Wool

September 05, 2011

I don't remember the first time I fell in love with wool, but it's been many years ago.  I love all things wool.  Goats and sheep and alpaca's and felting (wet and dry) and knitting and sewing and up-cycling.  I am currently working on an old-fashioned penny rug to use as a runner on my dining room table.  It has ninety circles of three-layer circles in it and they are all blanket stitched together.  It's going to be wonderful!

One of my favorite things to knit is a felted bowl or bag.  It's like walking off a cliff blindfolded (not that I've actually experienced that)  when you toss your knitted item (that you may have spent many hours working on) into a hot washing machine.  Then it's like Christmas when you finally pull it back out of that washing machine to see if it's wonderful or awful! 

I've got a few great cashmere sweaters (found at Goodwill, thank you very much) to try to up-cycle into groovy new things this winter.  I also hope to make myself a couple new pair of gauntlets to wear with those inexpensive stretchy gloves that every store sells.

I come by my love of knitting naturally as my mother is a wonderful knitter.  She creates incredible afgans in a style called double knit that not many people are of.  Her yarn of choice is an acrylic though (she is convinced she is allergic to wool, although I have turned her into a wool sock convert).

Many people believe they are allergic to wool as they have experienced a scratchy rash when near it.  That is actually the "scales" in wool that has been processed without softness in mind.

One of my "things to do when I grow up" dreams is to own a crafting/coffee shop.  I would call it the "Gathering Place" as much "wool gathering" would be going on.   I think I missed the timing of this as I've noticed a new trend with some shops charging a monthly fee to hang out and knit or get help with a project.  I'm thrilled these places are starting to pop up and I can visit them! 

Speaking of visiting, I have been lucky enough to visit a llama farm outside of Hood River, Oregon where you can meet the llama's and then go into a little shop and play with their wool.  What gentle, sweet animals they are!

I'll update this love of wool expose' as new thoughts occur.