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Fleece to yarn

The weekend before last was the WI Sheep and Wool festival. This is the one day a year where I go just absolute bonkers for anything fibery. This year, I snagged a fleece from WhataviewFarm in Phelps, WI that is a Polypay/East Friesian/Dorset cross. It's got a great crimp with about a 3" staple.

I confess to enjoying the process of turning fleece to yarn, so this was a great thing to find such a nice fleece to work with. For the last few weeks I've been washing, carding and spinning up yarn in the hopes to get enough to knit a sweater.

So on to pictures!


This is the fleece drying after a wash in hot soapy water with a hot water rinse.














The washed and dry fleece in a paper bag waiting to be carded.

Now I usually just use that pet brush to open up locks to spin with my most beloved spindle; the mini-Bosworth. This is the spindle that I want with me at all times. I estimate that I can get about 125 yards on a spindle before taking it off.




After about a week, what I have are these balls of singles waiting to be plied into 2-ply yarn. I'm expecting to do that during the Packer game on Sunday.

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