Baa Baa Black Sheep.... 小黑呀 小黑....

" Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full ........" 

This lullaby I used to sing with my girl by the bedside.  She loves it.   .

These are just shorn wool from Bordeleria sheep in Dominio Vale do Mondego where I learnt the wool felt in June.  The sheep herd are the best to make the sheep cheese.  Their wool are also best for felting.

Instructor Nicola Brown was opening the fleece for our choice to make a rug. 

Before doing the rug I felted a flat sheet for eco print but not very bold with the local chestnut and oak leaves.  Only patches of light brown.
When I back from the trip I tried again with some eucalyptus leaves.

After steamed the bundle for 45-min.

Two different sorts of euc leaves are seen.  Red are of eucalyptus cinerea. 

I call this " Dating sheep  in the poppies field".

Compare before and after.

Fluffy look of the dark sheep

Have also done again another piece with onion shell.

Wool gets fast color with onion shell. Firm and bright.

Experimentation of two pieces.  What to do with them?

Mogi finds it comfortable.  "It's my territory".

Having a sweet dream......

"Huummm... I'm sweet.. "

My good memory of the great workshop in Faia Dominio Vale do Mondego!

This is the rug I made with half the sheep fleece.  Since I can't handle the whole big piece I just used the lower part of the body. It's wonderful to know the skills of making a rug with raw fleece.  In this way only shorn fleece are used.  That means a sheep's life can provide a few more pieces of rug fleece.  Far more friendly just to kill a sheep to get only one skin.

My classmate Heather's rug is gorgeous.  She's mighty.  See how she made it Part 1, Part 2.

 Thanks for stopping by.