Bearlin Acres Farm:
Homespun, Yarns and Patterns

Nice yarn starts with the sheep. Good care and nutrition give better fiber. Maintaining a good pasture keeps the flock out of the mud that can mat and damage the fleeces. Our flock is not coated. We hope for neatly behaving animals. Some dirt in the fleeces is to be expected. Our stock is selected for specific fiber traits such as crimp, luster, length and micron count. In the genetics of Cheviots there is considerable fiber variation. Some animals can have a spongy coat that is pretty much undesirable for spinning. Others have very nicely defined crimp, good length, staple strength and weight to the fleeces.

Upon shearing, the fleeces are bundled flat in old sheets. I skirt them heavily when the weather cooperates and sort out the better fibers for spinning. These are then washed in hot soaks with mild detergent and rinsed several times in clear hot water baths. Occasionally, I add vinegar to the final rinse water to bring down the pH a bit.

The fibers are dried on screens outside, picked, sorted again and packed in bins when fully dry. Each fleece is weighed before and after washing to see how much usable fiber the sheep are producing.

Our hand or drum-carded fibers are spun into singles and plied on either an Ashford double-drive Traveller or a Schacht Matchless wheel. The twist is set if needed by washing and hanging under tension. Skeins are available in varying fibers and lengths.

I am currently experimenting with both natural and synthetic dyes with reasonable success. Some days and dyes are better than others!

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Contact Bearlin Acres. hand knit scarves, lye soaps, skeins, mini model sheep	Handspun alpaca triangular shawl beginnings Follow the progress!	2-ply 100% wool $35/cone 850yds approx 1 lb natural white $16/cone approx 425yds 8 oz natural dark brown
Long walking vest in 100 % Border Cheviot Bearlin Acres Farm 2-ply wool made with hairpin lace technique. Pattern available for $6.50 by email request.	Hairpin Lace walking vest	Design: Linda Singley. Crocheted by Minerva Trimmer 2009.
	Courtney's Mittens Wool tufted (thrummed) mittens. Design and knitting by Dottie Kurtz, the Knutty Knitter, 2009. Pattern ($6.50) and kits ($30) available by email request. Includes hand-dyed yarn, coordinated roving and pattern.
wool alpaca blends, custom spin runs hand dyed on grey, white, brown for tonal variations $13 per skein approx 390yds per 4 oz	Natural wool/alpaca afghan (75%wool 25% alpaca worsted wt) $13/sk 250yds 4 oz natural grey BRWM	Custom dyeing available with roving to match
50/50 alpaca/cheviot wool Delphinium 400 yds 4 oz, 2-ply sport $13	50/50 alpaca/cheviot wool pea vine and violets 400 yds 4 oz, 2-ply sport $13	wool(75%)nylon(25%) socks from the flock $33/pr hand-dyed, hand knitted pattern available, $6.50

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