18 August 2012

Gas Money

My sister got a new car and was hankering to drive it. "I've got gas money," I told her and talked her into a road trip to Elora with a side trip to nearby Wellington Fibres.
How remarkable is the restorative power of a short trip. A little change of scene sure helps rest the mind. It was a lovely drive heading North past Guelph. Stepping out of the car when we reached the farm was a sensory experience for its very silence. There were no other cars or people near so all we heard was the sound of crickets. The next closest building was out of sight from where we stood. And everything was so darn green.
We shopped for a while in the mill store but kept peaking into the back where the proprietress, Donna Hancock. was working in the mill. 
She invited us in and showed us the machinery and all the various steps the wool goes through to become yarn. Fascinating
 Below are the barrel sized yet super light and airy coils of carded fibre that get spun into fine single plies.
Naturally I felt inclined to spend generously after her kindness. That's two skeins of laceweight and two skeins of a worsted weight tonal colourway. They're all 75% mohair, 25% wool. I love the richness of Wellington's blue/green palette.
Later, Mr. Hancock took us to the barn to meet the source of the mohair.  These angora goats were smaller than I expected. The bucks and does were kept separate to prevent out of season breeding. The animals were curious about our presence but cautious.
 I wonder which one contributed to my future shawl?

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