Fluff to stuff #4 - Suffolk to triforce hat

A little while back, I did a breed study on Suffolk sheep fiber.

My boyfriend requested a triforce hat, so I made one from the same fleece.

Click "read more" below to see my process!

As usual, we start with a dirty fleece.

​Usually, the first step is to scour (remove dirt and lanolin) the wool before carding (brushing the locks open) and spinning. I figured I'd save some time by scouring and dyeing it. So I carded the fiber first.

Then, I dyed the fiber with a proprietary blend of Jaquard acid dyes.

Next, I spun the fibers into yarn!​

Knitting came next! I was in good company. Doctor Who PJ pants and Lazy Ewe yarn bowl provided by my best friend, Mallory!

I did not use a pattern, because I am a rebel.

It turns out, I'm not too great with doing colour work. This is the back, and I got a headache trying to tidy up all the loose ends.

I did a gauge swatch before start knitting, because I am not THAT rebellious. However, I must have counted the stitches wrong because the hat came out a bit too bit. I threw it in the washer and felted it down.

Felting it meant some dog hair got stuck in the hat (oops, good thing the boyfriend loves the dog).

The fabric turned out slightly stiff due to the fiber being compacted down during the felting process; but this hat is wind proof, water resistant, and very durable. Over all, I am pretty happy with how it turned out.