We exhausted all our leads to find someone with a very tame, easy-going pet sheep to come in for a shearing demo, so we could host our very own ‘sheep to shawl’ event for FORAGE (yes, that’s a real thing). We did finally meet someone with a friendly sheep; but in the end, a shortage of good skilled shearers scuttled the project. Thank you to our friends who expressed concern for the animals

Then we had a light bulb moment: we’re ‘gleaners’, why not focus on what we have around us?

So in the morning, Nicola led a great class on skirting, picking and washing sheep fleeces, as well as spinning on a drop spindle; and then we spent the afternoon exploring the wonders of the URBAN fibre shed: dogs, horses (hair from the race track), and even some guinea pigs!

Below is the flyer that we made to promote the ‘Community Groom & Spin-Along’

As always, big gratitude to our friends at Vancouver Parks and Recreation.