This is what carded batts of the filthy fleece look like. After
picking open the tips of the locks which were encased in mud, washing several times, combing with a dog comb and drum carded (sometimes twice). I still get noils because the fibre is so very fine. I shudder to think how much of my time has been spent on $8 of raw fleece I have a plyed bobbin full what I will wind off in a day or two.








I got the latest issue of Knitters earlier this week and something in it jumpstarted my knitting flame. Not that there was a partular item that screamed "KNIT ME" although there were several I liked that were lace (damn it). But I suddenly felt like knitting. I got some very old stash yarn called Alpaca Fiesta from Diamond Yarn It is a 2-ply, loosely plied of 2 singles, one bright turquoise and one thick & thin dark green. My gauge swatch was sorta difficult to knit even in garter stitch. But the garter stitch showed plenty of texture so I think I'll just plug numbers into Knitware and spit out a basic vest. I will have to be careful not to split the plies.

Hope had asked what I was going to do with my spindle-spun silk and I hadn's really thought of what. I have one scarf out of hand-dyed tussah and it was a bitch to knit. The silk I'm spinning is bright coral and will need something to tone it down. So I thought of using it as weft with commercially spun silk as weft. I have some undyed from Glenora Weaving so I think I will aim for.