Friday, March 25, 2011

Sheepy




Even if you are a fiber person (not a livestock person) you may only encounter fiber in a pristine state. Karen and Valerie and the workers at the Mill are familiar with the "sheepier" aspects of fiber. When you knit with yarn from Mountain Meadow wool you might encounter some "plant material." I always just pluck it out, but as one attendee in Buffalo said, it is a piece of Wyoming.

While the handsome gentleman in the post on Rambouillet makes you want to grab that sheep, it is amazing that what he's wearing could ever become the Mountain merino that you can use for baby things. The fleece is dirt color when it is unbaled--and sheepy. Eeeooo
wwwwwwwww.
This makes the washing process at the Mill critical. When we visited in September you would not believe how fascinated we all were by the fleece going into the bath and coming out a different color. And no chemicals are used. Hot water and some earth-friendly cleaner and a little soak.

1 comment:

  1. I love it.
    It's interesting how fiber retains the essence of the animal that grew it. I've been playing with spinning other fibers recently (Horse!) and my horse yarn is definitely "horsey". Even after I wash it - then it's more "clean horsey". Maybe I need some Mountain Meadow fiber cleaning lessons...
    Great post!
    Cristy

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