The Shepherd has been working on skirting fleeces to take to Gretchen's Wool Mill on Saturday. He has this Shetland fleece from a couple of years ago and has another from this year. We also have a couple of #1 alpaca fleeces (that is the neck wool I guess) to take down to be processed and/or blended with the Shetland.
He was very sweet and offered to skirt the Icelandic fleece that I got from our friend Nancy. It is the fleece from Lila, who we brought over to keep Violet company while she was getting used to our flock. Icelandic fleeces are definitely a "different animal" from the Shetlands - they are double coated - and we not sure if this one is "cotted" (kind of like matted, or felted right on the sheep) or if this is how an Icelandic fleece really is. I guess we'll find out when Gretchen looks at it.
As you can see, the long staples are a good 8 or 9 inches long, and the shorter stuff, well, it's shorter.... I'm not inclined to separate it, so hopefully Gretchen will be able to work a little bit of magic on this one. I'm keeping my finger's crossed.
One of the alpaca fleeces is almost a complete match for color on the undercoat - Anyone have any comments on blending alpaca with Icelandic?
Tonight I gave my new swift a work out - I had the final 100 yards of yarn for the sweater that our friend is going to knit for The Shepherd plus about 100 yards to sell to my co-worker and I balled up the Possum/Wool that Kathy sent me earlier this month. That Targhee top I got last weekend - spins like a dream on my new wheel - but I love spinning targhee anyhow. I'll take a picture when I get it all finished - it will be going towards a set of wrist warmers and hat for my church auction, plus I promised them I'd donate a couple of skeins of handspun yarn. Looks like I have my work cut out for me, huh?
4 comments:
I blended some black Icelandic lamb (I used the thel part only) with some silky black alpaca and spun it into a two ply sport. it was beautiful. I sold it tho so don't have it anymore.
I need to skirt fleeces today too! Whose fleece is that first photo? It's gorgeous!
I wish I had fleeces to spin. I am definitely going to have to set one aside for myself this next year - or not go to the wool festival here. ;)
You go, Tina!!!!! I wish I had half your energy!
I have so many fleeces to skirt that I can't even get started. That looked pretty clean and mine aren't which is part of the problem - ugh.
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