Then we were hit with rain, cold, high winds, and even a little snow. Waah. I wouldn't be so whiny, but we're totally out of hay, wood for the wood stove to heat the house, and the roof of one of the chicken coops blew off in a storm.
In between the weather and minor tragedies, I've been skirting my own fleeces and preparing the blends. I very happily sent off twenty pounds to the processor. That's twice as much as I did last year and I'm so excited. Most of it will come back as wool blended with mohair or llama or alpaca. I even have a new blend of Genevieve with an unusual reddish-brown baby alpaca (cria).
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Genevieve says: You're blending me with what?? |
The weather forecast says more cool temps and rain next week. This dodgy spring weather has made it difficult to dry fleeces and skeins. Today, there was a bit of sun and the wind died down, so I quickly got to work. Skeins of singles were dyed then hung out to dry. Once dry, I will spin these singles into bulky two-ply yarn.
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Skeins dry on the deck; Pilgrim geese and Indian Runner ducks lounge in the background. |
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Dirty Clun Forest. |
Why would someone hold onto this kind of fleece, you're saying right now. Good question. Well, underneath all that dirt and grime, I could see "some kind of wonderful" as Grand Funk Railroad would say! While skirting, when I came across a fleece that I could tell instantly was a diamond in the rough, I would run into the house to wash a sample, dry it, and spin it.
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Clean, beautiful Clun Forest with a whole lot of potential. |
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Washed and dyed Suffolk wool. Drying outside before the next storm! |
If you're new to wool or want more information on different types of sheep wool, I can highly recommend In Sheep's Clothing. It is a fantastic reference on wool types and I use this book ALL the time.
Okay, now I really have to run because it's raining again and I need to bring all my wool inside. Ah, spring...
Good ... because we need more of Cassie's yarn here at Miss Eff's! You have more fans!! :)
ReplyDeleteFans are good! I can enable anyone's fiber addiction!
ReplyDelete