Contemplating some serious insubordination

For the small price of two pairs of child-size mittens, I have been given three rather large bags full of freshly shorn wool. After spending several hours picking through the first fleece, I've come to several conclusions.

First, the possibilities are endless. There is a lot of wool there, and two of the bags are multicolored, which means I can separate and mix and blend to my heart's content.

Second, this is going to take forever!

It is very liberating to be given a large amount of wool in one shot. I've purchased a couple fleeces, and, while I've never bought anything really fancy, it's still a large investment, which makes it hard to throw any of it away. With three giant garbage bags of wool at my disposal, it is easier to part with the less desirable parts of the the fleece. Anything that's really dirty or packed with hay —gone! It seems wasteful at first, but it will make for better yarn in the long run.

I've also come to realize I may have to do something I've promised never to do. Something I've been expressly forbidden to do.

Normally, I clean raw wool with scalding water, lots of Dawn dish soap, and many, many rinses. With as much as there is, I don't think that is going to be an option this time. However, there is a method for cleaning large volumes of wool at once…

If allowed to sit in cool water, salt from the sheep sweat reacts with the lanolin, or oil, in the wool, creating a soap of sorts. The wool sits, stewing in its own juices, over several days while essentially scouring itself. The process is very efficient and much easier. It is also super gross, stinks terribly and has huge potential for disaster. (I've gagged through reading several hilarious blog posts about it.)

I made the mistake of sharing those posts with Darren, and he has forbidden me to ever try it. His reasoning, I will get too grossed out, and he will be the one to have to finish the process, which he has absolutely no desire to do. The man does make a valid point.

But I think I'm going to do it anyway. Shhhhh…

Comments

Evergreen asymmetry

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.

Crafting a Legacy

Before my mom taught me to knit, crochet and sew, that knowledge was passed to her. My Grandma Hansen was a tough lady. The kind who wouldn't tolerate rude behavior or disrespect from anyone old enough to control the tone of their voice. She could still a child squirming through church with an outstretched hand. She was also the kind who, with a wink and a smile, would slide an M&M across the table to a kid to shy to ask for one, then elicit a whispered, "Thank you," with a gentle, but expectant, "You're welcome." Grandma Hansen in 2005. Grandma was also a crafter. She gifted many crochet dolls to her grand-daughters. One Christmas, each grand-kid was given a pillow case. Mine, a black and white panda print with lace on the cuff, is still in circulation. Another year it was a pajama set, wrapped and topped with a little crochet animal. My brother's gift topper was accidentally sent out with the wrapping paper, and she made him another. It sh...

Exciting developments

At deer camp, Uncle Mark observed I really need to get back to blogging. He's right! It's been far too long, and there is so much to share. The delay can be partly attributed to my desire to have a video with each blog, which ended up taking much more time than initially anticipated, time I just don't have — but more on that later. Also, my phone storage is full again. In the past, that was solved by using google to back up my photos so they could be deleted, but now my google storage is full, too. I take a lot of photos! Why don't we get to the goodies right away? I have a pattern to share with you! This little fox is incredibly simple to make, and the results are just too cute. It's a basic chevron stitch and whips up in no time. The full pattern is available for free as a ravelry download . The fox design and my lack of time are actually very much related. The story started a couple years ago when my Auntie Becky met a lady named, Lois. Lois had alpacas, a...

Cricket in a Biscuit

Search This Blog