Unfortunately I’m committed. I’ve already started knitting the jumper so I’ve got to persevere.
The fleece in question is a Ryeland x Wensleydale. Which in theory sounds lovely: all the softness and crimp of the Wensleydale with the more manageable Ryeland staple length. And it is, when it’s undergone a laborious, tedious and lengthy series of preparation steps, only discovered after much experimentation:
1) wash fleece: with the hottest water my failing boiler can put out. Squeeze, rinse, squeeze, rinse again…ad nauseum
2) spin in a mesh bag on the wool cycle in the washing machine
3) dry on the radiators (yes, yes I know you’re not supposed to; I had no choice, it was the coldest winter in 30 years). Pick out some of the enormous quantities of field still in the fleece.
4) comb the locks open with a dog comb. Pick more field out of the fleece.
5) card the combed locks into rolags. Pick yet more field out of the fleece (what on earth was this sheep doing?!?)
6) spin long draw, the only fast part of the entire operation. Pick more bits out
7) ply the singles, picking out yet more bits, and skein. Yes, picking more bits out
8 ) wash the yarn. Hang to dry and pick more bits out as it dries
I still have to pick bits of grass out of the yarn as I knit. But really, it is lovely when it’s done. My only worry is that I’ve got a white version of the same fleece in the shed. Do I dare even unroll it..?
