As we will see in tonight’s post about somebody who does not have to ‘close the gap’ between growing wool and wearing wool:
“Without a thorough knowledge of his raw material, a craftsman cannot do good work because he understands only imperfectly the reasons for his actions. Few craftsmen have the privilege of using a more interesting material than wool; few are so intimately concerned with living creatures. Even the wood carver seldom enjoys the pleasure of seeing the living tree wherein he is to find his finished work. It is by no means an unusual experience for a spinner to visualise the yarn, and even the fabric which will grow from it, while his fingers explore the living wool on the back of the sheep.”
-Elsie G. Davenport, Your Handspinning, 1971, Select Books, Mountain View, MO, USA
Sheep on Saville Row, © Devon Fine Fibres