Goat evening everyone!
Some may say that I’m a bit animal-mad. ‘Tis true, especially when considering my crafty love of yarn, so what better than a little trip to a Goat Farm on my recent holiday in Normandy?
La Grange au Mohair is based near Bernesq, a few miles west of Bayeux. Mum and I decided to visit these lovely creatures and were not disappointed!
Above are some of the friends we made, Cheeky Nose and Baby Face McGinty. They look cute, but really they are megalomaniacs-in-waiting, planning world domination… Don’t trust them!
Mme Glaise, who runs the farm, was very welcoming and offered a fascinating tour in perfect English (we started off in French but had to relent in the end!) They keep the goats very well and they are happy to live out their retirements there in peace.
Above is Baa Baa White Goat, a rather talkative personality, as you can see. She’s a bit of a gossip so make sure you don’t share anything too important with her, otherwise it will be all over the farm by sundown…
Unlike the cheap mohair, scratchy jumpers we all wore in the 80s (oh go on, admit it!) this beautiful yarn is sorted and carded by Mme, and as she explains, the ‘grey’ hair within the mix is the itchy part which is discarded. The yarn is then sent to the south of France and mixed with silk, spun and dyed. As well as selling the yarn, Mme makes clothes out of it, unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of these, too busy with my goaty pals!
So, more Normandy adventures to follow over the weekend, and the Etsy shop plans are back on track now I’m feeling a bit brighter!
To finish, here are a few more of the characters I met over this lovely trip! They’ve definitely had their Goatibix.
Compare and contrast, above left are the demure, reticent female and young goaties, above right and below are the boys. Leering over the barriers and sticking their goaty noses out for attention. Quelle surprise!
Happy goating!
Lou x
