Country Enterprise - spinning, weaving or knitting wool from sheep fleeces

<P><A HREF=wool1.htm>Wool</A><BR> <A HREF=wool2.htm>Spinning</A><BR> <A HREF=wool3.htm>Weaving</A><BR> <A HREF=wool4.htm >Selling products</A></P> <P><A HREF=title.htm >Chapter headings</A></P> <P>Pure wool is warm. </P><P>Straight from the sheep, it contains naturally waterproof lanolin and probably twigs, dirt and bugs. Having obtained a whole fleece, it has to be spread out, preferably on to a clean sheet, to have all the bigger alien bits removed. When the fleece is laid out before you it is easy to recognise the different bits. The tops of the legs and the thick neck wool clearly show the shape of the animal. In a short-fleeced animal there may not be much difference in the length of the wool; in a long-wooled sheep it will be short where the legs are and longer in the body. Some fleeces feel soft to handle and are lustrous to look at. In others the kemp — the rough hairy bits — are all through the fleece.</P><P> The suitability of the fleece for processing is governed by several factors. If you are intending to spin the fleece, the governing factor is your own ability. Some people take to spinning like ducks to the water. Others never quite get the co-ordination of foot and hand going. To be able to produce spun yarn is very satisfying. Taking a fleece and transforming it into clothing is one of the most basic fulfilments. </P><P>There are other ways to use wool. You can simply pluck out tufts of wool from a long-haired fleece and knit them as you go. The result can be spectacular using a coloured fleece. You can pull out long fibres and use them to embroider plain cloth. Or you could put the whole fleece between two pieces of cloth. Sew squares on the cloth to anchor the wool and you have an original padded coat. Stuffed toys using wool are soft and washable as are cushions. If you are allergic to feathers or rather to the mites that live in old feathers, you may find that stuffing cushions with wool is more acceptable.</P><P>Before you spin you generally use items called carders to make the wool into uniform rolls called rollags. </P><P>The action using the carders, which carry lots of bent pins in opposite directions, is to roll up light fluffy coils. These coils can then be spun or you can knit directly with them or apply them to other fabric with a couching stitch. Although usually wool is only seen as a product after it has been spun, there are many other possibilities for using it in a raw state. If you can manage to spin a little wool, why not stretch that on a frame and weave tufts of wool in and out of it? If you pack this wool in tightly and turn in loose ends you will quickly make beautiful thick hard-wearing rugs. If you can use multicoloured fleeces like the Jacob's you can stagger the shading and produce a work of art. A small amount of wool can be spun as the Egyptians did using a drop spindle. Or you can be even more rustic and use a potato as the weight. </P><P>Spinning-wheels themselves are attractive pieces of furniture. They have variations in design and are often local in origin. Once spinning by hand was an essential part of our survival. Today it is a craft. Many hand- knitters would pay well for hand-spun wool. You can often learn to spin at local evening classes. If there is not such a class near you perhaps it would be worth advertising for a teacher. The most surprising people can spin and often are delighted to show newcomers how to begin. Although an experienced spinner will judge their ability by the fineness and evenness of the yarn they spin, it is often most appealing to the knitter when spun in an irregular manner. The differing thicknesses make most attractive jumpers. Truthfully if you want really even wool, it is produced by machine; even the Jacob wool is spun commercially if you want this kind of continual evenness. </P><P> To weave is another country enterprise that can be wool-based or today use man-made fibres or linen thread.</P><P> The basic principles of weaving are easy to acquire. With a full textbook and a simple loom it is no time at all before you are able to construct simple pieces. The most awkward parts initially are chaining the warp and then fitting it to the loom. This process really needs two pairs of hands. If help is available, all that is lost is your temper. If not, you will have to employ the aid of odd things such as chair-backs; at least there is nobody to see the first hair-raising attempts. </P><P>The width of fabric you can produce is entirely governed by the width of your loom. It is always advisable to buy the widest loom you think you will need from the outset. Otherwise your work will be limited.</P><P>There are two main outlets for woven work. </P><P>One is to dressmakers who require hand-loomed cloth for special pieces. The other is to sell specifically woven pieces as works of art. All sorts of varied colours and textures can be worked in. Several prominent artists in this field specialise in wall hangings that evoke country landscapes and sunsets. </P><P>Advertising in craft magazines may bring commissions and certainly word of mouth advertising will help. It is becoming quite usual for companies to use hand-produced tapestries in board-room settings. If your work is not suitable for a wall hanging, perhaps it is suitable for a special set of curtains. </P><P> Craft outlets often require you to leave your work on display with them. They then pay you if it sells and deduct a commission. This kind of exposure may get you a reputation in an area but it may not be sufficient to provide an income. Often customers such as the boardroom commissions will not approach you but will respond favourably to an approach. It is worth constructing some moveable samples. It may be difficult to describe adequately the speciality twelve-foot-long hangings you have in mind: it is easier with a one-foot-square sample in front of you. </P><P>There are sometimes local exhibitions in town halls and other centres at which you can show your work. These can all help to establish a reputation. Some craft shows are very good at attracting ing custom but some are very poor and it is always worth checking on planned advertising and the past experience of the organisers before paying a fee for a stall. Better still is to negotiate a percentage fee for your stall. If you feel you cannot justify a position on your own, it is often worth sharing space with another craft worker. It is all a question of exposure to get the reputation and asking for orders to get the business. </P>