New friend and stash no 3

Last summer I got three big sacks full of raw fleece from a friend who keeps sheep. I meant to use it in my garden since it is a great way for keeping the field rabbits and deer at bay. They hate the smell apparently. As I was spreading the wool around my plants I opened one sack at the time and the last one contained the most beautiful white wool and I hadn’t the heart to use it for gardening.

I kept it but wasn’t quite sure what to do with it or how to wash it. I knew I wanted to use it for my felting but how to go about it? I searched the net and tried different ways of washing it and have now found a method that works for me. I have also tried felting the raw wool and I am keen to try it out even more. I also want to try dyeing it and spinning it with a drop spindle.

This summer I would be getting even more wool from my friend. She is just interested in breeding you see, she keeps a special and very old, almost extinct race of sheep and don’t want the wool. In fact I would get ALL her wool! From 43 sheep!!!! On the first day of my vacation I drove down to collect it and made a very special friend….

This is Eleanor, my new BFF. She adopted me and so did her beautiful daughter Snowwhite.

She is very cuddly and wants you to scratch her behind her ears all the time. If you stop, she kindly nudges you with her nose just to say “you haven’t forgotten about me have you” .

All the sheep are very friendly and love their owner and she loves them right back. When she has to have any of them put down she drives them to the Vet in the back of her car crying all the way….



I spent all the afternoon together with the sheep but finally I had to leave and go get the wool. It was an absolutely silly amount of wool ...... Although I have already used a whole lot in my garden I still have plenty left.

So I have built up a new stash of woolsacks in my old stable.

Now I definitely will have to try other ways of using it - like dyeing or spinning. Lucky for me my friend Heather at Wool Love – functional fiber art has given me a lot of good tips. Can`t wait to try them out.

But first I am off to Stockholm to meet another BFF, my dear friend B.

See you all in a couple of days!

Take care
Jeanette