Long lusters for a life time

by Crik Christophel – 

My journey with sheep and wool began with 4-H in Indiana where I raised market lambs and showed them at the Elkhart County Fair.  I had always dabbled in knitting but it wasn’t till after college when I became more serious about knitting and was drawn to spinning and dyeing.  After taking a spinning class in Nashville, Indiana my journey began.  I later moved to the Boston area where I became involved with the Boston Area Spinners and Dyers and Print and Dyeworks, a dye cooperative.

I dreamed of having my own spinners flock and after a move to Charles City County, Virginia I began gathering a flock.  I have always been drawn to the long luster wools and that original flock included Border Leicesters, English Leicester longwool, Coopworth, Finn and an angora goat. 

Along the way I began dyeing exclusively with natural dyes and started growing my own dye plants.  We relocated to Mount Morris in 1999 and the sheep came with us.  I expanded the dye plants I grew and also sold dye plants along with roving.  Now after 40 years of spinning/dyeing and 25 years of having a spinners flock I am still passionate about my craft.  

The flock is slowly dwindling and I don’t grow as many dye plants but I will continue spinning for as long as possible.  The process of tending the sheep, washing and dyeing the freshly shorn fleeces, spinning it up and knitting a special garment for a family member or friend continues to be so satisfying.