Just how big is a fleece?

alternatively, I could have called this post, "things I have learned the hard way about washing fleece".

I'm a sucker for a freebie, I really am and who in their right mind these days says no to the offer of a free fleece or two? I'd asked my friend's father in law if he'd consider selling me one of his fleeces some while back. The answer was "no I can't but I'll give you one. What sort of fleece do you want? Why don't you come over and take a look for yourself...." Some weeks went by and I completely forgot about it until my friend's hubby said one morning at school "I've got a fleece in the car for you". Magic I thought and toddled along to collect it. "Do you want a coloured fleece? Dad can't sell them, they're piling up" More free fleece? Hell yes!

Now I've not been spinning all that long in the scheme of things and while I have spun unprepared fleece before, it's always been washed and prepped already. I'd not really considered the logistics of the whole business, or actually, how big a fleece is minus it's sheep. Bigger than I realised is the answer. It arrived all condensed nicely into the box behind but for some reason, it doesn't want to fit back in. It'd been skirted pretty well already so I decided to jump straight in and "have a go" and separated a chunk of it to wash. About a quarter of it in fact. It filled my whole bath. In hindsight, I'd have washed quite a lot less in one go. I also wouldn't leave it out to dry under a tree again. My learning curve has definately been a steep one but for a first attempt, it didn't actually trun out too badly. I didn't felt it and now have some nice soft coloured fleece to ready play with. I still have to pick out all additional vm kindly provided by my laburnum tree but we'll just gloss over that one for now. Onwards and upwards as they say. Roll on the next sunny day.

Wow, what a mad few weeks it's been. I joined the PTA at the school a while back and we've been working hard to get things organised for the school fete last weekend. It was discovered that I'm one of the "arty" ones, and so I volunteered with my friend Marian to produce a set of picture boards and signs for most of the stalls. Hence the lack of knitting progress recently and also the lack of blogging updates. Here she is putting the finishing touches to the varnish on our boards. I've actually really enjoyed it all and although I was shattered after the weekend, I've rediscovered my love of painting so I shall definately be doing more. Probably on a bit of a smaller scale than these ones. Fun though aren't they? So anyway, from the sublime to the absolutely ridiculous, we are now in the midst of a swine flu outbreak. It seems that the mighty midget's school is the local hotspot and so now half of his class are being treated for it including him. It's so rampant through the populous, that they're not even testing anymore, they're just handed out the antivirus like sweets. I have to see the funny side of it though as we ended up seeing the doctor in the car park in the rain as they didn't want the MM in the building. Anybody'd think he was contagious or something?!

Our doctor's lovely and was really apologetic about the whole thing as he handed out the prescription and government gumph. At least we didn't get another one of those leaflets with the revolting sneezing man on the front of it. So that's it then, he's off school for the next few days and to be honest, he's getting bored already. By the end of the week I think I'm going to be a complete basket case. Well, that's assuming I don't have it too by then :s

Colchester knits again

Colchester SnB
Originally uploaded by Bearium

Are you a Fibreholic?

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a little group of indie dyers based in the UK who got talking one day about how it would be lovely to try everyone elses yarns and fibres. So someone said, well how about a box of samples? ...... and it snowballed from there. So anyhow, to cut a long story short, it's here and it's happening. Fibreholics UK is about to launch, the samples are finished and being boxed and we're counting down to the launch day.

So just what is it? Well, it's a way of getting your hands on some fabulous yarn and fibre samples from some of the best micro dyers around and without spending a fortune. The boxes are in two sizes - costing £10 and £20 and will feature a selection of either 5 or 10 different artists work depending on the size you buy. The first boxes are planned to go on on sale at Woolfest. Yes, really that soon.

You can follow the progress of the boxes and see a selection of the samples by following the blog or looking on the Fibreholics Ravelry group. So to get you started here's a quick peek at my samples.
Mini skeins of sock yarn, Popsickle (the bright pink) on Merino/Nylon superwash and Aniseed (the blue) and Hobgoblin (the greens) both on BFL/Nylon sock yarn. I've keep a couple of samples back of both of the BFL and am currently working them into my neverending sock blanket. Pictures of that to follow soon.
Now the fibre, there's Hubba Bubba on BFL - dusky pink and reds, real bubblegum colours and then Spring Greens on Falkland roving. I love them both and hope you do too. So anyhow, I'm a fibreholic, are you?

Thought for the day

What is it about small boys and toilet humour? Pull my finger ..... enough said really!

Fibre for the shop

I'm still doing battle with my internet connection but am persevering anyway. So here's a little taster of todays update - some fibre for the shop at last. It's all Falkland and Corriedale which remain some of my favourite fibres for for spinning. I'm trying to be good and resist pinching fibre from the shop to add to my stash but have to admit I have already have taken and spun some of the lime and blue on Merino. Oops.
Socks yarns to follow shortly although I really need to do some more dyeing too. I've some more of the Merino/Tencel and Merino superwash sock yarns and also some fabulous BFL laceweight. I've already test dyed a couple but have some more for the shop too and a question for you all.... Are you a Fibreholic?

Colchester Knits

and here are the pictures to prove it.

We'll actually, not everyone's from Colchester we had ladies from Dedham, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Manningtree, Boxted to name but a few and twenty five of us in all. Much cake was eaten, new friends made, projects shared, yarns and magazines traded.

What was great to see too was that everyone was doing different things - it's not just about the knitting you know. We had tapestry, quilting, crocheting a little spinning going on too.

All in all, it was a great fun day and as there has been so many requests for another, we decided to make it a quarterly event. In fact, we have just set the date for the next one which will be Sunday 11th July. I'm sure I'll post more about it before then but if you want to be kept up to date, stop by the Colchester SnB group on Ravelry.