Back to Reality

I'm back, only just, from Maryland Sheep and Wool, and I came home to much to do before starting the week and very little time to get it done, so this is just a short post from me tonight.

I got in a little bit of spinning time before we left for our trip and finished up the second bobbin of my Southern Cross Fibre Spelsau. Two down, one to go.

I was fairly good at the festival in terms of buying spinning fiber. The only dyed fiber I bought was this 2 oz. bag of Hobbledehoy battlings:

When I say fairly good, I'm probably exaggerating, because other wool followed me home as well. I'd told my travel companions not to let me buy a fleece, but then I had to go into the fleece sale barn to meet someone who was selling me a hackle, and while I was waiting for her to listen to the fleece judges' comments, I did a little browsing. I guess by now you can tell that one thing led to another and I came home with yet another fleece. Oops. I can't say I'm sorry -- it's a beautiful fleece. It was from a yearling Romney/Romeldale cross ram named Ollie. The bag went right to the basement, but I pulled out one lock to show you so you'll see why I was so smitten:

The sheep was coated so the fleece looks incredibly clean, and it's all this beautiful dark chocolate color (with some slightly lighter tips). I'm planning to wash this as soon as possible and do some carded and combed samples. It seems likely that I may be going to Rhinebeck again this fall, so wouldn't it be amazing to spin up and knit a Rhinebeck sweater from this gorgeous fleece?