Berlin wool?

What is the gauge of your Berlin wool? As for the pins, I would think that
they are British (non-metric) sizes, and yarnforward has a conversion table
on their site.
HTH
I can't help with the fleeces, but I am sure that someone here will do so.
Katherine

"KARoloff" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I really love making older (75yo) patterns, but have trouble figuring out
what
size "pins" to use, etc. Does anyone know what Berlin wool was? it seems
to be
a fingering weight; is it the same non-worsted used for Berlin work
needlepoint
and crewel embroidery?

Also just got a call from a friend who has about 20+ sheep, mostly
Southdown/Romney/Suffolk mutts used for meat lambs. He's bringing in a
Cheviot
ram this winter to try to improve wool quality, but meanwhile he's got all
these fleeces of not-great quality wool. He used to bring them up to a
co-op in
Vermont that spun them, but over the past few years his farm manager (now
gone)
had only used meat rams, and the quality of the wool went downhill fast.
Does
anyone have any ideas of what to do with them? I snag a few every shearing
and
use the skirtings in my garden (the wool really helps amend the soil).

There was an article in a recent SpinOff, or maybe Piecework, that discusses
all of the old yarn types.

http://dict.die.net/berlin%20green/

I found that link with a google for "berlin wool definition".

Zephyr implies laceweight or finer, I would think.

"KARoloff" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I really love making older (75yo) patterns, but have trouble figuring out
what
size "pins" to use, etc. Does anyone know what Berlin wool was? it seems
to be
a fingering weight; is it the same non-worsted used for Berlin work
needlepoint
and crewel embroidery?

Also just got a call from a friend who has about 20+ sheep, mostly
Southdown/Romney/Suffolk mutts used for meat lambs. He's bringing in a
Cheviot
ram this winter to try to improve wool quality, but meanwhile he's got all
these fleeces of not-great quality wool. He used to bring them up to a
co-op in
Vermont that spun them, but over the past few years his farm manager (now
gone)
had only used meat rams, and the quality of the wool went downhill fast.
Does
anyone have any ideas of what to do with them? I snag a few every shearing
and
use the skirtings in my garden (the wool really helps amend the soil).

| On 03 Aug 2003 20:26:32 GMT, home (CMM PDX2) wrote:

KARoloff wrote:

Also just got a call from a friend who has about 20+ sheep,
mostly Southdown/Romney/Suffolk mutts used for meat
lambs. He's bringing in a Cheviot ram this winter to try to
improve wool quality, but meanwhile he's got all
these fleeces of not-great quality wool.
snip
Does anyone have any ideas of what to do with them? I
snag a few every shearing and use the skirtings in my
garden (the wool really helps amend the soil).

Felt-making?? Maybe only as outerwear type stuff, but it should be useful for
*some* kind of felt. Like slippers you'd wear over socks. Or something.


In my limited experience, Suffolk resists felting to an amazing degree, but
Romney makes lovely felt. No telling what such a cross breed will do,
without trying it. If the staple length is sufficient I would try combing
that wool, and spin it very fine for hard-wearing socks, thicker for rugs
and outerwear. Should be good for rugs no matter how you prepare and spin.


Helen "Halla" Fleischer,
Fantasy & Fiber Artist in Fairland, MD USA
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/

Helen wrote:

In my limited experience, Suffolk resists felting to an
amazing degree,

Aha! Learn something new every day... g

Monica



---------
"No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I)
Support our Troops!!
http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html
ShipSupport Mailing List
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShipSupport/

| On 05 Aug 2003 00:19:25 GMT, home (CMM PDX2) wrote:

Helen wrote:

In my limited experience, Suffolk resists felting to an
amazing degree,

Aha! Learn something new every day... g

I always hope to! Dead boring otherwise!


Helen "Halla" Fleischer,
Fantasy & Fiber Artist in Fairland, MD USA
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/