Wool finally, lots of knitting, birds and orchids

 After searching for months and months, I have finally found a source of sheep's wool!  There are very few sheep farmers here and of those hardly any of the sheep are sheep breeds with fleeces.  I managed to get my hands on 25kgs of merino!!  The wool is very, very, very dirty and it is going to take me a long time to clean and sort this lot but hopefully I'll be left with a decent amount of wool for spinning.  I really am so very, very pleased!
With my spinning wheel mostly sitting idle, I have been knitting lots.

 

A doorstop for my aunt's birthday.  Especially requested by my aunt.  I wrapped a brick in a few layers of fabric and then knitted a thick wool cover using my handspun then knitted the tortoise and secured him on top of the covered brick.

 My nephew especially requested a blue giraffe.  I used Linda's (Natural Suburbia) giraffe pattern.   Thanks so much for your beautiful creation, Linda!  A very happy little boy.

 Stunning glossy starlings.

 

And a quinea fowl.

 A simple vest for Noah using up some of my handspun wool.  He especially wanted penguin buttons sewn on the vest.

 

Our orchid is flowering.  Such beautiful colours.

 

And the boys have had great fun sailing boats using these just perfect tree pods!

 

Sheep fleece sorting and spinning

I finally got around to sorting out my three organic fleeces.

 Then, I dusted off that spinning wheel which had sat mostly idle during Summer.  With babe happily playing on a mat by my side in the warm afternoon sun, I sat and had a good spin.  I like spinning the wool in the grease, that is, as is, not washed.  I then wash the spun yarn and dye it naturally if I want some colour.  I have a patch of nettles, tomatoes, carrots and beetroot all waiting for the dyepot.  Hawthorne berries make a good peachy colour too!  I tired to dye with sloes last autumn.  It did not work out - the colour was a murky grey!

It's such a beautiful misty morning this morning.  Off we go now for a walk in the mist!  Happy day to you!

Sheep fleece sorting

I've been processing the six fleeces I collected from this year's shearing.

I laid them out, then scoured them - that is removed all the soiled bits and vegetation and kept only the fleece good for using.

Then wash the fleece.  I cheat!  I stuff a pillowcase full of dirty fleece and then stick it on the wool setting on the washing machine.  Quick and easy.  I find in my washing machine, the cycle is gentle enough not to cause the wool to felt up.  It works for me but might not work for everyone. I like to leave the lanolin in the wool as I like to spin in the grease so this removes any dirt but leaves the lanolin in.  After that hang it on the washing line to dry.  After its all dry I bag it up in pillowcases and label each lot and add it to my large stash of all sorts of fleeces!!  The children enjoy all this processing and especially like to see all the wool on the line - fluffy clouds blowing in the wind.

Confessions of a fleece hoarder

Right, now don't laugh!  Here we have a shot of all my fleeces - portland, dorset, herdwick, north ronaldsay, jacob, soay and cotswold.  I think I have about eight fleeces hoarded away in various places around our home.  If you open a cupboard you are in danger of a bag of fleece falling upon you. From last year, I collected 15 various fleeces so I have got through around half.  Now, this is the only thing I hoard - I just love, love, love sheep's wool - the smell, the feel.  Anyway, I have set myself a challenge to use all this up before shearing season starts so I can make room for new fleeces.  This year I plan to source other fleeces to try out, in particular blue faced leicester - gorgeously soft and heavenly for spinning - cream, oatmeal and brown - how exciting for me!!!How I love to gaze at sheep longingly for their gorgeous woolly coats which, at present, are looking wonderfully thick and woolly! 

So I shall be spinning and spinning and spinning and felting and maybe more weaving...

Peg loom weaving

This morning, I finished off another peg loom rug I have been working on and I am pleased with the finished result.  It is made from black Soay fleece and white Dorset fleece.  It is very soft and luxurious. The Soay is fantastic.