Our newest project

So after spending my Christmas break spinning yarn, I decided to try another project. On our trip, we stopped at a wonderful place called Rising Fawn Fibers. Brenda, the owner/shepherd, sold us some lovely roving, but my favorite purchase?

I paid about $25 for this raw fleece, still caked with manure, vegetable matter, twigs, dirt, and sheep sweat.

It took about eight rinses in a bathtub under cool water, vinegar, and Ivory soap to get it even remotely clean.

The five-pound fleece weighed about 50 pounds when it was drenched with water. It took forever for all of the water to drain out when we picked it up out of the bath.

We still haven't finished getting all of the oils or dirt out of it. I plan to finish cleaning it, and then dye it and spin it raw, without really carding it.