If you are lucky enough to purchase a Phat Fiber sample box for March, you will see my Shetland and BFL/Lincoln mini-skeins (about 20 yards).  Here’s information about the samples I’ll be including.

All the roving for these samples was bought in person, from the people who raised the sheep, at either the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival or the Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in Minnesota.  I know for sure that the Shetland samples are naturally colored fiber with no added dye.  I believe that the BFL/Lincoln is also naturally colored, but at the same time I know the “ideal” breed specimens are white, not gray.  So I’m not positive!  I am also unsure whether the BFL/Lincoln is wool from a cross-breed or a blend of wools from both breeds.

The packaging is representative of what you’ll get from my shop – all yarns have been washed gently with Synthrapol, wrung and sent through the spin cycle, then air-dried.  Next they are tagged with length, weight, and a space to write in stitches per inch.  I include the sheep breed in the fiber content if it is known.

These samples are characteristic of my spinning in that they are traditionally textured, two-ply and on the light side of worsted.  I have a spinning wheel with a small orifice, and it seems to like this kind of yarn best!  However, some yarns in my shop are Navajo-ply, funky spirals, or bulkier weight, and as it happens I’m all out of Shetland for this year!  I hope to get more in September at the WI fest.  I also very much enjoy spinning dyed roving sourced from other small vendors (via Etsy, other online shops and the festivals) – although dyeing is fun, I like spinning better.

Allergy notes: Yarn has been spun in a non-smoking household. I have a cat, but she isn’t allowed around the yarn once it’s been washed; it’s stored in a large plastic bin with some anti-moth herbs and cedar chips.

Don’t forget to check for the coupon code on the tag to get 15% off your order!

I’ve decided to be a contributor for the March box of the Phat Fiber Sampler.   I hope to be able to make enough samples by the deadline in order to get my own box!  The people who buy the samplers are really into yarns and fibers, so I think it is a good investment of my time and fiber.

I am glad to be part of the great group of artists who are part of this project.  Make sure to check out the blog — there are lots of great giveaways every week!