Marianne excitedly shared she was going to make her own yarn; she purchased the neighbor’s sickly sheep which were shorn that spring. Wool-combing devices showed up, then a spinning wheel arrived. Marianne gleefully began making yarn and it was the most awful stuff ever. It was full of vegetable matter, lumpy and horrid to knit. It had the texture of sandpaper, so scratchy I couldn’t imagine wearing it. It smelled like a sheep, and Marianne had dyed it hot pink and blue, colors I wouldn’t wear even if it hadn’t been scratchy. The worst part was this: two sheep make for a whole lot of wool to spin, and Marianne gave me enough of her yarn to make An. Entire. Sweater. I didn’t buy into her grand experiment. I politely took her gift, said thank you and continued to knit with my Red Heart.
Photo: From the quilt Marianne made for Jenaya
