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I really haven’t had much time to sit down and work on fiber projects. So far this spring we have sheared all four of the Icelandic sheep. They are sheared twice a year because they grow so much wool. This breed is a double coated breed, meaning they have an inner, soft coat and an out, coarse coat. You can spin these two coats together or separate them to get different types of yarn. I learned recently how to use wool hackle combs. They are perfect for this breed! It’s make processing wool so much easier, faster and enjoyable! I recently carded some Icelandic ram wool (Duke) from For His Glory Farm. It’s a dream and I can’t wait to spin it up!
Last year at the Wool Gathering, mim and I found a large batt of miscellaneous fiber from a mill for really cheap. It’s mostly grey with random flecks of different colors like pinks, red, blues, and orange. It was a lot of wool, and I started spinning it back in December! I made it through and the product came out gorgeous! I ended up doing a 3-ply with the fiber and have about 450 yards of this pretty spin.
I’m not sure what I will make out of it, or if I will make anything out of it. I need to be better about having a plan when I spin the fibers I’m working with. I just love spinning though. Spinning is great because it’s relaxing, there’s no pattern, and you can do it without watching (with enough practice).
I started spinning in Fall 2018. I actually got sheep before I learned how to spin, but it was the driving force to get me to learn. Once I figured out how to adjust the tension and coordinate my hands and feet, I was hooked! My main wheel is a Louet S10 which is very easy to learn on. I also have several antique wheels and a big country wheel (for large projects) that I have spun on. I need to get a new drive band for the antique wheels, but I love spinning on them. It brings me back to simpler times and having the opportunity to work with history.
Happy homesteading,
Rachel