Its all true, the boogie girl is real, and you've found her. She knits, sews, spins, does pottery and writes it all down in this blog.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
NO need to card that
There I am surrounded by all these beautiful corriedale fleeces. White, greys, grey with tans, and so on. So many color combinations, so soft and luscious. All these fleeces were so neatly bagged and set out on the grass around me. It was as if while I was standing there, all these fleeces to choose from suddenly popped up around me.
I put my hands into one bag after another. Fine crimp, amazing color, soft feel and almost VM free! I was just flabberghasted, which one should I choose? How will I ever be able to pick? I looked at the price tags and they weren't there, just the weights of each bag. Surely because these are so fine and there is no price, then they must cost an arm and a leg. Still, I bet I can afford one. I started to weave my way out of my wool circle to find the owner of these fleeces.
Just as I took my first step, someone appeared. A kind looking woman ready to answer my questions. Yes, these were her fleeces. She said they were amazing and led me out of my maze of wool over to a table where she had one laid out. This is when she explained to me that this was a special wool that once it was washed, it fluffed right up and acted as though it had been carded. No carding was necessary.
She had to be messing with me. This can't be right. She showed me her wheel and the fleece, then said to pick away. Indeed the fleece looked almost as if it had been carded. I had to test this, I sat down and I spun. And I spun and I spun. This stuff totally kicked butt!
I had to have it. What's the price? I knew they had to be expensive, but I could get just one and be happy, right?
$100.
Wow. Well, that was more than I expected. To which she explained and pointed to the 15 bags or so and said $100 would take them all............
*snore*
*kick*
*drool*
huh, what!?!!
Dammit, *fall asleep again* *fall asleep again* *fall asleep again* *fall asleep again* *fall asleep again* *fall asleep again*
Ok, so I couldn't fall asleep again and now I need to card my fleece for real. I do have one yummy corriedale awaiting my attention.
I bought this last year at Maine Fiber Frolic and my goal was to get it all prepared before this years Frolic. Something about some stupid rule I made up that the old fleeces had to be prepped before I could get a new one, blah blah blah. I had procrastinated because the thought of hand carding all million pounds of it seemed like hell. recently I decided to take it outside and pick it/clean it anyway but we've had non stop rain since it warmed up this spring. Rain was such a good excuse and could have been the loophole in that "new fleece rule". I am now tempted to lay it out and pick it over inside. I can't wait to get to carding this.
Why the sudden change you might ask?
I want to use this from the incredible husbeast....
Yup, that's a drum carder and it's all MINE. Next to it is a new ball winder. People that say don't take your hubby to a sheep and wool festival are crazy. Husbeast got to see how the drum carders work and realized how much I lusted for one. Then he saw how sucky my 20 yr old ball winder was and how cool this one was. I didn't even know that I wanted a cool new ball winder.
I've used the drum carder on some wool for the husbeast sweater. It was in horrid condition, partially felted and needed some help or I wasn't going to spin it. 2.5 lbs of it got that help yesterday.
I've also been tempted to wind every last hank of yarn I have but I've found restraint (ok, so I'm lazy too). Yarn is neater and easier to store in hank form. Yarn is neater and easier to store in hank form. Yarn is neater and easier to store in hank form. That's what I keep telling myself and I'll stick to it. I just need an excuse to wind something now. Don't I need to start a new project that requires winding, or maybe one of the ready made skeins should be re-wound... yeah, that's where you'll find M and I this afternoon. Crazy girls rewinding all my sock yarn.