wool distraction

I am back  from my self-proclaimed and self-indulgent summer holiday. I have spent it mostly sitting in the garden and carding and spinning wool.

Last autumn my father-in-law left two huge sacks of wool in our garage.
Unsorted, unwashed, from unknown breed, full of straw and dirt,  “just wool”.

I’ve decided to have a look at it (and may be try to sort it) mostly because those sacks take space in the garage, I thought I don’t have time to process it.

All the possible colors and fiber qualities.

I have never tried to sort wool before, after throwing away 2/3 of it I still have 10 kg left, at least, may be more.

Since it ‘s been exceptionally warm and dry weather I have been washing the wool outside in the garden – soaking in cold water for a few hours and then drying on a net.

I liked this kind of washing (contra – warm water with detergent) because while all the dirt and dust is removed – the lanolin remains, staples remain almost intact, which makes it very easy to spin.

Carding and spinning in the garden  is so much more convinient than in the house –

all the debris is left outside.  (I am very happy with my Strauch drum carder).

I wanted  just to try to spin one color, but ended up spinning for many days – talk about easily distracted.

First I thought I could use the yarn for weaving blankets in all those beautiful natural colors, but now I realise that most of the fleece is double-coated – mixture of both fine wool and coarse hair , “peasant” sort of wool,  which in the end makes it more suitable for carpet-weaving.

But I still like the colors, here are some:

Ah, may be it will become a carpet one day – rölakan-style little carpet….(I have spun only one kilo, I think I would need at a couple of kilos more) . We’ll see.

Well, it’s been a real summer wool-camp for me :) Now the summer weather is (totally) over here and I am back to my weaving loom.