Wool Roving
A Roving Minstrel The first image that comes to my mind for roving is not a loosely clumped wad of raw wool, silk, cotton or other textile fibers. I think of a silk-clad minstrel meandering an archaic countryside spinning heroic tales with his lute. However, that whimsical analogy is not that far off… sort of. Wool Roving is often the base for many felting projects. Wool roving is the removal of foreign debris, the aligning of fibers, and twisting in preparation for conversion of raw fibers into yarn or thread. Raw textile fibers are like little chaotic wires, strewn about without...
Read MoreSheep Shearing – How To Make Wool
Lets explore the journey that wool takes from the sheep to a sweater. There once was a stunning ram named Maximus, who’s fleece was white as snow. Maximus was a Finnsheep and since the warm winds of spring had come, it was time for his annual shearing. First off, Maximus, was herded into a shearing area. He was put up on a table and his hooves were trimmed and cleaned, it was the perfect time to make sure he was healthy. The shearing area was clean and organized to ensure that both the ram and the shearer would be safe and comfortable. Maximus thought the shearer was going to give him a...
Read MoreUnderstanding Wool Fibers
As with anything in life, wool can get complicated. Wool fibers come in many different types and can vary depending on breed, age and health of the animal. Wool quality can even be affected if the animal was raised with a hair breed. Hair breed, not hair brained… When looking for raw wool, it is important to understand some of the details. Details like staple length, diameter, hand, crimp, luster and color. These things affect the price and use of the wool. Staple length: A Staple, in this case refers to the cluster of fibers that grow together to form the fleece, not the U-shaped...
Read MoreFelting With Wool
Wool is a versatile, sustainable, and affordable textile fiber that has been used for centuries all over the world.Wool comes from sheep, or other animals, that have crimped hair or fur. It has remarkable properties. For example it is elastic, meaning it can stretch and bend without breaking (up to twenty thousand times, versus a mere few thousand like cotton or synthetic fibers – imagine, if you will, the poor soul that had to manually bend a wool fiber to determine that!). It can absorb water up to thirty percent of it’s weight without feeling wet or soggy, keeping it’s excellent...
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