Pearl's Family in Indigo

Pearl is the flock matriarch and was my favorite of the original five lambs I purchased from Vermont Shepherd in 2018 when I thought I just wanted some ruminants to graze. I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to get her back in the fall of 2019, along with her daughter Coral.

This yarn is spun from the combined fleeces of Pearl and her whole family: her 2020 twins Quartz and DeLorean, her 2019 daughter Coral and 2020 grandlambs Daphnia and Diatom (the black sheep, every family's got one!).

I grew the Japanese Indigo and dyed these white skeins using the ice bath method. This is a satisfying process: the only ingredients needed are fresh indigo leaves (ideally picked early in the morning before the dew has dried) and ice water. The tools required are a vessel, blender and a fine strainer (I like using paint strainer bags). The pigment is released from the leaves when they're crushed, as are the enzymes necessary to bind the pigment to the protein fiber.

100% wool yarn from Pearl and her family. Expertly spun by Sallie of Sallie's Fen Fibers.

Yarn Specs:
Worsted Weight
3-Ply Semi-Worsted Spun
200 yds / ~4 oz