Hampshire down
All the fiber-samples I bought along with my drop spindle at Tissien's, were suddenly used up. All turned into small hanks of yarn, in a variety of colors and weights.
Just as I started on the last bit, Judith (sadly blogless) brought me her old trustworthy Louet, and I spun my last dark blue roving on it, in one evening. And then I was left with a "new" spinningwheel and no wool. Argh! I felt like a football players wife without a creditcard, like Richard the third without a horse, like Carlos Santana without a guitar.
Desperately surfing the Internet I found the Hof van Autriche. A lovely, small farm just 40 kms away from here, breeding Hampshire Down and Devon-Cornwall longwool sheep. And: Selling their wool!
Judith agreed to come along on the Quest For Wool, so off we drove to the south, getting lost only a very little bit once or twice. It was not because we were talking all the time, honestly not.
The Hampshire Down sheep look like toys, and 
rightly so, they are just lovely. Especially the one that was called "Ribbel". He has been raised by humans, and was very 
cuddly. The Devon-Cornwall longwool sheep are funny as well, though they seemed somewhat shy.
The owner of the farm deserves a hospitality award. She was very friendly, serving coffee, answering all the 200-something questions we had and telling about 
her business with pride. Two ewes are due to deliver in 8 weeks time, and I plan to go see the offspring. In the future, the herd will be bigger and there will be a group accommodation (I mean for people). Wouldn't it be a great idea to organise a spinning-knitting-holiday weekend there! But in the meantime: if you are in the neighbourhood, give Saskia a call and go visit the farm. It is great.
I took home one bag full of Hamsphire Down wool, I decided to let the lamb wool be. Being a beginning spinner I am not sure if I can handle the shorter staple length.
