On my travels in Victoria I walked through Panama Flats, a park very close to my sister's home. It was a very sunny late afternoon with threat of rain the next day. and we decided to check out this part of our old neighbourhood that is now an official park. It has a creek that is the beginning of Colquitz Creek with large old weeping willow trees but the park is mostly a large grassland and marsh. There were ducks, geese and sea gulls in the pond. The water level of the marsh changes from season to season. (I skated there a few times in my youth on the rare occasions that it was cold enough for ice to form. As we were skating on a flooded field we were confident that if we went through the ice we would not go far.) There were 3 huge clumps of teasels growing in the field. Such a delightful surprise for a weaver to find. Historically, teasels were used to raise the nap of woven woolen fabric. My sister has always grown teasels (biennial) in her garden about two blocks away and I would like to think that her teasels have seeded those in the park. They are such a point of interest in the grass land, close to the huge blackberry patches and tall old oak trees in the distance.
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The following article is from the March 2017 edition of Threads Along the Peace Newsletter available upon membership to Peace Country Spinners and Weavers. Just so you know what you are missing if you are not a member....
Tell
Me About… Types of Fleece by Marjo Wheat
Knowing about the characteristics of different types of
fleece and how best to use them is spinning and weaving can be useful. Sheep fleece can vary widely in colour,
length, fibre diameter, and the amount of curl or crimp, depending on the
breed. Which is best for what kinds of
work? I’ll give you a starting point for
figuring this out.
Basically, there are three types of wool:
Fine
wools, as the name suggests are wools with a very fine fibre
diameter. Fine wools come from breeds
such as the Merino, Cormo, Corriedale, Polwarth, and Rambouillet. With these breeds, the staple length tends to
be 3.5 to 5 inches, which is short to medium, compared with other breeds. The crimp is usually very close and the fibre
tends to have less lustre. Fine wools
are appreciated for their softness and handle.
They are often used for baby yarns and garments worn next to the
skin.
In preparation, these fleeces tend to have a high amount of
grease and must be washed using high temperatures and lots of a mild
detergent. For the best results, do not
wash the whole fleece at once, but use a washing bag or tray and wash a few
locks at a time. Agitation should be
kept to an absolute minimum to avoid felting. Preparation of the fibre for
spinning can be with wool combs and flick carders, or with cotton carding
paddles. They have traditionally been spun worsted, but can be spun woolen as
well.
Longwools often
are lustrous, strong, and can handle hard wear.
The locks tend to have a wavy crimp and can be from 5 to 8.5 inches
long. Typical breeds include the Blue-faced, Border, and English Leicesters,
Coopworth, Lincoln, Romney, Gotland and Texel.
These fleeces are best used to make outerwear, upholstery, rugs, and
carpets. Fleeces with more loft are more
suitable for knitted sweaters and woven fabrics which are made to provide
warmth without too much weight.
These fleeces are usually moderately greasy and can be
washed in larger batches. They are less
inclined to felt, on the whole.
Preparation can involve carding or combing, depending on the project,
but hand carding is only recommended for the shorter fleeces.
Down
Wools tend to be elastic, resilient, lofty, bulky, and have a
spiral crimp. The fibre diameter can
range between fine to medium and the staple length is from 2 to 3.5
inches. Typical Down breeds are the
Cheviot, Shetland, Suffolk, Tunis, and Shropshire. The fleece can be used to make blankets,
sweaters, socks, throws, and crush-resistant woven fabrics for clothing. The
fibre tends to have good shape retention and excellent crease resistance.
Down wools do not tend to felt easily and the grease
content is moderate. They wash easily
with hot water and detergent. After
washing, the staple may look much shorter, but the fibre has not shrunk;
washing causes the crimp to curl even more.
Hand and drum carding work well for the shorter types of fleece, and
combing for the longer. Short fibres
will need more twist in spinning to anchor them more firmly in the yarn.
I hope this will help you in choosing your next fleeces and
the projects to make from them. For more information, I recommend Fournier and
Fournier’s “In Sheep’s Clothing: A Handspinner’s Guide to Wool”.
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Peace Country Spinners and Weavers activities:
- April 15, 2017 North Peace Spinners and Weavers chicken pincushion workshop. See poster above. This event was cancelled due to heavy snow and will be rescheduled.
- April 22, 2017 PCSW Spring Conference. Kiwanis Performing Arts Center 10401 10th St., Dawson Creek. 9:00-5:00. Please register early to receive warp specifications and drafts to prewarp the loom and weave the first sample. This will be a Round Robin style weaving experience. Also, Fibre Share participants will present their finished pieces. Member: $45. Non member: $60. See registration details in the December newsletter. Registrations are to be sent to the Treasurer.
- September 9, 2017 North Peace Spinners and Weavers are celebrating their 40th Anniversary with an open house at Artspost, 10320 94th Ave. Fort St. John. Come and see spinners and weavers in action, and displays of their work. Come and join us celebrate and eat cake! 1:00-4:00. Please note change of date!
- October 13,14,15, 2017 PCSW Fall Conference- Spinning Art Yarns with Sarah Elizabeth Fibreworks, Lakeview Inn, 10103 98th Ave., Fort St. John. Class size is 15. Register now with the treasurer. August 1 deadline. A Weavers' Retreat is available at the same time. No instruction, just bring lots of projects to work on at your own pace. Registration cost will be announced soon. For more information: peacecountrysw@gmail.com
- Remember to find Peace Country Spinners and Weavers on Facebook.
- For more information contact peacecountrysw@gmail.com.
Happy Spinning and Weaving! Happy Spring!
