In which there is a weekend

I didn't do much crafty stuff this weekend - in fact, I decided to pull the plug on a project.  Last year a friend gave me a fleece which I could card and spin, and then make into something.  I had visions of going from sheep to shoulders and knitting myself a cardi or jumper.

The fleece was from a Balwen sheep - they're little, brown, badgery Welsh sheep.  I looked a pics of Balwens on the internet and got excited.  When it arrived before Christmas, the fleece was very messy - this little sheep obviously loved rolling in hedges - the fleece was full of thorns and sticks.

So I cut off the poopy bits, washed it in Tan Tech scour, dried it.  Picked out as many twigs and grass seeds as I could.  It was still very messy with seeds and lots of dandruff.  I tried handcarding it and they didn't come out.  Boo!

So this weekend I borrowed Fiona from Grace and Jacob's drum carder, and tried it in the drum carder.  I carded the same batt several times, and it still looked messy and full of what my family calls gruck.  So I've reluctantly decided to abandon this project - there's no point spinning wool that I don't want to use.

But I did have a play with a rubber this weekend and carve myself a little stamp of a needle and thread - here it is.