Aside from, and happening simultaneously with, all the jacket progress, we’ve had lots of knitting and spinning progress happening. I’m going to take a few days and try to update that aspect of our work.

I had several generous responses when I asked if anyone would be interested in spinning some yarn for a finer stocking than we’re currently knitting.

These photos are from Carol H (from Indigo Hound), who not only offered to spin but also to comb – prepare the fibers for spinning – some wool. Not to get too technical, especially since lots of other people online can and have explained it all better than I, but combing is a way of preparing fiber for spinning that when combined with a particular spinning technique can create a smooth durable yarn, one sort of yarn that’s quite suitable for stockings.

The whole process is really a lot of work, unless it is your favorite thing to do in which case it is an excuse to have lots of fun. This is one of Carol’s favorite things to do, as she keeps assuring me when I ask if this project isn’t too much work?

These are the first two photos Carol sent. As you can see they’re of wool from Rita’s Romney (breed of sheep) ram, before and after washing. Romney fleece is considered a “long wool” (there’s no way to avoid some of the technical details here, sorry) and the long fibers (long compared to other breeds) will comb and spin into a lovely, lustrous worsted yarn.

I need to make a list of all the stockings and gloves we’ve received since my last list; there are many. In the coming days I’ll also be introducing you to other spinners and knitters soldiering away at the task of developing a more historically accurate stocking for Plimoth Plantation, including Kat C of the amazing box of samples and Aimee from Maine who is working on a pattern for knitting the yarn.

In January, Melanie Anne from Maine brought two embroideries for show & tell. They came from her grandmother’s house, but other than that she doesn’t really know anything about them. She and Wendy undid the back of one but found no clues. They’re pretty, and remind me of Jacobean crewel embroideries, with the ‘tree of life’ motif with the fantastic flowers and leaves, growing out of a little mound. These two seem a pair partly because one has a lion and one has a lamb. Click on ‘lamb‘ to see the second picture. I’m having a little argument with the blog program tonight, and it doesn’t want to post the actual picture of the second embroidery. Sorry about that. I’ll go to the mountain and ask for help.

Anyway, do these look familiar? Do you have a twin to these in your house? Any ideas if they were kits or when they might have been done?