The Wonder of Wool

I wake up early and head into the kitchen and fill the teapot with water to make coffee, letting it warm I look out the kitchen window to the misty, foggy morning across the pasture. The serenity of the meadow with the fog and peacefulness I see out there sends me into a trance. The soft whistle of the teapot pulls me out of me revere and I pull it off the burner, quick to grab it before it screams like a banshee, no one likes the scream of a banshee especially first thing in the morning. The sun rises higher and the rooster crows his welcome to the world. Such an easy job my rooster has, but even he cant get it right, crowing all day instead of just the morning hours. He feels the need to strut all day about it.

Seeing my sheep graze in the pasture, seren and happy, with the lambs bouncing about. Sheep are incredible creatures, not dumb like most people think, but trusting and kind. Creatures that are amazing easy to take care of if you know how and creatures that give so much in the way of friendship and usable products for my family.

Heading out the farm lot with all my sheep is always an exciting thing, they welcome me with bays and baas and put their little pink noses in my hand to be pet. Their wool is soft and warm to the touch and leaves my hands smooth and silky. It is best to shear the sheep early in the spring so that their wool has time to grow back slightly so as to keep the sheep cool in the summer. Shearing day is always a bit of a whirl, bringing sheep over to the shearing station and folding them this way and that way to get all the nook and crannies of wool off, then over to the hoof station to trim their hooves, and off they go with “hair cuts” and trimmed and cleaned hooves. Dancing away they feel free and cool with all that weight off, trotting around like they are showing off. Bagging up all that wool is a little bit of an elation of what’s to come. There are very few limits to what you can do with all that wool. Most people don’t know all that can be done with it, or how good it is.

Wool can be used for so many things. Wool is 100% natural, biodegradable, antimicrobial and antibacterial, and does not need to be regularly washed. Wool has natural UV protection, fire resistant, stain resistant, and amazingly keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is water resistant and odor resistant. All of these things make it great for just about anything. Seeing the wool piled high makes your imagination go wild with possibilities. Do I spin it into yarn, thick and fluffy or slim and sleek? Do I lay it out and felt it into a pair of shoes or a purse? Do I use it as an insulator like the old timers did in their cabins and houses? Or maybe a basket or a flower planter? The possibilities are almost endless.

Today I wash the wool in hot water being careful to not agitate it or it will felt before I want it to. Letting it soak, watching it turn from off white to pure white. Feeling the fibers through my fingers smooth as silky and yet textured from the soft curls in the fiber. Laying it out gently to dry is the most tedious part, waiting patiently for it to dry is not my strong suit. I am always checking for dryness and loving the way it feels. There is something special working with a material that has grown off an animal that is so caring, loving, and trusting.

With the dry wool we can card it and comb it to get any vegetable matter out and get all the fibers in one direction. Pulling the wool through a diz to get the fiber in one long bat that is used for yarn or for felting. Spinning wool can really let your imagination roll with colors, textures, thickness and adding the artistic frill of sparkles or even cloth. The wool can come out looking different just by the pressure you pull from the bat and the way you spin faster or slower. So many differences and so many ways for it to be worked once it is in yarn form.

Yarn can be knitted, crocheted, weaved or even used in macrame. Again the person can determine the way its used or what its used for.

Making bats can then be used for felting anything from shoes to cloaks to hats again almost a never ending supply of possibilities. White wool can be dyed naturally or with dye. So many color options and so unique.

From the back of a sweet animal to the head of your sweet baby or blanket for your grandma wool is an amazing thing that has so many uses. Its organic and has been used for centuries. Come Feel the wonder of wool between your fingers and make it into something beautiful and useful. Come enjoy the wonder of wool.