Spinning Jacob

 

I have received this beautiful Jacob fleece freshly shorn so full of lanolin.

 

I couldn't wait to get started so decided to spin in the grease. I quite

 

 enjoyed spinning that way but you do end up with tacky hands.

 

Once spun and plied it was washed and I am now knitting it into a bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll post pictures of the bag at a later date.

 

Thanks for visiting.

JL 

Lincoln Longwool

I've been spinning Lincoln Longwool this week. I like to use rare breed fleece when I can.

With it having long locks you can't use the drum carder so it's best to comb it or just separate locks and spin them like that.

 

I plied it with Alpaca and Tussah silk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early morning.

I was up at 5.30 this morning, the birds were singing and the sun came up through the trees at the end of the garden.











I love being up early, chance to sit quietly drink tea and read a magazine before anyone else rises.

                                                  

 

I took Tess my collie out to the woods, it was beautiful, not a soul around just the birds singing their chorus and the wild flowers warmed by dappled sun shining through the trees.

Thanks for visiting.   JL

                              

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                              

Cambridge Trip

Had a lovely trip to Cambridge with my family yesterday. Been meaning to go for ages. My son's girlfriend is over from Canada so it seemed like a good opportunity to go.

It's a very pretty and historic university town with beautiful architecture.

There were people busking and a lovely market and lots of bicycles. It rained a little but it didn't spoil the day.
Well worth a visit.
JL

Wednesday wander

A carpet of Wood Anenome and primrose the pungent smell of wild garlic filling the air. Symphonic birdsong dancing on the breeze.
The sun shining warming the air, Buzzards soaring surveying the land below.
Nature at it's best.

Thanks for visiting.
JL

Woodland Walk

Sun shining had a wonderful walk with Tess in the woods this morning armed with my binoculars. Heard the first Cuckoo of spring which brought a big smile to my face. Saw Chiff Chaffs, Chaffinch, Great Tits, Blue Tits, heard a Green Woodpecker yaffle in the trees and a Buzzard over yonder.

I picked some Gorse flowers to make some dye, more of that later.

JL

Blueberry Experiment.

I've been experimenting with blueberries in the dye pot. The results were not quite what I expected, but pleasing all the same.

After boiling up the berries, straining and then letting the resulting dye cool I put in some Merino fibres a piece of wool blanket and a piece of embroidered linen.
After heating for a while then leaving to soak over night I then split the Merino into two and put one piece back into the dye along with a little soda crystals heated it again and these are the results below.
The wool blanket went dark muddy pink, the linen light soft pink, the embroidery on it changed very little.                                                      
  The fibre modified with the crystals turned from a soft dusky pink to soft dusky green.


Thanks for visiting
 JL