Depending on the type of sheep, wool can have what is called a short staple or long staple. Staple is the length of the individual fibers in the wool (or other types of fibers). Basically, really long or really short staple fiber is harder to spin -- at least for a beginner.
Today I picked (teased out) the wool and Paula turned it into batting on the drum carder. Batting looks like quilt batting and is used instead of rolwags (see Monday) to spin from. We used a longer staple brown wool and a shorter staple white wool.
The drum carder processes more wool more quickly than the hand carders.
The brown wool came out quite nicely I thought, hardly any slubs. The white was a little slubbier, since it had a shorter staple.
After spinning, we took a picnic to the Clam Harbour Beach.
A 30 to 40 minute hike brought us to “the Devil’s Oven,” this rock formation. The waves coming in make a sound like a door slamming (the oven door?).
Feet in the water again. This time no need for a jacket after that rather warm hike.
Relaxing after lunch.
Just about the time we left, the sun went into the clouds and haze began to form over the ocean.
Inukshuk Cove. Okay, that’s probably not its real name, but it’s a cove with an inukshuk.
Back to the house for a nap, dinner, and some plying of the wool spun earlier that day.
Looking a little better each time.
Mist and fog have arrived.
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