Customer Comments & Projects ...

"... what a good boy he is!"

Here is an opportunity to read comments from hand spinners, felters and other customers who have purchased something produced on our farm. We appreciate and thank all of you who have chosen to support our flock. Please e-mail your comments about fleeces, wool, sheep, or our other items to Joanna & Keith Gleason at gfwsheep@gfwsheep.com We would also be very happy to post photos of your work that you have made using our wools. Please send as a jpeg photo file attached to an email, along with a bit of info about your project.

Needle Felted "House Sparrow"

August, 2007 I love your wool. I love to hold the (roving)balls - they are so soft, and they smell so good. I know I will have a lot of enjoyment with this wool - the colors are a delight. Here is a photo of one of the things I make with your wool. This bird was made with the needle felting process, using #36 and #38 felting needles and a 3" foam block. I made a base by rolling strips of roving (GFW white Corriedale) tightly, folding in the sides while poking the roll with the felting needles to make it dense. I kept poking until I had a shape to start to work with. I carefully chose colors that are close to the bird's feather colors - and used very thin, small strips of dyed merino to build up color and shape. The beak is made of a thin strip twisted tightly around the end of a pencil and needled. The eyes are beads, and the bird is sewn onto a stick with embroidery thread. Needle felting lets you control the outcome of your piece better than wet felting - but of course wet felting is also wonderful to do. I watch birds all the time in my back yard - at the feeder and the bath - and my felt birds are one way of expressing some of their charm. Thanks, Joanna Sheila Press, Berkeley, California

July, 2007 Hi Joanna, Just thought you'd like to know that our team won the fleece to shawl competition at "Wool Day", held in conjunction with our local Troy Fair, in Troy, PA yesterday. We used the silver Corriedale fleece I bought from you (Imagene) at the wool market, as we had to spin in the grease for this one. It carded and spun up like a dream, and we were very pleased with how our shawl turned out. Our warp was an all Romney warp ... some dyed, some natural colors. Our theme was "A Pennsylvania Still Life", based on our team display of an antique orange crate, box of blueberries, cream and brown antique crock full of local wildflowers, and a sample shawl similar to the one we did in the competition. The warp was put on the loom prior to the competition, since that takes hours. All the warp was hand spun as well. The weave pattern is called "Wall of Troy" from Marguerite Davison's "Handweaver's Pattern Book". This is a small local fair, so shawls are not auctioned off after the competition is over, like they do at our PA State Farm Show. This competition is a little different because we have to ply our weft. So we are given 4 hours to complete the shawl. We did it in just under three hours. Teams may have 5 spinners and a weaver. No designated carder at this one, so we all have to card at first. One of the spinners is the designated plyer. Our team personnel hasn't changed in 6 years, so, yes, this was our same team from last year. We have won this particular competition three years in a row. I have attached a photo of our team with our winning shawl. Sincerely, Libby Beiler Lewisburg, PA

"Winning Shawl & Team"

May, 2007 Felting by Sousonne COMMENT: Having just spent a considerable amount of time at your site, I've thoroughly enjoyed the information that you have so kindly compiled and shared with all of us. I am just learning how to needle and wet felt and recently created my very first project. It was SO easy, and I hate sewing, so this is a perfect art form for me! I still have a lot to learn and tons of experimenting to do. I couldn't be more excited! I think I've learned more from your site than I have any other. Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge. Sousonne

"Felted Purse & Needle Felted Flower"

January, 2006 Hand spun skeins by Meg Caulmare New Salem, MA From the left: Janel, the darkest one; then the lighter-colored portions of Violet's lamb fleece; then the darker-colored portions of Violet's lamb's fleece and then finally the beloved Cora. No matter what I have done with her fleece, whether flicked, hand-carded, drum-carded, combed or spun from the lock, every inch of yarn I had made from her fleece is absolutely beautiful. These are the skeins for the natural-colored lace project which is slowly taking shape.

"Bond Skeins"

Knitted Hat

January, 2006 Anne Montano Livermore, CA Here is a picture of a hat made from Red and Mouse. I used eucalyptus to dye the wool a tan color. (Hand spun, hand dyed yarns from the fleece of Red and Mouse, Corriedale ewes.)