The Last O' Th' Leicester

Day 70: The basket holds the only batts remaining to be spun of a pound of Blue-faced Leicester wool, i.e., that's the last o' th' Leicester which, if pronounced correctly is "the last o' th' lester." One skein is already plied, and I should be able to have the rest done before Christmas. For the most part, this was a delicious wool to spin, very long in the staple (up to six inches!) and quite soft. A few nepps (nasty little knots of tangled fibers) unavoidably escaped the carders and my fingers, but these will be easily picked out during the plying process or when the yarn is knit up. I managed the raw fleece quite differently this time around, removing most of the lanolin with hot water and detergent before spinning as opposed to spinning it "in the grease." Although I was initially nervous about sinking wool in hot water, the procedure was surprisingly effective and made for a much more pleasant spinning experience. Gentle handling of the wool is the key to preventing matting of the locks. Simply soak for fifteen minutes, drain and lightly squeeze, and then repeat until the wash/rinse water is clear. Subsequent baths should use water at the same temperature as that drained from the wool. After rinsing, I spread the fleece to dry on an old window screen suspended across my bathtub. Over the next two or three days, I flipped it several times so that it would dry throughout. When the spinning is done and when I have finished a piece of band weaving on the bonker loom (probably before Christmas), I'll be ready to start an entire new batch of projects!