It’s that time of year again when the yearning to buy a few sheep, some alpacas and a couple of small horses is upon me. I collect real estate listings of farms near and far that are up for sale and casually leave the good ones on The Skipper’s side of the dining table. This will last until the end of November.
In the past, we have actually gone out to see the places. But because of one downside or the other have chosen to stay put instead. This year is different. Because of my mastectomy and breast cancer I need to be near doctors and facilities that can monitor me every three months. I trust the doctors and facilities I now have and I don’t think moving away from them would make me comfortable.
Still, I wish for the small sheep farm I’ve always wanted, only now fully recognizing that it may forever stay a dream. Unbeknownst to The Skipper, I am looking into the zoning code of our land to see if we can have sheep and how many. I’ve collected a few pictures of the different breeds that will find their way onto his side of the table. A new tactic. I could be content with two sheep and an alpaca.
All this looking at different breeds has led me to wanting to try yarn that is not the standard merino. Yet when I did a search for yarn other than merino, there is very little on the market in the US. I would love to work with wool I have never used before. Corriedale, Columbia, Rambouillet, are just some of the breeds I’ve come across that I’d be interested in trying.
Since their properties are a little different than merino, my research led me to reading about the best way to spin each separately or the best way to combine them with other fibers. Ladies and gentlemen there is a whole world of wool out there beyond merino. While each has it’s own downsides, I still want to experience them.
So once I’ve finished Dad’s blanket–I am almost done knitting the last strip and in the meanwhile have sewn up half the completed strips–I am going to experiment with wool beyond merino. After all, maybe I can’t have the sheep, but I can treat myself to their wool where I find it.
