Monday, September 21, 2015

The Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival

Here's a short video clip I shot at the Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival in Stahlstown, PA yesterday. It was a fun little festival and I enjoyed watching the demo and seeing their flax breaks and other equipment. In the foreground is the breaking, behind that is the scutching, and off to the right is the hackling.

 
On the way there, we stopped for breakfast at a fun little doughnut shop in Cranberry, PA. The name was Peace Love and Little Doughnuts. If you ever have the chance to stop at one of these doughnut shops, don't miss the opportunity!



Monday, September 7, 2015

Thursday, September 3, 2015

A Romney Cross fleece just for me!

Back in 2013 I purchased a fleece that I was going to use just for myself. I've been busy and happy working with a lot of other fleeces making yarn for my shop, but I've had that one fleece just for me in the back of my mind all this time. It's been waiting for me, still raw, stuffed in one of those orange DIY store buckets with the lid snapped securely on since I bought it over two years ago. I figured it was finally time to open that bucket and get to work on that fleece.
 
I have been thinking of that fleece these past couple of years, remembering how nice it was, and dreaming of the sweater I would make with it. Well, I've washed it now and combed it with my four-pitch English wool combs and it is every bit as luscious as I knew it would be.
 
Here are a few of the combed puffs, ready for spinning:
 
 
 
I spun a small test skein of around 20 yards and knitted a quick swatch. It's soft and squishy and lovely: 


 
Can't wait till it's all spun up!