Monday 6th November
Well here I am getting ready for my next craft fair, the Bog Heritage Centre this Friday 10th November. Today I’ve been washing fleeces. I like to demonstrate peg loom weaving when I go to craft fairs, and I’ve chosen two fleeces – a Dutch Spotted fleece and a Black Welsh Mountain. I chose both from flocks within ten miles of my home.
I started off by selecting the parts of the fleeces I was going to use. For each fleece there will always be parts which will be unsuitable for weaving – the skirtings. These are the edges of the fleece which are perhaps too matted or dirty. But they’re not wasted – I use all the skirtings as mulches around plants or in compost! Fortunately both fleeces were excellent with lots of beautiful wool.
Then it’s into the kitchen, two hot washes in the sink, two hot rinses, and then into the upright spinner to get out all the excess water. The colours are just lovely – the Black Welsh Mountain a deep brown with sun-bleached tips, the Dutch Spotted a wonderful mixture of greys, browns and creams. They are now drying on an airer by the fire. All the washed wool will be ready for the craft fair on Friday.
Hope to see you there!
Anne