Spindle by Spindlewood

All is well.  The previously pictured people aren't peeved at my past post.  Let's move on.

Fleece!  I'm certain I can distract your attention spans with fleece!

At Cummington this year (MA Sheep&Wool), I decided I didn't need to visit the fleece judging.  My shopping was done;  I was loitering with the usual suspects. 

"Look!  It's 2pm!  The building is open!"  For once, I wasn't the one who made the announcement.

I was herded.  Really.  I commented on this unlikely variation of peer pressure.  She pointed out I could turn around, walk away.

Yeah.

A fleece broke my heart.  Achingly beautiful, it had a tag that said "NFS".  Not for sale.  Bold, brave, insouciant, I reached in the bag for the folded tag that had the necessary information.  I knew the shepherd.

Nothing inflames like something just out of reach.  Even knowing that, I cannot seem to quench the flames of desire.  Discussion, negotiation, email a few days later, and it was half mine.  (Diane of JustOurYarn would be a co-owner.)  We would take possession at Rhinebeck.

Foxfire Farm Cormo/Border Leicester cross:  
I washed one lock.  It bloomed.  Hypnotized, behaving like a fleece zombie, walking through the house with my arms extended in front of me as I spun,  I spindle spun the lock.
The fleece is on its way to a wonderful mill.  I'm hoping for sweater quantity to come back to me.  The fleece Gods smiled on this genetic union.  This fleece has all the crimp, elasticity, and fineness of Cormo, with the staple length and luster of Border Leicester. 

Life is wonderful when it takes so little to bring so much joy.

Comments

[Kathy]

Enjoy! It's gorgeous!

[Marcy]

Aren't we lucky that we are made so happy by such things?

[Cheryl S.]

Tenacity pays off! Like my husband always says: You don't ask, you don't get.

[Divine Bird Jenny]

Auggghhh that color!! Foxfire has just the nicest fiber, seriously. I want to jump into the fleece in the pic. :D

[moiraeknittoo]

Gah! The last thing I need is to be looking at fleece pr0n today. If I get any more fiber, I'm going to need to buy a house for all of it. I don't think I've ever tried a Cormo/BL cross. But ooo it sounds lovely!

[Lisa McGuire]

Wow! Great story, and very good lesson. :)

[Carole]

I'm still jealous.

[margene]

*sigh* It was beautiful as a fleece and it will be more so when it's spun!

[June]

So true that the heart yearns most for what it cannot have... But anticipation of ownership sometimes can be more delicious than actual possession.

(For me, fleece lust quickly sours into fleece guilt - so I have stopped buying fleece. For now, anyway.)

[Caroline M]

The sample yarn has such a depth of colour, it will make a lovely sweater. I'm coming to prefer coloured fleece over white.

[vanessa]

i am enjoying the mental image of you walking around like a fleece zombie ;-)

[Marcia]

Honestly, I've GOT to hang around with you guys next year! (How big WAS that fleece, anyway?)

[Anne]

THAT is a fleece. It's gonna be just gorgeous!!

[Chris]

Ahhhh, I'm feeling the contentment just looking at the fleece. Have fun with it when it comes back!

[gayle]

So beautiful! Did you roll in it before you sent it away? (I would have...)

[Manise]

That exquisite blue ribbon fleece broke many hearts that day.

[Lynn]

That does it. I'm wandering around tonight bored to tears (one of the Nov. sweaters is half done - front and back, ends woven, washed and blocked, and I am sick of knitting) - clearly, I need to spin. I'll be back in a fleece or two.

[Teresa C]

Oooh, yum. I'll have to post about my fleece from the same place. We did get lucky!

[Paula]

Nice! I hope that one day I will get a chance to mill such a wonderful fleece.

[Teyani]

oh what a lovely fleece.
you will enjoy every moment of spinning it.

[Kim]

So does your "fleece zombie expression" look anything like your "SOAR lightbulb overload" expression?

Yeah, that's kind of like the feeling I got at MDS&W when I stumbled upon a truly black Corriedale hogget fleece that was gorgeous. I actually walked away from it - cause I didn't need it, mentally smacked myself, and turned around and snatched the bag up just before the lady behind me touched it. Then I took it out to the processing folks and the guy said "let's see what you've got" and opened up the bag. His expression was somewhat awestruck and he only said "oh, my" and they process a LOT of fleece. It's my Thanksgiving weekend spinning project - I mean there's nothing but football on tv, and it's my exH's holiday with the kids, so I should get lots of spinning time.