Gifts from the sheep
A range of lovingly handcrafted wool and fibre products
All the wools used are sourced from sheep bred and sheared in France unless specifically stated as coming from elsewhere (sometimes a novelty wool such as camel or yak might be used in a piece, or premium wool from a country such as Iceland or Scotland, these non-French wools are clearly stated if present). All are handmade on my boat Ragondin based in Le Somail village in the Aude, either knitted or woven on either my Louet or Ashford handloom. The principle wool supplier I use is Valgaudemar, who use a blend of Arles and Alpine wools from Southern France. These wools are used either in their natural colours, dyed by Valgaudemar, or sometimes I hand dye them using local products such as grape seed extract or chestnut extract, sourced by the French company Green'ing based just North of Beziers.
Hand spun yarns
Coming soon...
Yarn hand spun on my boat Ragondin using an antique Saxony spinning wheel
Drum
Carding
Once a fleece has been removed from a sheep and the largest bits of muck and debris removed it then needs to be carded before it can be spun on a wheel. Sometimes the fleece is carded unwashed, allowing the natural grease to remain in the fibre and this adds a waterproof quality to the yarn. More often is is gently washed to remove the grease and then carded into a roll of wool called a batt. Usually the same wool will be carded several times until it is nicely combed and free of debris.
Coming soon...
Drum carded batts from sheep in the Massif Central, France.
