This is my Jazz's lamb fleece. He is a gray katmoget with the blue hue to most of his fleece. I had no idea it would spin up like this! How AWESOME!
I finally found someone to make me something out of his fleece. Since I haven't learned how to spin (yet) I really wanted something to remember a few of my special sheep by. A gal named Lisa Christensen came up one weekend to look at whethers for a fiber flock. After much discussion she opted to take raw fleeces instead. I then told her how I wanted something made out of my special sheep and she said she'd willingly and gladly do it! I was so stunned! And very appreciative!
I am going to have a scarf and hat made out of this lamb fleece of his. This is what she said about it: "Garrett, Here's a pict of the spun yarn. It's a 3-ply worsted weight and super soft. The color is awesome and the fiber really shines in the light."
After seeing this yarn and how that actually came off of MY sheep, I have this huge desire to learn how to do that too! Not that I really have the time of the patience, but after seeing that, it makes me want to learn how....even if its not super pretty when I do it!
I have another fleece I would like made into something. Its a shaela/pewter color and want something made out of it. What else for a GUY could it be made into? A sweater? more hat and scarfs? I guess I don't realize what can be made with wool. I think its too fine for socks.
Thoughts?
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7 comments:
How wonderful to see handspun YARN on your blog! I didn't spin when I first got into Shetlands, either. They are seducing you, too, I see. :-)
How about a vest, either pull-over or button-down? And I don't think there's really such a thing as "too fine" for socks. After all, feet appreciate softness, too! But it sounds like such a pretty color that I don't think I'd hide it under trousers.
Oh, Garrett, do learn to spin! You will love it! The reason I got Shetlands was to spin their fine, soft fleece in a variety of natural colors. Katmoget is one of my fav's as you can separate a fleece into various colors to spin skeins that will blend with one another - so cool! Or mix the fleece altogether. They are usually the nicest to spin.
There are a lot of things you can spin and knit with your wool - hats, scarves, vests, sweaters, socks, mitts (fingerless gloves), mittens, gloves, afgans. Then there is weaving . . . and felting . . .
There is NOTHING like washing, carding, and spinning a fleece from one of your own sheep that you bred and raised, then making something with it and wearing it. NOTHING!
Michelle - I've made some socks with some handspun soft wool (NC - not Shetland). They got holes in the heels way too quickly so I've always made at least the heel with strong britch or a britch/mohair blend for my next ones. Just finished a double heel pair that I have to wear to see if I want to write up the pattern as I've never seen anything like it before (had to make it up myself as I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything like it).
I wasn't interested in spinning before I got the sheep, but I figured if I wanted to sell wool to spinner's, I'd better learn more about it. I certainly wasn't prepared for how relaxing and addicting spinning is! Garrett, I hope you find the time to give it a try.
Theresa, it's good the hear that you've got a double heel figured out. :-)
Send the finished yarn down my way and Mom can knit something in a jiffy! She does it to keep her fingers nimble as the rheumtoid arthritis is getting worse. Scarf, hat, mittens or gloves? It might be neat to do a throw with a strip for each sheep's wool? She also learned to felt this last winter :)
I am still learning to knit, but that yarn looks lovely Garrett. Pretty cool to see your hard work turn into a usable item!
What to make? Go find Brooklyn Tweed's blog. You'll be hooked... ;-)
NOW do you see why we spinners are so eager to get our hands on that Shetland fleece? Because it can be transformed into something as lovely and useful as the skein you have pictured.
I second the recommendation about Brooklyn Tweed - in fact there is a classic scarf on there, very easy - knit one, purl one - in stripes that you would like to wear, if not make yourself. He did it in colorful stripes, but I can just see it in two or more natural colors of your favorite sheep!!
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