Wooly Ambitions

 In past posts I have mentioned that my parents live in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Before I visited them last month, a bit of thought was given to the kind of souvenir coming home with me this time.

While I do appreciate locally made items from other artists and crafters, this time I decided a less processed product was what I needed. A project queen (addict) can never have too many materials at their disposal. I won’t go into detail about how I knew there is a farm by Rapid City that raises Icelandic sheep. It’s a long story. But I decided some wool roving from The Creek’s Edge would be just the thing to bring home. ( www.thecreeksedge.com )

One of the LYSs I frequent does have lovely roving. They just don’t have Icelandic wool yet. The goal in getting my roving in Rapid City was not only to support a domestic farmer, but I was hoping to visit their farm. I plan to blend their wool with the fiber I’ve been harvesting from my rabbits. Unfortunately, the farm visit fell through. The owners were away at a fiber festival during my visit to the Hills, and I left a day early to spend a night with my brother and his family. So I have something interesting to do next time.

Although the farm visit was a bust, I still got my roving. The owners were kind enough to give me the name and address of a Rapid City business that sells their products for them. It is a nursery called Plantsmyth, which is nice enough to visit for its own sake. I purchased an 8 oz. roving in light gray at a price I found very reasonable. So reasonable in fact, that I went back a few days later and bought a second one with a light and dark blend of gray.

But now I look at my lovely roving and have confirmation I’m certifiably insane. I began to suspect that after Angus joined our household (due for another haircut in about a month). Eventually, I will have some beautiful yarn (I hope). It just looks a little scary at this end of the project. I’m still a beginning spinner. While I’m getting better at drafting and gaining a little speed, it’s possible I might die of old age before I get to make my dream project from my Icelandic/Angora yarn. At least the dream is written down with some accompanying drawings so I won’t forget what it is. Perhaps an occasional glance will get, and keep, me motivated.

The Project Queen