There are billboards all around Chicago that say "Some messes no one should have to clean up." They are advertisements for a cleaning service that will apparently clean up anything. Anything. Yikes! Creepy billboard, but a fun saying that we use around here a lot...usually involving our house.
Fleeces sometimes are like that. Some fleeces no one would want to spin. Unless they are your baby's and he's just. so. cute.
B. Willard.
Willard wasn't bred for his fleece. And even though he was coal black as a baby, he's turning silver pretty quickly. I like silver. What I don't like are his extremely sunbleached tips. It happens though and he got those being a cute little lamb out playing in the sun all day eating lots and lots of clovers and growing up big and strong. And did I say cute?
First big handful loaded onto the Louet coarse cloth drum carder. As the handle turns, the two drums work together to start "brushing" out his curls.
After the first pass. Yep, it's about as bad as I'd feared. Poor cute little Willard.
After the second pass. Still way too many clumps and pills. Time to pull out the secret weapon. The Patrick Green Super Carder. Now that we have so many sheep (yes, I broke my 30 limit with Marcel) I let the professionals handle all the carding. I should probably sell the Super Card to someone who'd put it to better use, but every now and then you need a secret weapon.
You won't set any land speed records with this carder, but you sure won't have any complaints about the finished product. Willard? Is that you, cutie? You're so beautiful!
Speaking of beautiful, I'd seen the new Golding celtic sheep spindle advertised in (probably) Spin Off last month. As we passed their booth last weekend, you had to wait in line just to get in to look. As I stood there contemplating if it was going to be worth the wait to see it, someone was walking around holding a spindle they'd gotten out of line to show their friend and then couldn't get back in to put it back. Guess which one it was? I had to. It was fate. Right?
It spun fabulously. B. Willard's roving spun fabulously. The final yarn color? Well, I wish I could say I had the white balance set wrong, or the light wasn't right...
It's a yarn with character. And that's all I really care about anyway. He's my baby, so up on the frig it goes ;-).
Fleeces sometimes are like that. Some fleeces no one would want to spin. Unless they are your baby's and he's just. so. cute.
B. Willard.
Willard wasn't bred for his fleece. And even though he was coal black as a baby, he's turning silver pretty quickly. I like silver. What I don't like are his extremely sunbleached tips. It happens though and he got those being a cute little lamb out playing in the sun all day eating lots and lots of clovers and growing up big and strong. And did I say cute?
First big handful loaded onto the Louet coarse cloth drum carder. As the handle turns, the two drums work together to start "brushing" out his curls.
After the first pass. Yep, it's about as bad as I'd feared. Poor cute little Willard.
After the second pass. Still way too many clumps and pills. Time to pull out the secret weapon. The Patrick Green Super Carder. Now that we have so many sheep (yes, I broke my 30 limit with Marcel) I let the professionals handle all the carding. I should probably sell the Super Card to someone who'd put it to better use, but every now and then you need a secret weapon.
You won't set any land speed records with this carder, but you sure won't have any complaints about the finished product. Willard? Is that you, cutie? You're so beautiful!
Speaking of beautiful, I'd seen the new Golding celtic sheep spindle advertised in (probably) Spin Off last month. As we passed their booth last weekend, you had to wait in line just to get in to look. As I stood there contemplating if it was going to be worth the wait to see it, someone was walking around holding a spindle they'd gotten out of line to show their friend and then couldn't get back in to put it back. Guess which one it was? I had to. It was fate. Right?
It spun fabulously. B. Willard's roving spun fabulously. The final yarn color? Well, I wish I could say I had the white balance set wrong, or the light wasn't right...
It's a yarn with character. And that's all I really care about anyway. He's my baby, so up on the frig it goes ;-).
17 comments:
I don't have any sheep~ but I love Willard.. He is so cute with all his curls.. I do knit and that is a beautiful color that you ended up with Willard's wool..Would love to see something made out of this wool.. Bet it would be very classy.and unique..
Have a great day~!
B. Willard is gorgeous! I love natural yarn colors and this is the perfect for fall!
I like the color, too, but if it's really not "you," overdye it for incredibly rich results!
I like the yard his wool made up! And I don't know anything about spindles, but that one you saw at fair was had a really pretty design on it.
Taupe. B. Willard is comming out taupe. I like it. That and a dark, almost black brown are the only browns I like. I am sorry his fleece is a pain to card.
Awww...what a love you have for Willard. I think his yarn is gorgeous but what do I know! I'm just a rug hooker!!!
I don't really think it's *not* pretty, but I do wish it wasn't so brown. I bet it would overdye nice. That would be something fun to try :-).
I know nothing about what you do Sara, but from an aesthetic point of view...I think B. Willard has produced some beautiful yarn...the kind that would make me one interesting vest for those cold winter days coming up!
Awe, well I love Willard's yarn. It's the thought that counts. The little cutie.
Williard sure is a cutie, and has some wool with charachter..:-)
p.s. tomorrow is the big Equinox Farm post..;-)
Oh, B. Willard. You just make me smile. When I was a kid, I had 'bad hair'. Actually, I still do. So I share your challenges. I think your wool is just beautiful. You are a love.
Looks good to me! How about felting a purse with it?...with B. Willard's face on it! Yeah, that would be cute!
Hooray, I got to see not only B. Willard's amazing fleece but Momma's new Golding Celtic sheep spindle! Can't wait to see how the spindle works.
I just love your new spindle! It SO has your name on it!!!
I think that Woolard's fleece is worth a little elbow grease because the color is perfect for your felted sheep and it looks really soft!
Give him extra cookies for being so cute!
I love things with a story attached to them, whether it's an antique or a sheep! Whatever you decide to create with B. Willard's yarn will be special, with a story all it's own.
It makes me smile the way you lovingly talk about the wool. It's almost sacred.
I think we'd all agree there is something sacred about our fleeces, heck, anyone's fleeces.
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