Down Wool Wonders with Deborah Robson

About Down Wool Wonders with Deborah Robson

Down is a commonly heard and frequently misunderstood word in the fiber world; it has several meanings, and the one that works here refers to a group of wools that have unique and valuable properties yet are often thrown out. What a waste of an incomparable material! These wools can be machine-washed and machine-dried without any chemical treatment. Most people find them to be comfortable against the skin and they wear well. In short, they are perfect for socks, sweaters, blankets—and kids’ garments.
These sheep are raised almost exclusively for meat and their wools lack value on the commercial market because their colored legs and faces may shed “contaminating” dark fibers into the white wool. Thus it can be difficult to obtain good-quality fleeces.
But any faults can be dealt with and the more fiber folk express interest in (and pay appropriate amounts for) well-tended Down wools, the more likely shepherds and farmers will be to provide us with fleeces of handspinning quality. Properly valued, the Down wools could become the workhorses of our spinning lives, supporting the creation of everyday textiles that are comfortable, easy to care for, and long-lasting.
Note: Dorset Down, Oxford Down, and Shropshire are listed as endangered by The Livestock Conservancy (TLC, U.S.) and/or the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST, U.K.). Southdown is listed as formerly endangered by both TLC and the RBST. Suffolk and Hampshire Down are well established breeds within the commercial meat-sheep industry.

Materials, Equipment, and Supplies the Student Must Bring to Class

Spinning wheel (preferred) or spindle (fine)
Fiber-prep tools of choice (combs, carders, flicker, or any other OR dog-grooming combs or slickers; I will have some to share)
The ability to wind a small center-pull ball, either on a nostepinne or on your thumb, and ply from it
Notepad and pen or pencil
Optional—tape and/or hole punch for keeping track of samples (I will have some to share)

Materials Fee (to be paid directly to the instructor)

$50 - includes fibers to work with, printed handouts with breed background and information, printed cards for recording sampling information, hole punches, tape, other supplies, and tools to try out—combs, carders, etc.

Pre-class Homework

None