices. It is an amazing texture too, very fine and soft. In the place I saw it they had knitted (think machine knitted) sweaters the prices where so high for the garments. Athough once on my travels on holiday with the girls in Cornwall I did go and buy a pure wool sweater, hand knitted, mainly because I felt that the place they had was amazing and they deserved to sell something. lol. sucker that I am. I could have knitted it myself for a lot less. But eh ho there you go. Think I paid £75 for it. lol. Holiday purchases silly I know, better than a souvenier though. It lasted a long while though, so I suppose it was worth it really.

It was certainly a very good purchase, Oliveoil :) There is no place for reproach :)

On my photos kat ~ i think you have found them now!

the only alpaca wool or garments i have seen have been too expensive for me too oliveloil, shame, they look so nice.

my harris jumper wasnt cheap but if there is one tradition and community i would want to support it would be the hebridean islands ~ if no one bought things from them ~ even less people could live there.

Beautiful capture.

thank you spenny ~ i dont think its much warmer even in march than it was in january!!

I was in Glasgow yesterday, buying petrol (otherwise we wouldn't have got home) and the attendant was reminding me that this time last year we were in the middle of a heatwave. She then said she didn't worry about the wave, but would like some heat. We agreed that just a bit of sun would be acceptable!

I was in the Lake District this time last year and it was so hot we went in an outdoor jacuzzi/spa pool to cool down!!!

Just looking out of the window at the snow falling...

Four inches we got Melchi!!! couldnt believe it ~ in March!

It's not actually lying here, thank goodness, but it hasn't stopped falling - horizontally - all day. Horrid!

it was sleeting a few minutes ago but looks more like snow now?