Why wool?

One online knitting source for me is the Woolly Thistle. They have a blog that frequently flogs one of their products, but a recent post championed wool. I'm a bit of a fiber snob, so yes, I favor wool over other fibers and yarn.

Why wool? you may ask. I'll summarize the blog post (with some commentary by me), then add (more of) my two cents worth.

• Wool and the environment: Wool is biodegradable, renewable, and its processing (usually) has a low-impact on the environment.
• Misconceptions: Yes, some wool is scratchy, but there are many breeds that are not; wool items don't require frequent washing (I wash my handknit socks once a year); wool is warm in winter and cool in summer (I can't vouch for that last bit, as I have not given it a try... yet).
• Wool supports small: small farms, small mills, small businesses (most of the time).

I believe that all yarn has its place, but I favor the more natural fibers over some made from petroleum. And I'm getting pickier all the time. Neither merino nor alpaca are favorites of mine; instead, I gravitate toward fibers like Shetland and Corriedale. I used to favor superwash (and still do for socks and baby items and gifts to those most likely to felt the item), but it's not the same, a little too slick.

Feel free to disagree with me, but keep on practicing your fiber art!

Knitting: I finished the hat I started last week; separate post to follow. The heels have been turned on the ice dyed socks.
Spinning: I uncovered another bobbin of the Tazman comeback I spun, so that is skeined and soaked and hung to dry.
Weaving: Yes, I started a weaving project: a lap blanket from some yarn I purchased in Wisconsin in 2012; the Ashford Sampleit is (almost) warped with the 'Garnet Heather'.

I started this blog in November, 2006, almost twenty(!) years ago. The archive makes it look like I quit for about a year, but what happened was I tried to combine all the blogs I was keeping at the time into one, without success. Sometimes I consider abandoning this blog, but it provides a handy reference for my fiber life. I've been transcribing personal journals, and just may fold these many posts into that missive. Thanks for coming along for the ride!