Feature
| thoughts of a designer
to process the wool for handspinning. Although our
family was a little nervous about getting sheep, we
also knew we would never know everything we
needed to know about raising them until we lived it,
so we began planning for a small flock to arrive in
the spring. Eventually spring blossomed, and the day
of getting our sheep was nearing. Two little sheep
sheds were built for our small flock, and fencing for
our first paddock area was completed. It was neat to
think about the sheep arriving and see sheep grazing
in our field – ready to start growing wool for us.
We had several different breeds of sheep to start.
We really didn’t know which one would be right
for us. But our hearts were won over by the beauty
and talkative nature of the Jacob sheep. Jacob sheep
(above) and the thick coarseness of another expanded my are very pretty and have black and white spotted
Chelsea's 2 ply
vision. I didn’t know there were so many choices. I fleeces and as many as two or four horns. Each ewe
spun wool.
also learned that wool could be blended with alpaca, has a very distinctive personality and they all have
silk, llama, and whatever else you can imagine. I had incredibly soft fleece. The Jacob sheep are also a
only thought of wool as scratchy yarn that was used heritage breed and are on the critical list, meaning
by old ladies. Reality check… wool is amazingly there aren’t very many of them left in the world. We
soft and versatile. In love with everything wool, feel good knowing we are helping to sustain this
mom and I agreed we needed raise our own sheep. beautiful breed of sheep.
Attending that first Sheep and Wool Festival
forged a new path for our family. We met a Arrival of the sheep
shepherd, Patty, who lived near us. She invited When our sheep first arrived they were wary, and
us to borrow a spinning wheel from her and take weren’t interested in me. But as I spent more time
some lessons to see if we would be interested in with them, they started to know that I was their
becoming handspinners. But before we even had shepherd. Getting to know the personalities of each
the chance to borrow her spinning wheel, our whole sheep has been an experience of its own.
family attended her fall open house to see her sheep Zambezi stomps her front hoof to try to scare off
and all her woollen goods. We sure had a surprise our dog whenever she’s outside. Terry Cloth is the
that day. Our enthusiasm for wool must have been leader of our flock and loves to be scratched on her
contagious because my dad bought us our very own neck. Beyonce is a big talker. She talks to me even if
spinning wheel right then and there. We purchased she sees me from a long distance. Ruby, a Tunis ewe,
some roving and went home to try our hand at is one of my favourites. She came to us as a newly
spinning by ourselves. weaned lamb and only recently has she become
“
brave enough to come and eat grain out of my hand,
realizing that I’m not going to hurt her. She comes
Spring will be the time we will get
to sniff me whenever I come out and has even given
me kisses!
wool from our first shearing.
Spring will be the time we will get wool from our
The first few days with our new spinning wheel
were full of pressure. Not yet having had any
”
first shearing. I can only dream of the possibilities
that exist in working with this beautiful wool:
hand dyeing, spinning, felting, crocheting and so
much more. What I see now is that my crochet
business will be focused around wool. And noticing
lessons mom and I took turns trying to get it right. I few fellow crocheters in this world of wool, I am
picked some time when I was home alone to practice determined to make a crochet 'dent' promoting a
intently. It only took about an hour or two and I product that I help raise.
felt I had at mastered enough to make a respectable No longer just a hobby, crocheting has truly
looking single strand. What a delight! Now I could become a way of life. It will soon be a full year since
make my own yarn! Over the winter my spinning we got our sheep and ever so gently my life has
improved and soon I was spinning my own yarn for become like Mary’s. But my nursery rhyme reads:
my next big crochet project.
Chelsea had a little lamb,
Arrival of the sheep it’s fleece is black and white,
While we took our lessons with Patty she also she sheared and spun all the wool,
shared her knowledge about raising sheep and how and crocheted with all her might.
90 | INSIDE Crochet
IC1.feat.chelsea.essay.FINAL.indd 90 16/3/09 15:35:37
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