Daily Archives: July 18, 2005

Before I launch into the goodies I bought at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo, I want to show you what came off my wheel tonight.

Just as I arrived at the show a very heavy rain started and the woolcraft pavilions didn’t have any electricity, a bit difficult to see anything 🙁 But I went back later to admire the woolcraft entries and winners. I’m thinking I might enter something next year since I’m being coerced into entering some stuff into the local agricultural show this year LOL.

I spent a lot of time wandering through the big tents full of sheep in pens and watching judging of different breeds and classes. The breeds all had their own areas. I didn’t find the merinos though, I would have thought they would be everywhere, but I missed them somehow. There were also goats and alpaca classes so it was all very interesting.

I must admit that I wasn’t a systematic about my mission (finding suppliers) as I should have been and there were more than a few vendors that I missed, but I did get a few goodies to try.

I struck up a conversation with a breeder of Border Leicsters and he gave me a bag full of lambs fleece. It has a lovely luster, but its very dirty and smelly at the moment. I don’t know what I’ll do with it since it is a rather coarse wool. I’ll ask at my guild meeting on Wednesday, someone might have some suggestions.

I also sat next to a sheep farmer at the Poll Dorset Pavilion while some judging was happening. Poll Dorsets are a meat breed, but they sell the wool to the carpet industry. He said that the the wool sales just cover the cost of shearing.
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