Um, Happy December!
I know...another rather long break. I really don't know what's happening to the time. I really enjoy blogging so....here we go.
I think the first project I want to share is what my brother refered to as being "hard core". I don't know if I've ever been "hard core" at anything so I'm kind of enjoying the designation.
When DY#1 and I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Fest this year, one of the things we were looking for (OK, one of the many things we were looking for) was a fleece to purchase, process and spin. We actually ended up finding 2: One from Amy Klee that is a lovely gray border leicester and another from Nistock Farms which is a white CVM/Corriedale cross. CVM is one of the more dangerous sounding breeds of sheep which is why, I think, everyone refers to it by its initials. Look out for the California Variegated Mutant!
Here it is in its raw bagged glory. I seemed to have not taken a picture of the gray fleece in the bag.
Here is the washing process. Both fleeces were actually very clean as the sheep were coated. Yes, coated. Yes, they make little coats for sheep. Yes, that does seem a little redundant as they're sheep. Yes, it keeps lots of vegetable (and other) matter out of the fleece enabling the shepherds to get a better price for their fleeces from spinners.
Dried and carded into fluffy white clouds of wool ready to be spun.
Beautiful yarn!
I opted to take another route with the gray fleece and pulled out some washed and dried fleece to over dye.
Royal purple dyed in a crock pot.
I played with quite a few colors with this batch. I can't wait to see what the resulting yarn looks like!
Here's a pile of purple fluff after the fleece has been carded. This colored fiber is going to make some really special yarn.
Here are a couple of completed skeins from the fleeces. The gray yarn has lots of luster and the white is just the bouncy and a pleasure to hold!
And just for grins, some kid pics:
Enjoying the first snow on ....November 11th! That is so late in the season for a first snow! (Of course, it's now mid December and we still haven't had a snow that sticks around for any more than a few hours.)
And not to be accused of being too behind, Halloween pics: a mime, Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. (And, why yes, I made the scarves, thank you!)
I think the first project I want to share is what my brother refered to as being "hard core". I don't know if I've ever been "hard core" at anything so I'm kind of enjoying the designation.
When DY#1 and I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Fest this year, one of the things we were looking for (OK, one of the many things we were looking for) was a fleece to purchase, process and spin. We actually ended up finding 2: One from Amy Klee that is a lovely gray border leicester and another from Nistock Farms which is a white CVM/Corriedale cross. CVM is one of the more dangerous sounding breeds of sheep which is why, I think, everyone refers to it by its initials. Look out for the California Variegated Mutant!
Here it is in its raw bagged glory. I seemed to have not taken a picture of the gray fleece in the bag.
Here is the washing process. Both fleeces were actually very clean as the sheep were coated. Yes, coated. Yes, they make little coats for sheep. Yes, that does seem a little redundant as they're sheep. Yes, it keeps lots of vegetable (and other) matter out of the fleece enabling the shepherds to get a better price for their fleeces from spinners.
Dried and carded into fluffy white clouds of wool ready to be spun.
Beautiful yarn!
I opted to take another route with the gray fleece and pulled out some washed and dried fleece to over dye.
Royal purple dyed in a crock pot.
I played with quite a few colors with this batch. I can't wait to see what the resulting yarn looks like!
Here's a pile of purple fluff after the fleece has been carded. This colored fiber is going to make some really special yarn.
Here are a couple of completed skeins from the fleeces. The gray yarn has lots of luster and the white is just the bouncy and a pleasure to hold!
And just for grins, some kid pics:
Enjoying the first snow on ....November 11th! That is so late in the season for a first snow! (Of course, it's now mid December and we still haven't had a snow that sticks around for any more than a few hours.)
And not to be accused of being too behind, Halloween pics: a mime, Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. (And, why yes, I made the scarves, thank you!)
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