A sheep unto its own (by Sandy Ryan)

Have you ever wondered where a wool path less traveled may lead you? What elusive fiber and fleece awaits? Today’s journey finds us heading to Scotland and a majestic, elegant sheep known as the Scottish Black Face.

A few years back I got know Graham & Margaret Phillipson who tend a beautiful flock of Scottish sheep. The sheep are well loved and spend their lives happily romping acres and acres of pasture in a secluded scenic valley. The Phillipsons travel to back home to Scotland and England each year, returning with genetics from long established native flocks. They are very dedicated to the preservation of the noble sheep included in their flock of North Country Cheviot, English Suffolk, Mule Sheep – and Scottish Black Face sheep.

I go out each spring to help on shearing day, scooping up beautiful fleeces while plotting my next projects and offerings for our Website. What a day! There is a lot to know about the ‘Scotties’ but I am going to concentrate on my own experiences with the sheep and the fiber they produce.

Scotties are a traditional breed raised in Scotland and much of Europe. They are known as very hardy sheep, resistant to disease and parasites. Their babies hop right up after birth and the mamas protect them like lions. Their fleeces have been used for centuries as the main wool in Europe’s famed weaving industry. Carpets, tweed fabric and any durable item a suitable match for such long strong locks.

The average fleece features locks from four-to-10 inches long, is dual coated, coarse in texture and even has a bit of shine to it. The sheep are sheared once a year and our own Scottie Devlyn’s fleece almost drags the ground by March. The locks have a very defined structure with a wavy crimp.

While you might wonder ‘why try’ this coarse wool, here is what I have found. The wool is very easy to wash, often I find a bit of silver threaded through the entire fleece, sometimes only spots. Locks are easily separated for use in doll hair, primitive Santa beards and embellishing. 

If you blend a small amount of fiber into softer wool it creates durable sock yarn for the entire sock, or just heels. They are comfy and you do not have to darn them often. Knitting or crochet projects may find the wool in hats, mittens and outerwear items. 

The fiber takes dye like a champ, but maintains a mind of its own, at times resulting in slightly secretive to very creative variegations in color. It is an adventure to rinse out the dye pots. It cards easily into batts or roving.

It is also an easy felting fiber. Again, durable, stylish when used for trim or entire projects. One of the first projects I created after meeting these lovely sheep was a knit then wet felted tote. The fiber felted quickly and I still carry the tote bag with knitting stashed inside- it looks like it was just felted last week. I have also enjoyed using this wool as a needle felting embellishment.

Weaving is another fantastic use, I have not tried it out yet but history indicates enough bounce in the wool to avoid path wear or wear under heavy furniture. I intend to try this out soon, maybe with a bulky bulky single ply- I cannot wait! (Just have to get that loom warped up- my patience needs more work!)

Customers who have tried this wool have given satisfied feedback for all uses mentioned above. They added that when spun into a fine yarn, it has many of the same characteristics of linen (flax) fiber and softens with use/wear.

Over the years part of the Phillipson flock has made its way to a very historical setting in nearby Milwaukee- roaming a golf course designed after the rugged terrain of Ireland. Whistling Straits will host the 2010 PGA Championship in August. You can be sure the Phillipson sheep will be wowing golfers and keeping tabs on their scores- from afar.

Maybe you will wait to try this fiber or file info away for a future time. Add it to your fiber bucket list, try something new and get to know a Scottish Black Face sheep.  For more extensive information about Scotties please visit our friends at http://littledalefarm.com and lots of info and pictures can be found at http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep

Read about the Kohler/Whistling Straights Scotties here    http://www.golfti.com/kohler/irish/

Our sheep offer a variety of Scottie fiber selections so hope you will stop on by http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarmcom or http://www.crazyquilthomestead.etsy.com

What is Rolag? (by Michele Grim)

 

Don’t fear!  I’m here to answer all your questions.  One of the most common types of spinning fiber that will be processed is called roving.  Roving is carded wool that is a long continuous strand of twisted fiber.   

A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber or fibre. It is used to spin wool yarn. A roving can be created by carding the fiber.  Because it is carded the fibers are not parallel.  Roving that is not twisted is called a sliver (pronounced SLYver).     

The first picture on the right is Llama roving.   

A batt is a wider than roving, rectangular and made from a drum carder.     

The second (white and yellow fiber) picture on the right is that of a wool batt.  

A rolag is a roll of fiber made from hand carders and generally used to spin woolen yarn.  A rolag is created by carding the fiber using handcards and then by gently rolling the fiber off the cards. If it’s properly prepared a rolag will be uniform in width distributing the fibers evenly.  A combed top is another type of long, continuous strand of fiber.   The difference is that instead of being carded it is combed with all the short hairs have been removed to create a smooth fiber.  

Animal fibers have traditionally been used to create rolags but today’s yarn spinner uses many different materials including synthetic and even plant fibers – like bamboo. 

The third picture on the right is that of a wool rolag. 

Either one you pick will give you some very beautiful yarn. Stay tuned for more fiber spinning related articles.  I’d sure like to hear from you if you also dye and spin your own yarns.  If you visit Misfit Yarns you’ll see some of my work.  Naughty Knitterz will soon be displaying some of my work on a newly created Yarn & Fiber Shop page.  No matter if you spell it fiber or fibre you’ll find it there.  

If you have email me ( michele@naughtyknitterz.com ) with any questions you might have.      

Spin & Grin you Naughty Knitterz!     

Source: Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn, Maggie Casey, Interweave Press, 2008.  Pictures taken by Michele Grim. 

Knitting with wood, sticks & branches (by Knitting Doc)

My fifth birthday was quickly approaching. He kept calling them “knitting needles.” Some were brown and tan. Others, gray, black and very long. But the only needles I knew were the ones from the Dr.’s office which hurt.

Ah, Grandpap was my hero! What fond memories I have. My family called me a toe-head who was energetic, highly motivated and self-driven. For several years, I had watched Grandpap sit by the hour and move those hands so fast using roving and yarn from the sheep he raised on the farm. Being the eager little kid who always was curious and wanting to learn new things, I begged him to teach me to knit. It was one of those eye opening moments. He looked at me and just smiled in delight.

He grew up in Germany where all the boys and girls in elementary school were taught to knit as part of the normal curriculum. “Well,” he said. “I learned to knit when I was a boy so there’s no reason you shouldn’t learn how to do it too. It’s something that’ll help you and that you can do for the rest of your life. And don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. So, let’s go do some whittling!”

At the time, I obviously didn’t get the full gist of what he was saying — five year olds aren’t fully aware of stereotypes. I just knew Grandpap could do no wrong in my eyes. If he taught me how to milk cows, ‘slop’ the pigs, herd sheep, gather eggs and pull weeds, then knitting was no different.

Whittling? It all started to make sense. Grandpap whittled a lot. But Grandma said I was too young to be playing with a knife. I have vague memories of watching him whittle but never paid too much attention to it. Wow! When he said, “Let’s go do some whittling,” it all clicked!!!! All that time he was making his own wooden knitting needles. Not from dowels, but from wood, sticks, branches, etc. I still have that vivid image of us going to look for some wood to make me my own pair of knitting needles. He said he would have to make them bigger than his so that I could learn better. Since, I wanted to have the same ones which he had, I threw a little temper tantrum…..yuk! He was so loving and patient. “You’ll understand some day but it’ll be harder for you to wrap that sheep hair around the needle if it is too small.” And right he was!

Initially, Grandpap taught me to knit using the “throw” or English technique with very large needles in order to learn the mechanics and physics of knitting. Shortly, thereafter, I switched to Continental knitting so I could go “as fast as he could.” I remember the thrill of staying up late night after night practicing the long tail cast on for hours. I now laugh whenever I think of how frayed that precious yarn became after unraveling for the 10^th time.

Funny. I could relate to “sheep hair” as a kid. Roving and wool as more abstract terms came later. I had watched Grandma clean, card and spin the ‘sheep hair’ many times but it wasn’t all that exciting to me as a kid. Now I long for those peaceful, loving moments spent with two wonderful people. Working with nature. Watching the lambs grow to adulthood. Shearing. Preparing the wool. Then using it to complete a garment to wear.

As I think about it right now, I was learning about life cycles. Biology, nature, mathematics, etc., all the while just thinking I was having fun with yarn and needles.

Fifty six years later I am still passionately knitting every day. I’ve weathered through some of those awkward years of being teased as a young man knitting. That stopped rather quickly after the bullies learned that I could do other “guy” things. Eventually, some of them asked me to teach them. Be true to yourself!

I’ve gone through the gamut of knitting throughout the years. Except for lace. Over the past several months, I’ve finally decided to go for it. Now I’m addicted to it. I didn’t know any better when I learned to knit and ended up cutting my own hair and trying to spin it. Guess I just figured that if it can be done with sheep hair then any hair will do! Sadly, though, I must say that after repeated attempts at learning to spin, I have never been able to do it. And it bugs me trying to figure out why! It looks so simple and smooth. Grandpap used to say, “Now just don’t worry about it. God will give you other gifts down the road.” How right he was.

It feels like Elizabeth Zimmerman and I were brother and sister. Having said that, “Knit on!”

Knittingdoc