This blog shows my ongoing enjoyment of fibre arts (spinning, weaving, crochet, learning to knit, felting, etc) and may also contain some other of my crafts/skills in other areas.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Lumby Days 2006
Again this year, as last year, we (Monashee Spinners and Weavers) did a Sheep-to-Shawl demonstration at the Lumby Days celebration. This year Louise had some pre-spun/pre-dyed wool warp on her loom (green, pink, purple). Kitty and I were spinning the whole time while Denise and Lynette took turns as spinner and plyer, this way we had 3 spinners spinning "singles" while 1 was plying the singles into a 2 ply yarn and winding this onto bobbins for the weaver. What we were spinning was a Border Lieicester (pronounced Lester)/Finn cross sheeps wool which had been washed and flicker carded. Louise had raised this on her own sheep. I was so busy spinning and such that I forgot to take pictures during the process, so by the time I thought of it Kitty had already left and Denise was in the process. Oh well, better late than never.
We have Border Leicesters in NZ, but I've never heard of the breed Finns.
ReplyDeleteThe sheep we have on our farm are Perendales which are a cross between Cheviot and Romney breeds.
Kiwi, I hadn't heard of Finn sheep either until Lumby Days. Not being into raising sheep I am not at all knowledgable about them, but am picking up some bits and pieces as a spinner. I was told at Lumby by Louise and Kitty (hhhmmm... maybe Denise and/or Lynnette too, can't remember for sure) that Finns are fairly common around here (or something to that effect). Anyway, I just Googled Finn Sheep... here are 2 of the sites that came up:
ReplyDeletehttp://finnsheep.tripod.com/
http://www.finnsheep.asn.au/annual2004.html
and there are lots more.
I also Googled your Perendales. They sound interesting. How is their fleece for spinning? I'm sure you must spin your own fleece. :o)
Our Perendale fleece is good to spin. I used to comb it, but have become lazy and now get it professionally carded. The fleece and has a nice pearly lustre when spun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links, Alice...I'll check them out.
ReplyDeleteA pearly finish when spun... ooooohhh that sounds nice. I like spinning professionally prepared rovings, but it much better fits my budget just now to do my own. I have a drum carder so that makes life much easier.
ReplyDelete