Ok I admit it, I suck at blogging when life gets manic, and boy has it been a manic six weeks or so. For those of you in the UK, do you remember/are familiar with UCAS forms to get into uni? Well it turns out they have an evil big brother... he's called The Pupillage Portal. Short version is that all would-be barristers have to do something called pupillage - essentially a year long apprenticeship, for which we apply via said portal. There are only so many ways you can explain why you want to practise law, why you think you'd be good at it, why you want to practise at that particular set and why you are interested in the work they do... oh and by the way your entire career rides on this having already shelled out for a three year degree and a £15k post-grad course! No pressure then...
Anyway suffice it to say that it has pretty much trashed my crafting time, though I did make it to Wonderwool (detail on that in a later post I think) and somehow seem to have acquired more fluff than I currently know what to do with!
So what's new, erm fleece for one! First up I bought this Jacob fleece, which if I'm completely honest about I was kinda disappointed in.
Now I know buying sight unseen is always dodgy but this one came as a destash from someone I regularly buy dyed fluff from. Almost all of the brown was so matted it wasn't worth the hassle of cutting the locks off (life being too short to faff with lousy fleece!) but I've hopefully got enough mixed to make some welly-socks from, and I'm not sure by weight how much of the cream I have but it fills a good couple of bags as flicked locks. £5 plus £7.50 postage I suppose wasn't bad but I'm still a bit irritated.
Next up was this beautiful shetland.
I've got it all washed and now just need to decide what to do with it. The staple length is about 2" with the most ridiculous crimp I've ever seen, and it is sooooo soft... did I mention I paid £4.50 for it!!! All told I think I've got about 600g which is just shy of what I need for a jumper that I'd wanted to do, but to be honest I think this one is destined to be an uber snuggly shawl, the type you curl up in on a cold evening with a decadent cup of hot chocolate :)
Lastly on the fleece front was this beast!
Its an Oxford Down and I only have myself to blame as I picked it and was very generously given it for free. Despite testing it (with my fledgling knowledge of how to do so) I think I've managed to get one with a break in it :( That said all is not lost as a) I have the better end of I think 4-5kg!!!!! of it b) not all of it seems to have the weakness and c) it is currently carding up well. Only downside is I think I've been rushing the washing by packing too much into the tulle bags so I've not got rid of all the lanolin (it turns out I really really really hate spinning greasy fibre!) and now need to re-wash the half a pillowcase or so that I've done up to now. A slight added impetus on this one is that I hope to be spinning it at the Millers Ark Jubilee party on 2 June as that is where I got the fleece from. I figure there is nothing like a demo with the sheep the fleece came from standing behind you :)
Just to give you a better idea on the break(?) etc these are some washed and unwashed locks from the Oxford.
Check out the crimp though!!! :D
Anyway suffice it to say that it has pretty much trashed my crafting time, though I did make it to Wonderwool (detail on that in a later post I think) and somehow seem to have acquired more fluff than I currently know what to do with!
So what's new, erm fleece for one! First up I bought this Jacob fleece, which if I'm completely honest about I was kinda disappointed in.
Now I know buying sight unseen is always dodgy but this one came as a destash from someone I regularly buy dyed fluff from. Almost all of the brown was so matted it wasn't worth the hassle of cutting the locks off (life being too short to faff with lousy fleece!) but I've hopefully got enough mixed to make some welly-socks from, and I'm not sure by weight how much of the cream I have but it fills a good couple of bags as flicked locks. £5 plus £7.50 postage I suppose wasn't bad but I'm still a bit irritated.
Next up was this beautiful shetland.
I've got it all washed and now just need to decide what to do with it. The staple length is about 2" with the most ridiculous crimp I've ever seen, and it is sooooo soft... did I mention I paid £4.50 for it!!! All told I think I've got about 600g which is just shy of what I need for a jumper that I'd wanted to do, but to be honest I think this one is destined to be an uber snuggly shawl, the type you curl up in on a cold evening with a decadent cup of hot chocolate :)
Lastly on the fleece front was this beast!
Its an Oxford Down and I only have myself to blame as I picked it and was very generously given it for free. Despite testing it (with my fledgling knowledge of how to do so) I think I've managed to get one with a break in it :( That said all is not lost as a) I have the better end of I think 4-5kg!!!!! of it b) not all of it seems to have the weakness and c) it is currently carding up well. Only downside is I think I've been rushing the washing by packing too much into the tulle bags so I've not got rid of all the lanolin (it turns out I really really really hate spinning greasy fibre!) and now need to re-wash the half a pillowcase or so that I've done up to now. A slight added impetus on this one is that I hope to be spinning it at the Millers Ark Jubilee party on 2 June as that is where I got the fleece from. I figure there is nothing like a demo with the sheep the fleece came from standing behind you :)
Just to give you a better idea on the break(?) etc these are some washed and unwashed locks from the Oxford.
Check out the crimp though!!! :D
Lovely crimp! Good to see you back here, I was getting worried.
ReplyDeleteYou know that blogging about fleeces is dangerous, isn't it? Seing how I ended up following your example in all things fibre, what do you think I will want to do next? Well, luckily I haven't reached the stage yet when I can do any carding, so I am safe for now. But one day...
Hehe sorry have been utterly burried in endless job applications of the most horrible variety!
ReplyDeleteAs to where you're ending up.... well I came away from Wonderwool with combs (small hand ones I hasten to add!) and promptly ordered a set of carders... and have the table clamp and diz on my Woolfest wishlist. In short, you're s(*%&ed :P
When I finally figure out how to wash this dratted Oxford properly would you like some? I can do locks, rolags or tops... or some of each :) Should I give you a shout when I've got it washed right?
I have had my eye on a drumcarder ever since Fibre Fest, so the countdown has begun. Mark is resisting though - he says we have no space, which is definitely true. I have had to throw out some old stuff to find room for all things knitting and spinning recently.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try some of your tops when you're ready! Then I can say I have something from the Lace Queen/Spinning Queen. It is also a variety I haven't tried yet so that would be interesting.