Sometimes things just speak to me...

When my parents decided to move from our first house out to the area they now live in, we went from having a half acre to seven acres. For some reason this inspired my father to buy sheep. His plan of course was thinking they would make a nice lawn mower and save him the trouble of cutting all the grass. The property they bought had a large barn so there was a place to keep them-and we could show them in 4-H right? So why not? I distinctly remember coming home from school and there being a message on our answering machine "Yes, we still have some lambs available. We will be in this evening if you'd like to come see them." And so began our family's venture into sheep farming.

When we arrived at the farm, they introduced us to two bottle fed twin lambs. I was smitten instantly. We ended up taking them home, one for me, one for my brother. He named his Henrietta. I named my lamb Posie. For those of you familiar with the American Girl series and have ever read Felicity's books, you would know that her lamb was also named Posie. Posie was the sweetest sheep you'd ever find. As she grew from a small lamb to a full grown ewe, she never lost her gentleness. It was very common to find her laying in her pen with one of our cats snuggled right up with her. She never turned away a lamb who tried to nurse from her (mother sheep are usually very unwilling to let lambs that are not theirs nurse from them). Two sheep somehow turned into twenty or more (especially at lambing season). There were plenty of wonderful sheep that passed through our barn doors but Posie will always hold a special place in my heart. As my brother and I grew older and our 4-H showing days ended, so did the sheep farm. One by one they have aged and passed. We have only one sheep left, Rose, one of Posie's daughters. Unfortunately, we lost Posie to illness and malnutrition after she was improperly cared for at a breeder's. She was cremated and her ashes were spread in a flower bed that surrounds the flag pole in the center of the yard. It is known as Posie's Garden.

When I saw this colorway by Tree Frog Knits, it spoke to me. Not only was it named "Posie"(Posie v.2 actually is it's name), but the colors reminded me of the flowers in her garden that will begin to show themselves when the spring season comes. I find comfort in the renewal of life that occurs in those flower beds every spring. It was hard to say goodbye to such a loving little friend, especially the way that things happened.

Those who don't have pets may find it hard to understand the connection that can be made between a human and an animal. Even those with pets may find it hard to believe that something other than a cat or dog could show a person love. Let me tell you, as a person who has had nearly every type of animal at one point or another, be it farm animal or house pet, that bond can exist. I cannot wait to knit up something wonderful with this yarn.

Tree Frog Knits "Posie V.2"