Getting ready for Christmas

Starting to dye wool fiber for making Christmas decorations for Markree Castle Hotel.  This year I am hoping to run a theme throughout the whole hotel.  Lots of little coloured trees everywhere.  This is the first dye lot drying in the sun.  I managed to forget it on the cooker last night and it boiled over and now I have a pale pink worktop.  They will keep me busy as all this has to be carded to give a smooth finish and I will mix a little Angelina through to give some glitter

Market Stall

All my yarn and felting/spinning fiber on show at the Etsy market in Dublin.  A few bits and pieces sold and hopefully good PR

Dyed Jacob Sheep Yarn

This yarn is spun from a fleece from a neighbouring farm.  Richard, the farmer,  runs a farm that takes school trips and has one or two Jacob sheep.   He gives me the fleece to spin.  the fleece is two tone, dark brown/grey and white.  I have washed it and then carded it, then spun it and dyed it.  I only did 4 skeins as a trial as I was a little unsure how they would come out.   They are yellower than show on my monitor and it is a chunky yarn.  It should knit up to make a very warm garment and could be used to make a design with plain Jacob yarn.  I sell it at only €9.60 for 80gms as it is much quicker to prepare and not a soft as my Wensleydale,  above all takes half the time to prepare 

Jacob Fleece

  I got this fleece from a neighbour Richard they run school trips to their farm in the Spring and keep one or two rare breeds of sheep and so have two jacob sheep.   I have just started to wash the first fleece and I took these photos of it drying in the Autumn sunshine.   Now I am busy carding it and will probably spin it into a chunky yarn and then dye it.  When dyed the natural dark brown should remain much the same and the white take up thre color.  Worth a try anyway,    I

Wensleydale X Suffolk Batts

This  Batt is from the wool from  Susie's lamb who you see here walking across the field just days before she was shorn.   She had the most amazing amount of wool and I now have it all washed and only a little left to dye.   I decided to offer some Batts on my Etsy website as I have so much wool to work with.   I have carded this only once on my drum carder but I can put it through again which will blend the colors more and give a smoother Batt which in turn should give a more even yarn.  I can also put it through my diz to make a roving ready to spin.  If you would like it made into a yarn just contact me and I will get back with a price. I have over 400 gms.  It will make a lovely yarn and also can be used for wet or needle felting