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.
Most people who didn't inherit a farm don't own a lot of land in expensive Loudoun. Sheep are perfect for small landowners, and they are small enough for the women who keep traditional home arts alive to handle. Sheep provide both meat and wool, to use on the place or sell. A flock grows quickly, since ewes usually have twins or even triplets. Sheep used to be called mortgage lifters because even a small flock could be profitable.
Now, however, the world's market is flooded with wool from Australia and New Zealand. Synthetic fibers have also become popular with people who like the easy-care nature of man-made and who may be allergic to wool. Selling wool as a commodity won't even pay for the shearing. Turning to direct sales of artisan wool has helped local shepherds stay in business.
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.
Go online and get an overview of the county's sheep farms. You can order from the websites, but if you want a closer look, visit a farm and a farm store. In the charming village of Waterford, the Waterford Store is an outlet for the roving and yarns from a local flock of Lincoln/Corriedale sheep. In fact, you might even see the owner's spinning wheel in action.
Most people who didn't inherit a farm don't own a lot of land in expensive Loudoun. Sheep are perfect for small landowners, and they are small enough for the women who keep traditional home arts alive to handle. Sheep provide both meat and wool, to use on the place or sell. A flock grows quickly, since ewes usually have twins or even triplets. Sheep used to be called mortgage lifters because even a small flock could be profitable.
Now, however, the world's market is flooded with wool from Australia and New Zealand. Synthetic fibers have also become popular with people who like the easy-care nature of man-made and who may be allergic to wool. Selling wool as a commodity won't even pay for the shearing. Turning to direct sales of artisan wool has helped local shepherds stay in business.
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.
Go online and get an overview of the county's sheep farms. You can order from the websites, but if you want a closer look, visit a farm and a farm store. In the charming village of Waterford, the Waterford Store is an outlet for the roving and yarns from a local flock of Lincoln/Corriedale sheep. In fact, you might even see the owner's spinning wheel in action.
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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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