Wool

I must have been a shepherd in a former life.  Wool excites me.  I love working with it.  I know I sound like a crusader but wool is a miracle fiber.  It is weather resistant, flame retardant (the US Army is taking advantage of this) and breathes......I can wear a wool sweater in the barn in the coldest winter temps and feel good.  Tried wearing an alpaca sweater once and tore it off me when it felt like I was cooking in an oven.  Don't get me wrong, alpaca, and angora, is great for blending with wool but Wool is the Mother of All Fibers.  Raising my own fibers is like a potter scraping the clay for her work off the banks of a stream instead of buying clay at the art supply house.  It's taking my craft to the most fundamental and satisfying level.