Northern Virginia is a major business and residential area. About forty miles west of DC, however, small cottage industries raise sheep and offer hand spun yarn Loudoun County style. If you like supporting the arts and buying regional products, you should get to know a shepherd.
Sheep are suited to the partly rural areas west of route 15. They require less space to raise than cattle. Being relatively small, they are easy to handle, which makes them easier for the women who engage in traditional domestic arts. Small landowners have profited with sheep for generations, using and selling the meat and the wool. Since a ewe usually has twins or even triplets, a flock grows quickly.
Unfortunately for many small landowners, Australia became a major producer of wool. At the same time, synthetic fleeces have greatly reduced the need for sheep's wool. People who are allergic to wool or find it too scratchy prefer the new, soft, warm fabrics. Raising artisan wool is one way for small farmers to keep their sheep and make money again.
New breeds of long-haired and variously-colored sheep have been imported to feed the demand for hand-crafted materials. The names are great: Corriedale, Cotswold, Romney, Merino, Lincoln, Leicester, and Icelandic, to name a few. Some of these are heirloom and/or endangered breeds.
Each breed has a unique kind of fleece which makes a special sort of yarn. The usual practice is to send the fleece to a small mill where it will be washed and combed (carded). When the fiber is ready to spin, it is called roving. Unlike commercial yarns which are spun by machine, hand spun is done with a real spinning wheel. A talented spinner can produce an even yarn, uniform in twist, texture, and diameter. Hand spun is usually denser and more durable than commercial yarns.
It's nice that there are enough people who want hand spun yarns or the raw materials for them to support this cottage industry. Even the yarns spun by a small mill are special. Described as 'gently processed', these yarns have very little in common with the kind that comes from Australia, is processed with harsh chemicals in China, and is shipped to Europe to be mass produced. In fact, people who think they are allergic might simply be reacting to chemicals or artificial dyes used in commercial yarns.
Just like locally grown vegetables or meat, this handiwork has much more character than mass produced fibers. Each product is unique to the flock it comes from. The colors are often completely natural shades of white, grey, brown, black, and even variegated. Natural dyes are used for brighter colors.
It is fun to visit a farm and a flock. The process of turning fleece into useful yarn is a lovely one. You might also be able to buy pastured lamb, a tanned sheepskin, or roving to spin yourself. Even the websites of the local farms are fun to read, and of course they make shopping easy. For a real treat, visit the Waterford Store in the charming village of Waterford, Virginia. Walk into the world of authentic home spun, see a spinning wheel in action, and discover why people cherish this ancient art.
Sheep are suited to the partly rural areas west of route 15. They require less space to raise than cattle. Being relatively small, they are easy to handle, which makes them easier for the women who engage in traditional domestic arts. Small landowners have profited with sheep for generations, using and selling the meat and the wool. Since a ewe usually has twins or even triplets, a flock grows quickly.
Unfortunately for many small landowners, Australia became a major producer of wool. At the same time, synthetic fleeces have greatly reduced the need for sheep's wool. People who are allergic to wool or find it too scratchy prefer the new, soft, warm fabrics. Raising artisan wool is one way for small farmers to keep their sheep and make money again.
New breeds of long-haired and variously-colored sheep have been imported to feed the demand for hand-crafted materials. The names are great: Corriedale, Cotswold, Romney, Merino, Lincoln, Leicester, and Icelandic, to name a few. Some of these are heirloom and/or endangered breeds.
Each breed has a unique kind of fleece which makes a special sort of yarn. The usual practice is to send the fleece to a small mill where it will be washed and combed (carded). When the fiber is ready to spin, it is called roving. Unlike commercial yarns which are spun by machine, hand spun is done with a real spinning wheel. A talented spinner can produce an even yarn, uniform in twist, texture, and diameter. Hand spun is usually denser and more durable than commercial yarns.
It's nice that there are enough people who want hand spun yarns or the raw materials for them to support this cottage industry. Even the yarns spun by a small mill are special. Described as 'gently processed', these yarns have very little in common with the kind that comes from Australia, is processed with harsh chemicals in China, and is shipped to Europe to be mass produced. In fact, people who think they are allergic might simply be reacting to chemicals or artificial dyes used in commercial yarns.
Just like locally grown vegetables or meat, this handiwork has much more character than mass produced fibers. Each product is unique to the flock it comes from. The colors are often completely natural shades of white, grey, brown, black, and even variegated. Natural dyes are used for brighter colors.
It is fun to visit a farm and a flock. The process of turning fleece into useful yarn is a lovely one. You might also be able to buy pastured lamb, a tanned sheepskin, or roving to spin yourself. Even the websites of the local farms are fun to read, and of course they make shopping easy. For a real treat, visit the Waterford Store in the charming village of Waterford, Virginia. Walk into the world of authentic home spun, see a spinning wheel in action, and discover why people cherish this ancient art.
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Find a summary of the benefits of using hand spun yarn Loudoun County shops sell and more info about a reputable yarn shop at http://rosecottagenva.com now.
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