Monday, February 6, 2006

Snow and Fleece

I don't mean to have an entire week between posts but ...well, things happen.

Snow, snow happens.

Remember last week, I mentioned getting a chance to do a bit of yard cleanup?

Well, this is the yard today.



*sigh*

I washed my first fleece on saturday. Look at the yard behind me - two days ago it was green(ish).

*sigh*



To date, all my fleece experiences have started with the shepherd washing the fleece before she sent it to me. This time around, I was present for the sheering, and claimed the fleece as it came off. That was last spring, and it's only taken me the better part of the year to get around to washing it. It's a black Icelandic.



And yes, those are the famed freshly pink walls behind me.

It was.... dirtier then expected. Having no idea what to expect and all.



I'll post pictures once it's dry and combed. And again later, when some of it's been spun.

Today, I'm working on the Forward Into the Past website. We're just getting started on this year's organization, so the courses available are still sparse, compared to what we will have, but feel free to check it out.

Neil and I run this thing, a day long set of classes in medieval history, every year. It's quite a lot of fun, and totally exhausting. At least for the organizers. :) If you're in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of southwestern Ontario on the first of April, come and check it out. No fooling!

Karen

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! pink!

And hardly any snow at all. You must live in the banana belt!

anti-v

listie said...

I just surfed over from Diana's; I'll be back to see what you do with the fleece.

cyndy said...

Beautiful black Icelandic Fleece!
Beautiful snowfall!
Off to check out that new website...but what will you be making from the Icelandic Yarn that you spin??

Karen said...

Anti-V ;-),

Listmaker... will see you later then.

cyndy... ummm, spun yarn? To date, the spinning is the end in and of itself.
I'm not a knitter, and it'll be years before I have enough handspun to weave with.

'Though I am thinking of using commercial warp and handspun weft in my next project for the demo in Rhode Island in September. Of course that means I have to get the 2/2 twill off the loom first...

Karen

moiraeknittoo said...

Isn't it freaky how...gross the water is after that first wash?! I found that doing a cool water soak to start helped get a lot of the gunk out before I wash. I think I documented it on my blog if you want to go take a look.

I'm working my way through the raw fleeces I have too, though I'm using smaller (10 qt) tubs and lingere mesh bags. This means smaller batches, but I only have so much space on the sweater racks to dry. It's interesting, if time consuming, and I'd much rather be spinning. *G*