LouAnn, Karin and I had a great day at the Museum of Appalachia. We spent the day there at the first sheep shearing day of the season. I heard that there were over 1000 kids there, but it sure didn't seem like it.
We got there early to set up our booth, soon the shearers would bring me a fleece fresh off of the sheep. I then take the public through the process of skirting the yuck off of the fleece and then washing a bit of the fleece. (I am sure to show them the filthy water that comes off of the fleece.) I then go on to how I process the clean fleece, using wool from last years fleeces, then finally I show them how I spin the wool on my wee Great wheel.
I always carry fleece and yarn made from the previous years fleeces, so that I can show people what can be done with this wonderful stuff.
I also bring plenty of fluff that is ready to spin so that I do not run out of rolags, as it usual takes me longer to prep a rolag than it does to spin one. I did run out of prepped fiber the first year and I vowed to never let that happen again!
On the other side of the booth, Karin had a spinning wheel with a flyer and bobbin, and LouAnn demonstrates how to weave wool on a band loom. On the table there are knitted and woven wool products to show what can be done with wool. The kids can touch and ask all sorts of questions, and they do!
Karin and I took home several fleeces to wash and prep for future Sheep Shearing days. There are 2 more Sheep Shearing days next Friday and Saturday, and you will be sure to find us there educating the public on how yarn has been made from the early days of human history. I made sure to tell them that if they knew where to look they would find artisans that still make yarn this same way!
Until next week, Tina
We got there early to set up our booth, soon the shearers would bring me a fleece fresh off of the sheep. I then take the public through the process of skirting the yuck off of the fleece and then washing a bit of the fleece. (I am sure to show them the filthy water that comes off of the fleece.) I then go on to how I process the clean fleece, using wool from last years fleeces, then finally I show them how I spin the wool on my wee Great wheel.
I always carry fleece and yarn made from the previous years fleeces, so that I can show people what can be done with this wonderful stuff.
I also bring plenty of fluff that is ready to spin so that I do not run out of rolags, as it usual takes me longer to prep a rolag than it does to spin one. I did run out of prepped fiber the first year and I vowed to never let that happen again!
On the other side of the booth, Karin had a spinning wheel with a flyer and bobbin, and LouAnn demonstrates how to weave wool on a band loom. On the table there are knitted and woven wool products to show what can be done with wool. The kids can touch and ask all sorts of questions, and they do!
Karin and I took home several fleeces to wash and prep for future Sheep Shearing days. There are 2 more Sheep Shearing days next Friday and Saturday, and you will be sure to find us there educating the public on how yarn has been made from the early days of human history. I made sure to tell them that if they knew where to look they would find artisans that still make yarn this same way!
Until next week, Tina
1 comment:
We had a busy, windy day at the Museum! Tina does a fabulous job explaining the process of working with the fleeces and getting them ready to spin.
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