With the exception of the legs the sheep parts are now fixed.  The tail worked first time, the ears took two attempts, the head and body three goes (and a few partial pullouts and scribbles in the notebook) each.  Each bit was then reknitted to decipher the ramblings in the notebook.  The latest leg attempt is putting the foamy wire inside a straw.  I was correct in my assumptions that the red tape was to wrap yarn round it and that Aunty Biscuit would end up stuck to it.  The various parts that worked have been assembled although the tummy seam hasn't yet been fully stitched up, again because of the legwork.  The debris field of approximately five square miles of bits of yarn, wire, staws and tape cover has been tidied up.  I have suggested that if they buy three more turkey legs and cook them for us then they could use the bones from them and yesterdays for the sheep but this has been vetoed.  Mum says it because the bones would be far too large for the sheep and unhygienic, I think its because she doesn't want to go raking about in the dustbin, humans are so odd at times!