Dear Folks,Besides the second batch of the chicks arriving yesterday, so did the fleece I had sent off to Frankenmuth Woolen Mill in Michigan to be processed into roving. What I got back was fabulous -- great balls of creamy,lustrous, bouncy, "touch me, please" stuff that sets mind and fingers twitching with new project ideas and the hope that others will find it as pleasing as I do.
I took copious notes about each fleece before shipment and was careful to keep all fleeces separate (even though that costs more) because I wanted to see how each fleece worked up. I suppose the most interesting thing overall is that each fleece produced a slightly different shade of "cream." The take-home message for me was that a fleece is like a dye lot for commercial wool. If slightly different shades matter, you better have enough when you begin your project!
Thor's fleece makes me want to drop what I have to do today and sit at the spinning wheel for a couple of hours. Next year, his fleece is going to become a blanket, but this year I can fuss over the great yarn this roving will make. At each new step this last year, I have thought, "Okay, now this is why I have sheep." But for now, this gorgeous roving is THE reason I have sheep.
Thor's fle
ece sheared off at a little more than 8 pounds. Then it was skirted so the worst was removed. Then I selected some parts to wash myself and some to place on consignment as raw wool at Tempe Yarn and Fiber, a local yarn shop. The rest went to be commercially roved and I received back 3.25 pounds of lovely clean fluffy stuff. A newly found cousin in Missouri told me about his Grandma Jessie bringing her storm-born lambs into the house to take up residence for a while near the wood-burning cookstove. I don't think there is a shepherd anywhere who doesn't love the sheep. At least most of the time!
Thinking of ewe -
The Shepherd
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