Blue Faced Leicester March 18, 2007
Posted by lunarawe in Project Spectrum 2.0, fo, handspun, spinning, spinning - FOs, spinning fo, stash enhancement, yarn.trackback
So I have of course heard experienced spinners talk about the glories of Blue Faced Leicester wool. So much so that the last time I was in the fiber store I decided to purchase just a little bit… to see for myself. When the owner discovered I had never spun it before she just handed me the three and a half ounces that I had brought up to the counter, saying that all spinners should know about these sheep.
My first delight came from the roving itself. Just a bundle of fluff… I wanted to wrap myself in it and snuggle.
But instead of snuggling I spun. I mean really… the fibers that would have wound up in my locs alone would not have been worth it.
I did my now standard three ply, which of course left me with two bobbins with singles remaining at the end. By the time the first bobbin ran out I was more than ready… because the yarn barely fit! You can’t really tell from this photo, but there is hardly any room between yarn and flyer at this point:
The result of course was worth it. The staple on this wool was almost double the merino I have been spinning, and the bloom in water was not to be believed. This yarn is so yummy (about 212 yards)! I also knew I wanted to make something white before the Project Spectrum 2.0 colors shifted in March. My housemate is threatening to purchase a sheep! Of course, I think she has been looking for any excuse for a while now.
[...] heathens are looking at me funny right about now — is a specific breed of sheep whose wool is legendary to spin. i’ve heard a lot about it but have not had the opportunity to try it myself, though i had [...]