The Trifecta of Sheep Breeds

In this episode, we'll unpack some of the dilemmas and opportunities with small batch wool, and consider some options for wool that don't involve yarn.

Modern Wool

enApril 04, 2022

Links & Highlights

Place an order online now through the end of April 2020 to be entered to win one of our weekly Gift Basket Giveaways!
Enter Coupon Code COLORFIX at checkout for 25% off all Wool Tincture Color Packs.
Get our Verdant DK Weight yarn overdyed in our Spring Palette.
Learn more about the research on the effects of color on mood and behavior.
Learn more about the treatment of migraines with green light.
Pickup a copy of Interaction of Color by Josef Albers.
Checkout this free color palette generator and play around with different color combinations.
Wool Tincture Color Packs and Jar Kits make it simple and quick to dye wool at home.
Learn more about the accidental discovery of mauveine, the first acid dye, by Sir William Henry Perkin.

enApril 13, 2020

Links & Highlights

Modern Wool

enMarch 19, 2020

rambouillet

small-batch-yarn

Highlights and Links in Today’s Episode

Vogue Knit Live Seattle — Event Postponed! The show has been postponed in response to the evolving situation with COVID-19 coronavirus in Washington.
Learn more about some of our local shepherdesses
- Emily Tzeng of Local Color Farm and Fiber
- Sarah Pope aka whistlinggirlknits of San Juan Woolworks
- Brittany & Devin Boblitt of Fiber & Flame
Finnsheep Breeders Association — Official Registry for USA Finnsheep since 1971
Winter Isle Mitt Kit — Local Shetland yarn with mitt pattern designed by Sarah Pope
Fiber Fusion Northwest — Annual 2-day event in October focusing on natural fibers and fiber arts
Finnish Shepherd Weeks — Land management program bringing people into manage land by moving sheep between over to under grazed areas

enMarch 06, 2020

Highlights and Links in Today’s Episode

Josef & Anni Yarn
- https://abundantearthfiber.com/products/yarn-josef-anni
Spincycle Metamorphic
- https://spincycleyarns.com/collections/metamorphic
Modern Wool - Episode 3: Scouring Wool
- https://abundantearthfiber.com/blogs/modern-wool/wool-scouring-003
Josef Albers - Interaction of Color
- https://albersfoundation.org/
Help us name the new yarn
- https://abundantearthfiber.com/pages/survey-play-the-name-game
US Targhee Sheep Association
- http://www.ustargheesheep.org/targheestandards/
Fleece & Fiber Source Book
Oklahoma State University Website
- http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/targhee/
Links to the montana sheep hall of fame
- https://www.montana.edu/news/2608/u-s-targhee-sheep-association-names-three-to-hall-of-fame
Christine Blog Posts on ‘the montana life’
- https://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/blogs/news/15745560-textile-byways-the-ranch-montana-2014
Targhee Namesake references
- https://tetonvalleymagazine.com/history-stories/the-targhee-enigma/
Coast Salish Peoples of the Pacific Northwest
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Salish
- https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/culture/contemporary-culture/coast-salish-art

enFebruary 19, 2020

Spinning a yarn about spinning yarn, in this episode you’ll find stories about hand spinning that you don’t have to be a spinner to appreciate. I’ll also share some notes on creativity and how it affects us at the mill, plus an opportunity to try out the role of Yarn Designer by creating your own small batch of roving or yarn.

Highlights

Listener questions on handling wool scouring waste water [2:19]
Hand Spinning Story: Letting Go [8:23]
Hand Spinning Story: The Broken Wheel [12:33]
Exploring the language of creativity [18:56]
Wool Apprentice survey results [24:23]
Try out the role of Yarn Designer! [27:08]

Wool Scouring

In this episode we’ll unpack the nuance of one of the greatest barriers to sustainability of small batch yarn, wool scouring. We’ll share the 4 essential requirements for scouring, discuss fermented suint, reveal 3 types of scouring baths we use at our mill and also pro-tips on how to tell whether you’ve washed your wool effectively.

Highlights

Lydia tells the story of her first time washing a fleece [2:36]
Four essential requirements for scouring wool [11:50]
- Choosing a vessel [12:52]
- Hot Water [15:08]
- Soap & pH [19:30]
- Extraction [24:55]
A few cautions for the home scouring setup [28:10]
Fermented Suint Method or Cold Wash [32:34]
Three type of scouring baths we use at the Abundant Earth Fiber Mill [37:15]
Picking as part of the scouring process [40:12]
Three tips to tell if you got all the grease out of your fleece [45:18]

Wool Quality

Flash primer on sheep [1:50]
Learn how to ‘read’ a fleece [7:48]
Listen in on a skirting conversation with Sarah Pope [11:11]
Dual breed East Friesian [15:22]
Discover the interesting history of Romeldale and CVM [17:49]
Wool Study [23:42]

Welcome to Modern Wool

Thought Experiment on finding our connection to the natural world [4:25]
A walk through where yarn comes from [8:06]
Examining a fleece is like reading a story that only gets told once [9:20]
From spinning wheel to fiber mill [11:15]
An answer to the important question: What do I want to do? [14:44]
What does local and sustainable mean? [20:37]
What’s happening with wool in the United States right now? [24:08]
Celebrating the value of our small family farms [25:30]

Links

Modern Wool

enMarch 26, 2019

fiber mill

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The Trifecta of Sheep Breeds

Modern Wool

About this Episode

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