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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Ta Da!



Cutting a completed project off your loom. Priceless.



Spreading it out somewhere for the first time. Priceless.



Yes, there is a slightly different color stripe in there. Another "at least you can be an example to others" moment. Always label your yarn. While I can't imagine I had any other white, soft down type wool with that much VM in it, not only does it not exactly match in color, but also didn't full quite the same. Not so priceless.



Fulling is the process that finishes your material. Turns it into actual "cloth". Just off the loom you could wiggle the threads around and poke your finger through a hole. Obviously now, after washing in hot water with my favorite Mrs. Meyer's lavender laundry soap and letting the machine agitate it for 2 minutes, checking it every 30 seconds, it's a fuzzy, cozy, very soft blanket. Yay Punkin :-D.



Now most folks would probably not set their heirloom handspun, handwoven, took 8 years to go from sheep to shawl project out in their barn to dry. But honestly, the barn is usually cleaner than the house ;-). And it's bigger.

Stella and I stretched, smoothed, pinned, cut fringe and enjoyed the occasional breeze blowing through and complained when it quit. Or maybe I was the one mostly complaining. And it might have been more like whining. I was so happy with the end result though that I didn't really mind. Much.



And we had some very good help. Still no name cat is doing great. Looks like she's around 3 or 4 years old. Just a wonderful little kitty with such a sweet personality. Wish I knew her "story".



I thought about staging a picture in front of the lit fireplace with a glass of hot Irish whiskey, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. When it's too hot for me to be a smart ***, you know it's hot.

For anyone not following our very fun (I think it's the most fun group on there ;-) Team My Favorite Sheep Tour de Fleece group, one of the members, a spinner from Ireland, posted a picture of her spinning for the day in front of a lit coal fire...complaining about how cold it was over there.

We promptly kicked her out.

It wasn't the first time.

Well, not really, but now that I think of it, she hasn't posted any pictures of sheep grazing around the countryside lately... ;-)

So, to wrap (hehe) things up, the last few days of the Tour are going to be mighty busy. I've got the last of my Turkish spindle spinning to do (we won't talk about that), the Great Wheel challenge day (22nd) spinning and a big bag of B. Willard to spin.

Zoom!

Technical notes/details:

  • Finished throw weighs a little less than two pounds.
  • Just off the loom measured 43" across and 6'10" long.
  • After fulling, 39" wide and 6'1" long.
  • We hand fulled the different stripe after we pulled it out the washer and it actually matches the rest of the blanket pretty darn closely.
  • I can't remember if I had more than one year's shearing in there.
  • I think I had OVNF wash it (it was that long ago).
  • I may have just spun that skein tighter...but I doubt it.

While I wish I could say that I was 100% sure it is all Punkin, they're all my favorite sheep :-).

21 comments:

Dianne@sheepdreams said...

It's gorgeous! I'm sure Punkin is smiling down from sheep heaven.

Lori Skoog said...

The end product is fabulous. So rich and soft looking. Kudos to you and all those sheep who made it possible.

amyfibre said...

Beautiful! Congratulations on this major accomplishment. Wish I could reach through the monitor to fondle it.

Jenny Glen said...

Beautiful!

Debbie B. said...

Here's my favorite lavender source:
http://www.lavenderhillsofkentucky.com/

Sheepmom said...

What a wonderful tribute to Punkin. And a masterpiece of careful planning, thought and love. Just like you give all your still-living creatures.

Jody said...

My gosh..that is just stunning...absolutely beautiful. Oh I wish I was a weaver!!

Michelle said...

That is a finished product of epic proportions, IMHO. Truly an heirloom!

Marcy Doane said...

The throw is absolutely gorgeous! What a great accomplishment. Your collection of spinning wheels in the background of the first picture looked beautifl. Wish I could see them up close. They are really works of art.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcy

Christine said...

Holy cow! That is absolutely gorgeous! Great, now I want one and I don't have room for a loom. *sigh*


I've not given completely up on the tour de fleece. Just been crazy busy and lucky to spin a few minutes here and there let alone post my progress.

Alice said...

Such a masterpiece! You've accomplished quite a feat from an animal with four feet.

KC said...

Punkin's throw is the absolute definition of "priceless" in so many ways. It is truly a work of heart, soul and love. Thanks for sharing.

small farm girl said...

Beautiful,just beautiful! I'm glad that I can say that I got to watch you make some of it. Congratulations on getting it done.

Terry said...

It's gorgeous! I can almost feel how soft it is.

Nancy K. said...

What a treasure!
Congratulations on not giving up on the idea. You done good!

cyndy said...

Congratulations!! what a beautiful heirloom you have created! Sure to be warm and cozy this winter, with all this summer heat you have captured in the weave! Lovely work, just lovely!

Jan baby said...

It's hard to believe that this was 8 years in the making! I've seen that loom many times and wondered about it. I wish you had a video of the process as a keepsake also. Punkin is proud of her mama. Just beautiful!

Ed said...

Just plain beautiful..:-))

Becky Utecht said...

Masterpiece is the perfect word for this gorgeous work! You should be quite proud of yourself. Beautiful photos of the process too. I didn't realize that fulling was a routine procedure after weaving.

Terry and Linda said...

WOW! You are the most multi-talented person I know. GORGEOUS!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Francoise said...

Beautiful blanket! I was telling my husband about it, and how you managed every aspect from raising the sheep to spinning to weaving. He was very impressed. i hope that you enjoy snuggling with it this winter.