From Bison to Yarn

DH has an interesting job as a forest ecologist/prairie management coordinator.  Last week he was seeding one of the paddocks at his workplace where the Bison roam and found a small section of shed Bison down.  Bison lay on the down in the winter months and as it gets warmer of course they shed it.  Click here for some interesting information about Bison fiber which is considered to be a luxury fiber.

 Shed Bison down-this is laying flat in one side of our sink so you can get an idea of amount. It is all matted into a piece that feels like thick felt. The down had no odor or oil and contained some lighter, probably sun bleached areas.  It was mostly dusty with bit of earth clinging to it.

 As soon as you wet the fiber it is easy to pull apart. Washed fiber/24 hours to dry.

 Carded fiber. This particular bit of fiber was mostly very short to medium in length.

 This preparation of Bison was hairy with a varied staple length.  It required a tight twist to keep the yarn from separating.  All of the hair and varied lengths has resulted in a more rustic looking yarn.

25 yards of heavy weight yarn/rewashed to set twist. Very soft (not scratchy yarn).

 

 

Happy Valentines Day

Merrily We Roll Along

...down the icy creek. Not a bad day for a winter paddle if one has the proper outerwear.

Enjoying the day

Along along the creek there were spectacular views

Let's go!

Icy water

The Legend of the White Buffalo

My aunt in Colorado is the bookkeeper for a gentleman and his wife who have several businesses including a wild game ranch where they raise white buffalo. When we were out there this summer Janet brought me a large bag of their wool. I washed, spun and knitted it into a scarf. It has a bit of a course texture but is lovely wool. The native Americans revered the white buffalo. I found this website which tells the story. The animals themselves are quite an imposing sight-its no wonder the native Americans were in awe of them.