Wool

I love wool.

What is it about wool that inspires such strong feelings?  I bet 1/3 of you are nodding in agreement, and  I've already lost the other 2/3 of you.  But seriously, each fall I renew my love affair with wool-- hello sweaters, hello socks, so glad to see you.  I've missed you.  I would wear wool year round if it wouldn't raise a few eyebrows in my climate.  Merino t-shirts, yes please.  Maybe I should take up knitting so I'd have an excuse to buy all that gorgeous yarn.  Why does wool seem to have almost magical qualities?

We attended the Mt. Bruce Station Wool and Sheep Festival this weekend.  Good old fashioned fun, with sheep shearing, border collie demonstrations, giant piles of hay bales, bluegrass music, and crafts.  I came home with a tiny felted sheep and a handmade broom with a lovely turned handle.  If you're local I recommend making the trek to Romeo next September.  I will go out on a limb and say that the people at the fair actually feel as strongly about wool as I do, even stronger.  They were buying up little sheep pins for the sweatshirts and stuff like that, so I definitely think they like wool even better than me.

And for those of you in the market for baby stuff, did you know that natural mat, the esteemed baby mattress company from England is now available in the US?  Coinciding perfectly with us setting up Lucie's crib this coming weekend.  Placed my order this morning-- for the coco mat model.  Pricey, yes, but most of the other organic mattresses that I've seen are about that much.  When Elliot was a baby, I had to hold him to get him to nap, and while he slept I would read the testimonials on their website (which I don't see anymore) dreaming he would sleep in his crib if only he had one of those mattresses.  We shall see if they are all they're cracked up to be.

And another find-- did you all see Elsita's Blog and Etsy shop on Whipup last week?  Wow.  I ordered two prints right away, as well as her fabulous tiny sister and brother Dido and Dida.  By the way, her print quality was exceptional-- the best I have bought from etsy so far.

OK, enough of my consumerism.  Hope you are all well.  Off to the apple orchard for cider and doughnuts.  Yum.

Comments

[molly]

our sheep and wool festival here is amazing, overwhelming, inspiring. i love it. i'm so anxious to see how you like the new mattress. I'm going to do a little more reading on their website, even though I really can't *afford* to!
hope things with eliot are improving. three is WAY harder than those supposed terrible twos.

xo.

[Louise]

Here in New Zealand we have a brand of merino clothing called Icebreaker. They have a range of merino tshirts which are great for summer wear - it seems weird but they do keep you cool in hot weather. Mayeb you should check them out.

[Jo]

oh i love wool too, in fact i can't stop making my felt, it just keeps calling me back. i wonder if we have any wool festivals here??

heading off to the orchard for cider and doughnuts sounds devine... enjoy :)

[meg]

I just put on my (smart)wool sock for the first time, though they say it will be 90 on saturday. Weather be dammed! I love the wool.

[Jenn]

I love wool, too! I buy wool fabric meant for making clothes - and instead, make my needlebooks from it. So soft. So wonderful : )

[Mama Urchin]

This post just shouts Autumn to me. Our weather is being more summer-y at the moment but I'm hoping Autumn returns soon.

[Caroline]

My mother gave my babies sheepskins which I put between sheet and crib mattress. It washed up easily and I always felt it made a much nicer little sleeping nest for baby. While my son still sleeps with it under the sheet in his crib, my daughter uses her sheepskin on the floor next to her bed. She loves the way it feels on her bare toes. Wool IS wonderful. Loved the post.

[ellie]

We were at the festival too and bought 4 of those wonderful brooms and some raw honey too. All that fun wool made me crazy. I'm going to learn how to spin and my son is begging to do some felting. Maybe we saw each other. We were the couple with 7 kids. I've been enjoying your blog but didn't know you lived near by. Fun.

[Christina]

I'm originally from the Thumb and remember Mt Bruce fondly -- thanks for reminding me. Out here in New England, we wear merino t-shirts all the time in the summer from a company called Ibex. They have that lucious wool feel and don't get clingy like cotton. And Smartwool socks. We love our wool too.

[Anna]

You are speaking my language with the wool thing. I can't get enough. Spinning, weaving, dyeing, knitting, felting! There are so many fun things to do with it.