Jen here:
Fiber. It's there at the end of the name of the business! We certainly don't mean to give fiber the short end of the stick here at Miss Babs, even if that stick has a beautiful whorl from the Bosworth's or the Dyak's. So here today we will focus on fiber, and we start with one of our favorites - Bluefaced Leicester.
BFL is at the top of our favorites list for a variety of practical reasons. It exhibits an almost ideal compromise between softness and durability. This longwool can be next-to-the-skin soft with a micron count somewhere in the 24-28 range. With a staple length of 3-6 inches it can be spun into very hard wearing yarns suitable for socks and other abrasion prone garments. This staple length also lends wonderful drape to shawls. The fiber has gorgeous crimp and a low watt luster. There is none of the aroma that can come from mohair - hey, I love the smell of wool, even wet wool...sometimes mohair is too much for me!
[caption id="attachment_733" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bluefaced Leicester in Mums"]
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These qualities translate into a fiber that is beginner friendly and much loved by veteran spinners, both spindlers and wheelies! And this is all before Babs gets her hands on it and transforms it from creamy top into beautiful braids in a rainbow of colors and hues! Bluefaced Leicester takes dye and gives back such wonderful depth and radiance! The dark component to our Mixed BFL enriches the colorplay even further.
[caption id="attachment_732" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mixed BFL in Holly Berry"]
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If you have ever given any thought to trying your hand at creating your own yarn from either a spindle or a wheel, BFL is a great choice to start with. Spinning is a wonderful, meditative pastime that takes a bit of practice and patience, but is rewarding both in finished product and reduction of life's stresses!
