Keep the Fleece

You've gotta love www.keepthefleece.org/. Their goal is to raise a $250,000 for the largest fiber flock in the world for Heifer International, a charity that aims to end world hunger and poverty and care for the earth. Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts is gathering a team to contribute to knitting the world's longest scarf.

Want to join us? You can contribute in one of three ways:
1. Spin up some natural fiber and drop it off/send it in.
2. Knit up the handspun into a 9 inch wide scarf.
3. Spin and knit a part of the 9 inch wide scarf.

Contact me and let me know how you want to be involved. I'll provide two ounces of natural fiber for you to spin if you join us! Our scarf needs to be completed by mid-September in order to be mailed to New York, where it will be joined with all the other scarves from this initiative.

Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts will donate $1.00 per knit row to Keep the Fleece, which will be used to purchase animals for the world's largest fiber flock.

Yesterday we went to Lamb's Down Park Festival at the Canadian Sheep Grower's Cooperative. Watched a sheep shearing, and got a fleece. Mmmmm...yummy, lanoliny fleece. Can't wait to scour it and spin it up!

Met with a very nice gentleman from Ontario Sheep Farmers Association. Nice people, and I hope to help the local sheep community through my business. In Ontario (or elsewhere?) Need a fleece? Give me a shout, and I'll try to get you the breed you are looking for. This might be better organized next year than this year...As a younger spinner (i.e. 34 ish), it struck me that we need to get out and spin in public more. Spinning is NOT a dying art (well, it is a dyeing art, as evidenced by the two hours I spent dyeing this morning...) and there are many of us who will carry on the craft. Spinning and weaving week is in October. www.weavespindye.org/pages/ I encourage everyone to do something radical, like spin in public that week!