Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Huw the Sheep.

I was given a great fleece by the Welsh lecturer that shared Hubby`s office at his last job. The fleece was from a Welsh Mountain sheep and the donor`s name was Huw, so naturally the fleece became known as Huw the Sheep.

Clearly Huw had lived a filthy outdoor life up there in the Welsh hills...



But he scrubbed up nicely.




Welsh Mountain has a carpet/outerwear fleece, 36-48 microns, staple 5-15 cm. Practically no crimp. It`s quite soft and springy despite all that but you wouldn`t want to wear it next to your skin. So I decided to make at least part of Huw into a small rug, for draping over a footstool or similar.

Spinners that think the ultimate goal of spinning is consistant laceweight Shetland had better close their eyes for the next two pix...






I spun it on the mighty Ashford Country Spinner...at first I was producing quite smooth if thick singles, but Ayli my weaving guru kept on telling me to go back and get more texture, so this is what I ended up with, lol. I wasn`t so much drafting the fibre as shoving handfuls of it down the orifice to get this sort of texture, belive me!

There`s nothing at all subtle about this sort of spinning......




But this is what I`m making. Thick. Cushy. Gorgeous to touch. It has the same cuddle quality as a big fluffy cat. Yum...




...but of course the "wit" of the Haddington Spinners had to have her say. "Isabella", sez she. "You know what you`re weaving, don`t you? You`re weaving that fleece into a sheep."

Final pix. Duncan had to decorate a boiled egg to take to school as part of an Easter competition.He used some of the leftovers from Huw the Sheep.




(Prize for anyone who can spot the egg.....)

10 comments:

sal the spider said...

Gorgeous rug!!! I am trying so hard not to get into weaving! Other than the peg loom - I don't count that!!
Sal x

Spinningfishwife said...

Table looms take up huge amounts of space and you can`t carry them around to work on them. Plus they`re a pig to warp and you have to stand up to weave at them, most of the time anyway. Certainly on a big table loom like this one anyway.
You could make a rug very similar to this one on a peg loom. There`s an article in "Permaculture" about someone making a fleece rug 60" wide on a peg loom!!!

I`ve got a bit of a ----ve attitude to weaving though, so don`t listen to me. ;-)

Amie said...

Oh, that rug is fabulous (I have some polwarth that I was thinking would be a lovely laceweight, but that batch wanted to be a thick textured novelty scarf...) and the egg-er sheep is terrific too!

Jan said...

That rug is just wonderful! It looks absolutely soft and cushy. Great job. I don't weave, but that makes me want to!

gourdongirl said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
gourdongirl said...

Can't spell so deleted previous post!!!!
Just love "Huw the sheep rug", I just want to come round and cuddle it and cuddle it coz it looks so so soft!! Boy he scrubs up well!!

Liked Duncan's egg too, gruesomes decorated theirs as aliens complete with toiletroll spaceships....no wool in sight but they did use some ribbon.

rho said...

Well darn I keep coming back to see if anyone spots the egg -- the only thing I can see is it is the head covered with felt - anywhere near it??

I love the rug I just wish I had it to put on my footstool - it must feel wonderful...my footstool is high and I actually put my legs on it so I am sitting like in a recliner with my legs up. Will be so glad when our new chairs get here LOL

zippiknits...sometimes said...

I want... to.... touch that ..... soft sheeply rug! I can't stop myself.

The egg is well cushioned I'd bet. I could not see any part of an egg in that little baa baa.

yarnahoy said...

What a beautiful rug!!
:)
Manasi

Zoe said...

What a lovely rug You have inspired me to have a bash...Can't wait to see it finished. Zoe x