Shepherd's Diary – July at Crowkeld

Well...July has certainly been one for the memory bank!

I don't know where to begin. Somewhere between sweating buckets in 30-degree heat with a pair of shears in my hand, admiring beautiful rare breed sheep at the Great Yorkshire Show, and trying to remember what a cool breeze actually feels like!

The Great Yorkshire Show

Our annual pilgrimage to the Great Yorkshire Show never disappoints.

It's always lovely to catch up with friends from the Wensleydale Sheep Society and the Hebridean Sheep Society. Sheep people are a funny bunch—we can happily spend hours discussing fleece quality, horns, grazing, lambs and genetics without anyone glazing over!

One of the real joys of the day was spending time with my good friend Jen. We often joke that between us we've got all the best sheep covered! Jen's heart firmly belongs to the beautiful Wensleydales, whilst, as many of you will already know, mine has been completely stolen by our mischievous Hebrideans. It's always fascinating chatting about the strengths of each breed, comparing notes and, naturally, trying to convince each other that our favourite is the best. (Although I think we secretly know they're all wonderful!)

The Show is one of those places where you always come home inspired, with a head full of ideas...and usually a shopping list that somehow became much longer than you intended.

Healthy Soil = Happy Sheep

One of the most exciting things this month wasn't actually about sheep at all—it was about what grows beneath their feet.

We had our fields tested by Leeds University, and the results came back showing our soil is absolutely packed with nutrients and in fantastic health.

It might not sound as glamorous as winning prizes in the show ring, but healthy soil is where everything begins. Healthy grass means healthy sheep, healthy wildlife and, hopefully, healthy fleeces.

Sometimes all those years of looking after the land quietly pay you back with the best report card you could hope for.

Lights, Camera...Sheep!

We were also delighted to spend time with the wonderfully talented photographer Rachel Foster, who came to photograph our flock.

Now, anyone who has ever tried photographing sheep will know they're not always the most cooperative models.

One minute they're standing beautifully in perfect light looking like they've stepped onto the front cover of Country Living...the next they're all staring in completely different directions because somebody spotted a particularly interesting tuft of grass.

Rachel somehow manages to capture them at their very best, and we can't wait to share some of the photographs with you soon.

The Great Shearing Marathon

Now then...

Let's talk about shearing.

Every year we tell ourselves we'll get every fleece off before the really hot weather arrives.

Every year the sheep laugh at our plans.

Despite working flat out, the heatwave arrived before we'd quite finished, which meant some very long days shearing in temperatures touching 30°C.

There is nothing glamorous about shearing in that sort of heat. You're bent over a sheep wearing what suddenly feels like three jumpers, covered in lanolin, wool, dust and enough sweat to refill the water trough.

By the end of each day, both the sheep and I looked equally relieved to be finished!

But the sheep always come first.

Watching them skip away, suddenly several kilograms lighter, makes every aching muscle worthwhile. They cope so much better once those heavy fleeces are off, especially during a heatwave.

I also got the chance to blade shear some of our oldest girls. It's a traditional skill that I love keeping alive, and for these ladies it can often be the gentlest way to remove their fleece. It's slower, certainly harder on the hands, but there's something incredibly satisfying about using the same method shepherds have relied on for centuries.

Besides...it keeps me humble!

Friends, Fibre and Future Projects

One of the things I love most about this journey is the people we meet along the way.

This month, Jen and I also spent time helping our friend Helen at Gam Farm, rolling up our sleeves to help transform her workshop into a space where creativity can flourish. There was plenty of laughter, lots of moving things from one corner to another (and then back again!), and endless cups of tea.

It's shaping up to be something really special, and I can't wait to tell you more about what we've all been working on. I'll save that story for next month's diary, when hopefully we'll be able to show you the finished transformation.

Thank You...

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has visited and supported our Etsy shop this month.

Every order, whether it's a fleece for spinning, wool for crafting or one of our handmade products, genuinely helps us care for our flock and continue breeding these wonderful rare breeds.

When you choose to buy from Crowkeld, you're not simply buying wool.

You're helping us preserve breeds that have been part of Britain's farming heritage for generations, support sustainable farming, and prove that every fleece has value.

That means more to us than you'll ever know.

As we head into August, the kettle will no doubt stay permanently on, the sheep will hopefully enjoy slightly cooler weather, and there will be mountains of lovely fleeces waiting to be skirted, sorted and transformed into beautiful products. There are also some exciting collaborations and projects taking shape behind the scenes, so make sure you pop back next month to see what we've all been up to.

Until next month...

Stay cool, hug a sheep (if they'll let you!), and thank you for being part of our Crowkeld journey.

Nina & the Crowkeld Flock 🐑