The air had a chill but the sun was warm. I sat on a sheet laid out on the floor of the front porch, Kim’s fleece in front of me.
The wool was light and soft as I picked up a section of it and shook it over the sheet. Tiny bits of dirt fell from it. Then I picked out a small piece of a leaf and got rid of some pieces of wool with sheep poop on them. But other than that, the fleece was unusually clean.
As I skirted each of the fleeces, I’d find that it was true of all of them.
I’m bringing the wool to the Vermont Fiber Mill on Tuesday. For the first time, I weighed each fleece so I have an idea of how much wool I have. And when I get it back in the spring as yarn I’ll have a better idea of how many pounds of wool makes a 200-yard skein of yarn.
I have about 40 pounds of wool and it might be more than the Vermont Fiber Mill can process. If it is, I’ll try taking some to another mill, there’s one close by in the town of Greenwich NY.
Tomorrow I’ll figure out whose wool I’ll mix together and how much I’ll dye and how much I’ll leave natural. I’m considering dying all the white wool and making it into roving for spinners and felters.
I felt different skirting the wool this time. Like the sheep and the wool are a bigger part of my life and I’m more dedicated to it.
Rosemary’s fleece is beautiful. I wish my hair was that thick and natural blond. Forget the yarn. You should have it made into wigs!
I’d get one of those Barbara. My shearer Liz said I could get $20 a pound for a fleece like Rosemary’s, her wool is that good. But I think I’d have to go to fiber festivals and find people who are interested in whole raw fleeces to sell it too. I’m not quite there yet.