Connect with the Past Part 2 with Deb Robson

May is an exciting time at The Woolery! Not only do we have the annual Kentucky Sheep and Wool Festival to look forward to (May 18-19 in beautiful Lexington, KY), we also have an excellent guest post from fiber expert Deb Robson this month! Deb is coauthor of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook and will be teaching a two-day workshop at the festival that explores six specific sheep breeds in-depth.

As a follow up to last month’s blog post exploring primitive sheep breeds, today’s post will highlight two more unusual breeds of sheep from The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.

Karakul
The Karakul breed is very, very old. It’s native to the steppes and deserts of central Asia…This region of the world is one of the cradles of the domestication of livestock, so the Karakul is considered one of the oldest sheep breeds.

When it comes to the wool featured here, we’re talking not about the Central Asian Karakuls but about American Karakuls. This breed was developed from several imports to the United States, starting in 1909 and continuing through the first half of the twentieth century.

Karakuls are double coated, with a soft, fine shorter inner coat and coarse, sturdy, longer outer coat, although sometimes the distinctions between the two are quite narrow. The coats can be the same color, but in some intriguing fleeces they are differently colored. Colors can also vary along the staple from butt to tip. The wool has a nice luster.

When relatively free of dust and vegetable matter, Karakul lends itself to being spun in what little grease it has. It also washes up beautifully. Karakul is one of the quintessential felting fibers.

Wensleydale
Wensleydale may be the only breed that can be traced directly to a single ancestor. In 1839, a ram lamb was born in New Yorkshire to a Mug ewe (an old-type Teeswater ewe that didn’t show much of the New Leicester influence). The offspring had the blue head and ears that show up as a recessive trait in Leicesters from time to time and was named Bluecap by its owner.

Bluecap grew up to be a potent ram and was leased by shepherds through a fairly wide area for a number of years. He was primarily used for breeding Teeswater ewes. His blue-headed trait passed to his progeny, and by the 1870s, these unique sheep (although closely related to the Teeswater) were recognized as a separate breed and called Wensleydale.

Wensleydale fleece is long, lustrous and shiny, hanging in distinct, curly ringlets that do not felt well. It has no kemp and the wool is uniform throughout the fleece.

We are very thankful to the folks at Storey Publishing and the authors, Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarious, for granting us permission for this excerpt!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Connect with the Past: Exploring ‘primitive’ sheep breeds

As we delve deeper into the wonderful world of fiber, we’ll discover that there are many breeds of sheep who have quite literally weathered history unchanged by modern breeding programs. Many of these breeds can be traced back hundreds of years – some even a thousand! Iceland, Norway and the UK are just a few countries whose sheepy inhabitants have their own unique history.

The complex fleece of primitive breeds also tells their story. These breeds grow double coats consisting of a soft, insulating undercoat coupled with a hardy outer coat which protects them from the harsh elements which they have endured over centuries. These coats typically come in a variety of natural colors beyond white, most likely to act as camouflage for sheep who had to fend for themselves: many breeds were deposited on remote islands by the Vikings and Spanish explorers as a sort of “insurance plan” in the event of a shipwreck so that the crews wouldn’t starve.

Today we’ll profile three primitive breeds whom you may have encountered at a fiber festival: Icelandic, Jacob, and Shetland. You can find out more about primitive breeds in Deb Robson and Carol Ekarious’ Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook or Clara Parkes’ Knitter’s Book of Wool.

Icelandic Sheep
This breed’s history can be traced back over 1,000 years, when the Vikings introduced this hardy breed of sheep to Iceland. Their dual coat is unique because it can be spun together in a traditional Lopi-style Icelandic yarn, or separated by hand for a special project. The soft undercoat (called the thel) boasts a micron count of 19-22, a fineness that is similar to Merino; the coarser outer coat (called the tog) has a micron count of 27-30 and often behaves similarly to mohair. This breed comes in a variety of natural colors and is excellent for outerwear and felting projects. 

For more information about this breed, please visit the Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America website.

Jacob Sheep
These sheep were once a popular ‘novelty’ animal, roaming parks and estates in England for many years dating back to the 1700s. Their large horns and spotted black and white coats are quite striking, and unlike other primitive breeds, they do not have a dual fleece. However, each color patch is often unique (both in staple length and micron count) which gives this fleece a broad micron range of 27-35 microns.

For more information about this breed, please visit the Jacob Sheep Breeders Association website.

Shetland Sheep
This breed dates back to the bronze age, most likely deposited on the rocky islands from which they get their name by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago. This breed is available in a variety of natural colors; despite having many colored variants bred out of the line at the height of the Shetland woolen industry, 11 natural colors and 30 markings remain today, though some are rarer than others in the quest for bright white wool. The fleece is a joy to spin with; each fiber can be drawn from the lock with ease.

For more information about this breed, please visit the North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association website.

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Where the Sheep Are

Spring is here! In the fiber world, we know that means more than just warm temperatures; spring is the time that many sheep are shorn, giving us their beautiful fleece to spin, weave, knit, or crochet. It’s also a great time for fiber artists to branch out and try working with a new-to-them breed of sheep. If you’re wondering how to get started, here is a handy guide to begin your journey in to the wonderful world of sheep:

Fiber Festivals

Your local fiber festival is a great place to start! You might be surprised at how many sheep are raised in your region, and fiber festivals are an excellent way to support small farms and purchase fleece and fiber that you might not encounter anywhere else. You can often find breed-specific yarns in addition to raw fleece or prepared top, many of which can be purchased directly from the producer. We have several upcoming fiber festivals listed here on our website.

Sheep Breeder Associations

If you’ve encountered a breed of sheep you’ve never heard of, chances are there is an association dedicated to that particular breed which can be found with a simple web search. For example, if you came across a Border Leicester fleece, the American Border Leicester Association would be a great place to see photos of the sheep, learn about the breed’s history and read up on the characteristics of the fleece. Some association websites have classified sections where members can post sheep or sheep products for sale; you can also check for upcoming events to find out when and where the sheep will be shown!

Books

There are many wonderful books dedicated to all things sheep, but one of our favorites is The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Deb Robson and Carol Ekarious.  This comprehensive photographic encyclopedia features more than 200 animals and the fibers they produce, covering almost every sheep breed in the world from the longwool breeds of the United Kingdom to the Tasmanian merino, the Navajo churro, the northern European Faroese, and dozens  more. Another fantastic book is Clara Parkes’ Knitter’s Book of Wool, which focuses on how to best use the yarns created from specific breeds of wool and gives an excellent introduction to many breeds of sheep along the way.

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Spring Crafting, Spring Cleaning!

In our last blog post, we shared some of our favorite inspirational projects for revamping your home décor this season. If you’d rather embark on a little Spring Crafting instead of Spring Cleaning, here are some creative ways to accomplish both at the same time, guilt-free!

RUGS!
April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring muddy feet to your doorstep.  Here is a simple tutorial showing how to recycle old t-shirts into a fashionable and functional (not to mention, machine washable!) crocheted rug. Of course, a woven rug is another option to try: by choosing thick, sturdy yarns in ‘spring-y’ colors, you can add your own personal touch to your front door. In fact, there are plenty of ways to dress up your doorstep using colorful, easy-care yarns, whether your weave, knit, crochet or rug hook. Below are just a few of our favorite ideas for spring!

KNIT & CROCHET BASKETS
Organize your life with easy-to-make knit or crochet baskets! Baskets are a great way to use up leftover yarn in your stash, but you can also be strategic in your color choice by using cones of yarn to create matching sets or color-coding your world by using an assortment of yarn colors. Smaller sizes are perfect for holding small trinkets or craft supplies, while larger sizes can house your yarn collection, toys, reusable tote bags, or any number of items that need to be contained!

ECO-FRIENDLY SPRING CLEANING
Save money and the planet by making your own reusable floor sweeper covers! Choose machine washable yarns in bright colors to create an array of color choices to make you smile. You can find lots of easy patterns to knit or crochet on Ravelry, many of which are free. Reusable towels and scrubbers can also be knit, crocheted, or woven, and are an excellent way to save money and the planet!

Here’s one more spring cleaning tip to try: Eucalan wool wash does double duty; here is a video tutorial from Youtube which uses Eucalan to freshen up curtains and drapes for spring!

For more crafty inspiration, click here to view our Welcome Spring inspiration board on Pinterest!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Simple Ways to Welcome Spring + Upcoming Events

Spring is Just Around The Corner!

We’ve got spring fever at The Woolery! Hop over to Pinterest to see what’s been inspiring us this season on our new Welcome Spring inspiration board. There are plenty of ways you can spruce up your home decor with simple projects to knit, weave, felt or hook, ranging from practical projects to whimsical accents. Bright colors and lightweight, easy-care yarns such as cotton, bamboo or linen are perfect choices for your next ‘home improvement’ project. Below are just a few ideas that will give you a bright outlook for spring!

To view all of these projects (and more!), click here to visit our ‘Welcome Spring’ inspiration board on Pinterest!

Upcoming Fiber Events

We’ve got plenty of exciting classes and workshops happening at The Woolery in 2013, but now we’ll be keeping you updated about the latest fiber events happening throughout the country (and beyond!) with our new Upcoming Festivals page, too! Though The Woolery will not have a booth at the festivals listed,  we are providing this information as a service to the Fiber Arts Community in our efforts to support guilds, festivals and the fiber arts people who work so hard to keep crafting alive for future generations.

If you have an upcoming festival to promote, let us know! Simply email webmaster@woolery.com with the dates, location, a short description, image or logo along with a link to your website to be included on our page. There is no charge for this service; click here for more information!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

The Wonderful World of Fiber!

Welsh Mountain Sheep

You may not be surprised to learn that wool is one of our favorite fibers when it comes to spinning – after all, it’s in our name! With literally thousands of sheep breeds on the planet, there are limitless possibilities for adventurous spinners.

English Angora Rabbit

Have you heard or Herdwick? These sheep are native to the mountains of England, making them a hardy sheep that produces a hard-wearing, distinctive grey fleece. The Welsh sheep is another rare breed from Britain that you may like to try; the fleece of this particular sheep has a lot of character, but is surprisingly easy to spin.

When you’re ready to really expand your fiber horizons, there are plenty of interesting options for you to try outside of the sheep pastures. Angora is a type of fiber that can often be confusing to fiberphile beginners.  This soft, silky fiber is produced from the adorable angora rabbit and  boasts exceptional heat retention (we’ll talk about angora goats in a moment!). While it can be a bit of a challenge to spin, it is more than worth the effort. Angora also blends well with other fibers, which makes it easy to introduce into your spinning repertoire.

Angora Goat by Bev Knits

On the other hand, the humble angora goat produces a somewhat misunderstood fiber called mohair. For starters, it often has a bad reptuation as a scratchy or  irritating fiber, causing folks to avoid mohair yarns at all costs. Those of you who are willing to give mohair a second try will not be disappointed, however: high-quality mohair is unbelieveably soft yet strong with a gorgeous sheen. For a real treat, kid mohair is a must to try: the first shearings yield the softest, finest fiber.

Another common myth is that mohair is difficult to spin. The reality is that it is simply different to spin when compared to wool: the fibers are a bit more slippery and require more tension on your brake, but the long staple length of mohair will aid your on your quest.

Camel

Fiber from yak, muskox or camel should also be on your spinning to-do list. All  three of these fibers are incredibly soft and insulating, but with unique characteristics that elevates them to ‘luxury fiber’ status:

• Yak down is warmer than wool and as soft as cashmere; durable, lightweight, and hard-wearing, it is a hypo-allergenic fiber, making it an ideal choice for those with an allergy to wool.
• The muskox produces a downy soft undercoat called qiviut, which is softer than cashmere and hypo-allergenic. It is also non-shrinkable and non-feltable – truly an ‘easy care’ fiber!
• Bactrian Camels from Mongolia produce a soft, downy undercoat that is quite insulating yet lightweight. It is also excellent for felting!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Art Yarns + Spinning On The Go

Those of you who are relatively new to handspinning may be intimidated at the thought of spinning art yarns, but you easily create your own unique works of art!  Here are a few simple ways to get started:

Ply your handspun single with commercial thread or textured yarn such as boucle or eyelash. This is an ideal approach for  fluffy thick and thin handspun singles especially; be sure to match the direction you spin your singles with the direction of the thread or yarn you’ll be plying it with.

Have you ever had too much twist in your single, causing it to periodically twist back upon itself? When plying two singles together, periodically stop to allow one of them to twist back on itself, then continue to ply with even tension. The result is your very own “ewelash” yarn!

There’s no need to buy expensive yarns with beads or sequins when you can make your own! Using either two handspun singles or one handspun single with one commercial thread (see above), string beads or sequins to add periodically as you ply. Other add-in ideas: Feather, locks, fabric pieces, silk flowers, or pom pons. Be creative!

Finally, pre-made art yarn batts such as those by Butterfly Girl combine various fibers, locks and nepps with a hint of sparkle, making one-of-a-kind handspun art yarns a breeze. We’ll be giving away one of these wonderful batts here in our Ravelry group this month, too!

Spinning Wheel Spotlight: Bluebonnet Wheels

We’re proud to carry these handcrafted wheels from Bluebonnet that are beautiful, affordable, and great for traveling, too! They are made in the USA using solid hardwood. Each wheel is lightweight, making it ultra-portable for spin-ins and even air travel: the Thimble Spinning Wheel will fit into a “roller board” suitcase! This portable wheel is available in 4 attractive styles including the “All My Love” design (pictured at right), which is currently on special for Valentine’s day!

If today’s post makes you excited to give art yarns a try, the CraftyBee Wheel was designed especially for spinning art and chunky yarns. What makes this wheel so special? The 7-inch diameter bobbin will hold a LOT of yarn! Another exciting feature is the wheel axle and flyer axle, which are each on two sealed bearings for ease of treadling and quiet operation.

Portability meets quality at a nice price!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

 

The Drive To Spin + Discounted Floor Loom

Perhaps the most common question we get at The Woolery, is what spinning wheel drive system is best for me?  What is the difference between double drive and Scotch Tension?  What is Irish Tension?

That is the question we tackled in one of our most recent Ask The Woolery videos.  The drive system is what determines take-up or how fast the fiber is pulled from your hands.  Each drive system is made of the same parts—flyer, bobbin, mother-of-all, drive wheel, drive band, whorl (or pulley), and uprights. How these parts interact determines the kind of drive system.

This Lendrum is an example of a Scotch Tension drive system.

Scotch tension a “single drive” system, the drive band travels around the drive wheel and the flyer whorl. The brake band travels over the bobbin whorl. You can change the take-up by adjusting the brake band. Many folks like the minute control you get with this system.  You have to make micro-adjustments as you spin, particularly as the bobbin fills.

This Louet runs an Irish tension or bobbin lead system.

Irish tension or bobbin lead is another single-drive system. The drive band travels over the drive wheel and the bobbin flange and the break band is on the flyer.  This create a very aggressive take-up that is great for plying and bulky yarns.

This Matchless wheel from Schacht is set up in double drive.

Double drive, as you may gather by now, is a double-drive system. The drive band travels around both the bobbin and the whorl. Take-up is adjusted by changing the tension on the drive band. Many spinners like the consistency of this system. It excels at making medium-weight and soft spun yarns.

There you have it in a nut shell.  Watch the video to see these systems in action.

Happy New Year! (For A Short Time Only)

Now through January 31st, we are offering Schacht’s Standard Floor Loom in 36 or 46 inch width for 20% off list price with a free inserted eye heddle upgrade and free shipping.  Click here for more details!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Weaving In The New Year

Perhaps your New Year’s resolution is to weave better.  Better means different things to different people. For some it means faster; for others it means with less mistakes; for others still it means weaving with more precision.

Weaving on the Edge

Nancy and Nancy argue about which shuttle they like best. Learn more in our Weaving Shuttle Breakdown video.

Selvedges are one of the biggest challenges for weavers.  We obsess about them.  There are a few simple things that you can do to create perfect selvedges.  If you find that your warp is “smiling” at you or turning up at the edges it is probably because you are not putting the weft in at a steep enough angle or you are pulling the yarn too tight as you grab the shuttle exiting the shed. We tend to do the latter when you reach with your non-dominant hand because we have less control when using it.  Check our our video My Weaving Isn’t Even to learn more.

Another way to ensure good selvedges is to invest in an end-delivery shuttle.  It gives you better control over your yarn by keeping it under tension.  You can learn more about them in our Weaving Shuttle Breakdown or How To Wind a Pirn videos.  And, speaking of winding:  winding your shuttle bobbin or pirn well will also help you with your selvedges.  Well-wound bobbins keep the shuttle from jerking as it passes though the shed.  The jerking can keep you from making a smooth pass and laying in the weft evenly.

Recovering from Mistakes

Chris broke his warp thread, now what? Watch our How To Fix A Broken Warp End video to see how he recovers.

The reality is that mistakes happen – recovering from them is what makes our weaving “better.”  Broke a warp thread?  Watch our video on how to fix it.  Can’t get a clean shed?  Maybe you miss threaded the reed or the heddles.  We have a video on that, too!

These are just a few of the tips and tricks that you will find on our  You Tube channel.  If you have an idea for a video, let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team

Presentation is Everything: Handmade Touches For Gifts

As the holiday countdown winds down, why not put a few handmade finishing touches on your gifts this year? If you ran out of time to make gifts for everyone on your list, adding a small handmade flourish using a few of our ideas below will still show the recipient how much you care!

Pompons instead of bows: a great way to destash yarn, plus they can also be used as an ornament for your tree!

Replace ribbon with yarn to create striking stripes or a woven effect.

Decorate packages with small embellishments you can needle felt, knit or crochet such as miniature wreaths, holly, snowflakes, or anything else you can dream up!

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap: Knit or crochet gift bags add a personal touch to store-bought gifts!

All of these projects (and more!) can be found via our “Presentation is Everything” Pinterest board! Join Us for the 12 Fiber Toys of Christmas It’s Toy Season! This Friday, we’ll be featuring a new favorite fiber toy with a special deal and a chance to win that particular toy (tool) – click here for more details! Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team!