It's That Time Again

Fall shows are looming and I haven't even sorted all the wool from last season.  Time to get a move on it.  I don't usually go looking for wool as I have plenty of luscious fiber of my own...but once in a great while I give in.  I;m very fussy about where my wool comes from.  Kim and I were walking around the grounds of Maryland Sheep and Wool last May when we came upon a woman shearing her Romneys.  She was putting the giant fleeces out for sale as they came off the sheep.  Kim and I looked at each other and instantly understood that nobody else was going to get their mitts on those fleeces.  We were willing to fight for them if necessary.  Luckily, the grounds were deserted except for people taking care of their sheep and campers way down the lane.  The shepherd turned out to be from Mays Landing, New Jersey, and was happy for us to take them all.  I don't want to tell you what I paid because it was crazy cheap, causing me to wonder why I am raising my own sheep to begin with.  "Rita" even brought me another fleece or two at my booth the next day.  I am now getting around to sorting the Weymouth Walk Romney fleeces, and they are gorgeous.  I can hardly lift two fleeces at one time.  My Bluefaced Leicester fleeces are very light and hard to pick as they are so baby soft they attract every weed, seed and burdock within miles.  Romney fleece is what we call "open," with big waves of crimp that let the chaff fall out.  I picked them right out of the bag while stuffing the washer tub.  I have two giant dye pots and one fleece took both pots.  I have four more fleeces to wash and dye from Weymouth Walk.  I intend to blend them with my adult mohair, which is on the coarse side, like Romney wool.  The mohair and wool will blend nicely making the combination more palatable to weavers and sock knitters.