While working on a project last night, I was thinking about the many ways wool can be used.
Of course, there’s the beautiful clothing and blankets made from wool. Sometimes they feel scratchy, but other times they’re butter-soft, and you just want to cuddle up with them.
There are also options to buy wool insulation for your home, with R-values ranging from R-9 at 2.36 inches up to R-46 at 11.82 inches. Toasty!
Some of the things I’ve used with the wool from the fleeces I’ve purchased over the years.
- Spinning for yarn
- felting for wool applique
- stuffing for projects
One of my favorite recent uses of wool was the day I assembled my new Jensen Tina II spinning wheel, which had arrived after a few months since I ordered it. I did all the staining, waxing, and preparation of the pieces, but I noticed that the legs were a bit short, causing my beautiful new wheel (Mr. Darcy, for future reference) to wobble and not sit squarely on the floor.
My solution. Take a pinch of my “Bonny” Shetland fleece and stuff it into the hole to help get the wheel to sit properly. It worked.
“Bonny & Friends”
©the1764shepherdess.com
Bonny is the lovely sheep with the black face and white coat in the back near the wandering chicken. She was my pick from Ananda Farms in Port Ludlow, WA. The rest of the lovies are her sheep mates.
Historically, long after I am gone, someone might take apart Mr. Darcy and discover a wad of wool stuffed in the table, unaware of the story behind that piece of Bonny’s fleece. Maybe I should tape a note with a picture under the table of the wheel for future reference. Yes, I think I will.
Last night, I made a sturdy bobbin lace pillow. Traditionally, they are stuffed with cut-up straw and filled to the brim. I decided I didn’t want to spend the whole evening cutting straw, so I chose a package of pine shavings and a fleece I bought from a local gal. It was a good way to use the fleece that I might not have otherwise spun.
The bobbin lace pillow weighs 5 lbs 12 oz after all was done. It has a linen casing for the main body and a cover made in ticking with three layers of felted wool sewn down the center.
I found this lovely photo online today. Dated 1936; Germany. Look at the sweet lace being made by the young woman in the center. I can see that being sewn on a towel or pillow case. I wonder what she did with it after all.
I haven’t started any bobbin lace work yet, but I plan to begin soon and thought this would be a great project to make (and use wool).
“Wool, it’s 100% natural, renewable, and sustainable.”
The perfect wool campaign.