Early? Well, I think so.
A bit.
Yes.
Acer began shedding on the first of February, which was a full three weeks earlier than last year. And I thought that was early!
He hasn't shed his full undercoat, but enough of it has been falling out that I have been giving him a weekly once-over. The goal is to capture most of the fiber before it ends up decorating fenceposts and stone walls. The bonus for combing early is that there is usually less topcoat/guard hair shedding along with the cashmere undercoat. Nice!
I've been checking the other goats routinely, and have begun lightly combing Vinca, Violet, Azalea and Sambucus, also. Again, they are just beginning to shed, so it is a lot of slow, gentle combing for not a lot of fiber, but my reasoning is two-fold:
1) if I am able to sit and comb a goat on any given day, I had better do it
and
2) every bit of cashmere harvested now means less to be lost or combed out later.
(To be strictly honest, I am not sure the goats are buying either of those points. But they are definitely enjoying the extra oats and peanuts that come with the process!)
Would you like to see some fiber? I just happen to have some right here.
Some people really favor the whitest possible cashmere, over the other natural colors. This picture of Violet's first combing is for those people:
This is exactly how it came off the goat, and believe me when I tell you: raw cashmere does not come any cleaner than this. If you zoom in (or possibly if you left-click the images?) you can see guard hairs and bits of VM. But for raw fiber, this is a delight.
Good job, Violet!
So...the Cloud Harvest of 2016 is officially underway! It will now go on (and on and on, as Comptonia readers know perhaps all too well) for many weeks. It would be a bit shorter if I had more physical endurance.
It might be a lot shorter if I was less stubborn.
(Doesn't seem likely, though, does it?)
And on we go!
~~~~~
How does a person get to have some for spinning?
ReplyDeleteBoud, do you mean raw fiber? Or ready to spin?
DeleteOoo - love the look of that white cashmere!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's from Violet, who is a very dark grey goat. They keep you guessing, these goats!
DeleteDespite the work and effort (and purchase of peanuts and oats) I can only imagine how it must feel to plunge your hands into a pile of cashmere.
ReplyDeleteIt is a highlight of the cashmere harvest experience, for sure. Very different from, say, pole beans or winter squash - my other main harvests ;)
DeleteThe cashmere looks so beautiful and luxurious. You are doing a fine job.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It has to be a labor of love. Like many fiber-related projects, as you know! :)
DeleteThe cashmere looks so lovely and soft, I'd love a scarf made of that. Do you keep their combing separate for a reason ? and then what is the next process for you , or do you sell it on as it is ? this sounds like a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara Lilian - good questions! But first, there's a picture of a little wisp of a scarf made with just one ounce of cashmere here:
Deletehttp://comptonia.blogspot.com/2014/11/now-with-links.html
Even with all the open lacework, it is WARM!
Each year I keep information about the fiber from each goat, which is important from a quality and breeding perspective. Also for cashmere analysis, and judging, as I wrote about last year: http://comptonia.blogspot.com/2015/10/long-overdue-report.html
The bags of raw fiber won't be combined until it all goes to a specialty mill to be spun into yarn - hopefully, sometime later this year.
Thanks for you interest :)
Oops, apparently I can't put live links in my comments - live and learn! And you can't cut and paste the URLs, either. I'll have to do some research and see how to work around this.
DeleteMeanwhile, you can at least find those posts in the drop-down list in the sidebar, if interested...in Nov 2014 and Oct 2015.
DeleteNow that I'm thinking about it, the "no live link in comments" is probably a safety measure, to reduce the chance of nefarious people sending us all to places we don't want to go on the internet.
Raw fiber, to card and comb and then spin. I'm guessing your output is committed to the arrangement with the mill?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm free as a bird and thanks for asking :)
DeleteI've never sold raw fiber, but I'll think about it. A bit tricky to price because every combing contains different percentages of guard hair and VM. Also, you'd want to wash and dehair it before spinning; I've heard of breeder/spinners doing that by hand but can't offer personal experience or guidance. The breeders I know send the raw fiber "away" and get back either yarn or spin-ready stuff. Hmmm. Food for thought!
This looks gorgeous Quinn! What good little goats to keep themselves so tidy this winter. I would think they really do love the combing and maybe grumble a little bit just to get your sympathy and extra treats!
ReplyDeleteWendy
Thanks, Wendy :)
DeleteHappy Combing! I hope you have treats for yourself nearby.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea! By the time I get to Betula and Lily, I should perhaps add a hip-flask to my combing kit. ;)
DeleteHoorah - what beautiful wool!!!
ReplyDeleteAt first, the thought of combing your goats sounds almost like a kind of meditation. It sounds wonderful. Then, I remembered how much my back hurts when I have to brush the dogs for a long time.... and I realized why this is also a tough season for you.
ReplyDeleteThe cashmere is gorgeous! It makes me want to run my fingers through it and feel its softeness!
Yes, soon but so nice to have work spread out over time.
ReplyDeleteYes and no...longer means more time for dirt to accumulate and fiber to get matted, especially in wet Spring weather, and then more fiber is ruined or wasted. But yes, having it spread out can be really helpful because there is a limit to how much combing I can do in any one day. The weather makes a big difference.
Delete