Well, the postal strike may make this pointless...

But I have more pretty fluff! For those who know me, Waterloo locals, you're welcome to inquire about any of the below. If you're distant, let me know if anything catches your eye, and we'll figure out what to do - hold, courier, guerilla mail... we'll figure something out.

Thanks to Waterloo Wools' generosity letting me tag along on orders, LoftyFibres is experimenting with some new and patriotic fibre lines - Lofty Canadiana. We have a supplier for 100% Canadian breed-specific wools - raised, sheared, milled and of course dyed entirely in Canada. My first few experiments follow. All are $20/braid if purchased off the blog, please email loftyfibres AT Gmail dot com if interested at all.

Lofty Canadiana 100% Corriedale wool braids: 4-oz/~ 11o gram braids. This is a lofty, woollen and sproingy fibre, but still drafts nicely and could be spun moderately fine. Right now, supply is small depending on how it takes, so each braid is unique.

Corriedale 1: 3-Way Stop (red, red, and more red!)

Corriedale 2: Dark Heart - Red, Indigo, and violet-purple
Corriedale 3: Copper Rainbow - everything muted, but a range from orange to red-violet is tucked in here somewhere.
Corriedale 4: Copper Roses - a semisolid pot/kettle dye, the rosey-brown coordinates with the previous braid. They would be lovely spun together.

The next breed I tried out is California Red. Despite "California" in the breed name, also from sheep raised 100% in Western Canada. This wool is a little coarser, and has a natural light tan colour that mutes the dyes a little. There is a small amount of kemp fibre - longer guard hairs that don't take dye as well, so you will find a few black or brown-black fibres - this isn't stray pet hair, it's part of the wool! This fibre is even more woollen type than the Corriedale and won't spin as fine, but will be VERY warm, snug and bouncy. While I wouldn't suggest it for next-to-skin projects like a dainty lace cowl, it would make a heck of a winter sweater, toque, or mittens (thrummed, maybe!) for outdoor wear.

Cali Red 1: Seawater - a medium blue with the slightest greenish tone.

Cali Red 2: Dusky. Think late sunset, just before full dark. A hint of mauve-pink still in the sky, fading to midnight blue and deep purples. The lighter blues coordinate with Seawater.
Cali Red 3: Not Quite Ripe: Raspberry pink the day before they're really ready!
Cali Red 4: Berry Blend - take the Raspberry, add some Cherry, totally ripe Strawberry, and a touch of Blueberry, toss a Blackberry in the blend.

And, of course, everyone's stand-by fave, I can't keep this fibre around much. Seawool!

Seawool 1: Deep Teal - This was actually a handpaint experiment in blues and greens that melded beautifully, so it looks much more semisolid.

Seawool 2: Nature Dyed! From a 2nd soaking of Logwood bark that I had on the go. It produced a medium-pale, but very distinct purple semisolid. The photo grays it a little, but it is definitely lavender-purple.
Seawool 3: 3-Way Stop: Same dye lot/handpaint as the Corriedale of the same name, but the dye strike is very different on the different fibres. The Seacell keeps its sheen and takes less dye than the Merino, for a paler/brighter colour.
Seawool 4: Nature Dyed too! This time from a 2nd soaking of Cochineal powder, which produced this beautiful shell pink. Please keep in mind for the nature dyes: while I use materials and mordants that are moderately light- and wash-fast, nature dyes WILL fade slightly in time. If cared for well, this won't be a concern over the life of your end product.

There's your fluff du jour! There are actually quite a few lovely new yarns ready as well, I hope to blog those before departing, or possibly while on the road.