Project 3: Karakul

Project #3: "Winter Is Coming" in Karakul

Wow. Watch out, Border Leicester, I think I may have a new favorite fiber to work with. This Karakul was absolutely incredible, and I enjoyed both working with it and the final so much making my partner's mantle that I immediately made one for myself. I feel like a badass warrior in this fleece, while comforting myself with the knowledge that no wolves were hunted by spear in the depths of a Nordic winter for my aesthetic. And my partner looks even cooler than I do.

I purchased this fleece at the Rhinebeck raw fleece sale, as an impulse purchase on the second day, as I was in love with the color but wasn't sure how the texture would fit my work. It also didn't come with a Shave Em to Save Em sticker (somebody tell the nuns who raised this sheep about the best program ever), but never fear - I loved this fleece so much that I'm visiting a Karakul farm next week to pick up more, and can get my passport "stamped" then.

To make these mantles, I laid out locks cut-side up in a solid sheet of orderly lines, and then I covered the whole thing with a thin merino backing. Then I wet felted it from the back side only. It felted up absolutely beautifully. It took me very little time to actually do the wet part (don't talk to me about laying out the locks though, I'm still recovering), and when I threw it around for fulling, few locks fell off, even the ones that were barely backed by merino. Quite impressive, and such a joy to work with. These pieces have very little shedding (even the larger one, whose Leicester Longwool equivalent makes me look like I am the sheep even after I take it off), and the wool is more coarse than other breeds, but not scratchy or in any way uncomfortable. And the coloring is STUNNING. I love the black cut ends and silver locks.

I have absolutely no complaints or regrets from this project, and can't wait to get my hands on more!