The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Riverside21 on May 20, 2013, 12:17:58 pm

Title: Wool Spinning
Post by: Riverside21 on May 20, 2013, 12:17:58 pm

Hello everyone! Not sure if this should go in the crafts section or over here. Does anyone know how I can get in touch with local spinners? I'm based in North Dorset and I'm hoping to find someone local(ish). I had my ram lamb and 9 of my girls sheared on Saturday 18th May, the wool has been stored in bags in a stable since.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Title: Re: Wool Spinning
Post by: Bionic on May 20, 2013, 12:22:43 pm

There is a guild in Dorchester. Is that local to you?
http://dorsetweaversspinnersdyers.org.uk/ (http://dorsetweaversspinnersdyers.org.uk/)

Title: Re: Wool Spinning
Post by: Fleecewife on May 20, 2013, 12:25:18 pm

Are you wanting to sell the fleece or learn to spin?  :spin: :knit:
 
Google The Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and they should have contact details for your area.
 
Make sure your fleeces are not stored in plastic bags as they will sweat and go mouldy.  Woven polypropylene, hessian or cotton is best and the bags should be hung off the ground, out of sunlight and with some air circulation - old stable sounds fine.
It is also worth skirting your fleeces and making sure there isn't any veg matter or loose dags rolled in the bundle.
 
(cross posted with Bionic  :wave: )

Title: Re: Wool Spinning
Post by: Riverside21 on May 20, 2013, 04:11:18 pm

Thanks Bionic, Dorchester isn't too far at all.

Hi Fleecewife, I'm hoping to keep some of the yarn and hopefully sell some too. Unfortunatly I haven't got the time to spin it myself, but the OH loves to knit and she's very good at it so I thought what better to use than our own wool. Is it normal to pay a spinner and then get back the yarn? (I'm completely new to this!)

Title: Re: Wool Spinning
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 20, 2013, 05:52:01 pm

This gets discussed regularly...  It's not cheap to pay a handspinner; it takes a lot of time to prepare a fleece and spin and ply it into yarn.

If your fleeces are beautiful - what breed are the sheep? - then you may get some offers to take the fleeces and pay in spun yarn.  As everyone has said, the place to start is your local Guild.

Otherwise there are mills who will process yarn from your own fleeces - they're not cheap, either, and I don't know what would be their minimum quantity to process.  Search Natural Fibre Company - either on Google or in the Crafts or Sheep sections here.

Title: Re: Wool Spinning
Post by: Riverside21 on May 22, 2013, 07:10:59 pm

Hi SallyintNorth,

The breed is Hampshire Down, so not a coloured breed, but I wouldn't know whats a good fleece and whats not if I'm honest. I've contacted the guild, so hopefully I can find out a bit more through them. Thankyou for mentioning the Natural Fibre Company, theres certainly plenty of information to read!