{"id":11087,"date":"2024-07-20T06:52:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T04:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=11087"},"modified":"2024-07-19T20:43:57","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T18:43:57","slug":"into-the-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/into-the-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Into the forest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During the past year Dan and I have visited sheep owners to take photos of Swedish sheep breeds for my book, Listen to the Wool. Today I invite you into the forest for a photo shoot of a forest breed, \u00c5sen sheep<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan and I go to see Milis and her 24 \u00c5sen sheep. The breed used to be bundled with Gestrike, Helsinge, V\u00e4rmland and Sv\u00e4rdsj\u00f6 sheep as skogsf\u00e5r, forest sheep, but since the end of the 20th century they are all considered individual breeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Into the forest we go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Milis keeps half of her \u00c5sen flock in the forest a ten minute drive from her house. The forest belongs to Per who wants it grazed. When we get there we are struck by the openness of the forest \u2013 the understory and the forest floor are light and airy and the light magical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per takes the lead with a bucket full of bribes as we walk along paths the sheep have paved through the vegetation. Silently, as not to scare the sheep who become nearly wild during the summer, we wade through waist high fern and duck under hazel branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The \u00c5sen sheep stand patiently while Dan gets some lovely photos of them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After ten minutes into the forest we come to a hill with a collection of stones, rounder than the ones we have passed on the way and in all shades of grey. Curious black heads rise from between them, and we realize the stones are the sheep themselves. They see Per and know it means treats, but they also see Dan and stay, linger. Dan is used to lingering sheep by now and has his telephoto lens ready. They flaunt their clean and shiny fleeces and Dan gets beautiful shots despite the distance. When he has what he needs Per offers his bribes to the flock and they tumble around the bucket, toss it into the air and empty it in seconds. We walk back in silence, all I can hear is my heart tingling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the love of wool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Milis has decades of experience as a spinner and bought her sheep 24 years ago for the sake of their wool. She documents the wool meticulously and uses it all herself, mostly for weaving. That means the fleeces of 24 sheep twice a year. We talk about the treasure that her wool is, about all the work that is put into its quality. Milis and her husband have changed the way they feed the sheep during the winter, to keep the food out of the fleeces. When I look at the wall of baskets full of wool I see no sign of vegetation matter in the flora of greys. All I can see is the treasure her wool is and the love, skill and dedication she has put into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singing the song of wool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just as the other Swedish heritage breeds, wool from \u00c5sen sheep can be very versatile, between flocks and individuals as well as over the body of the same sheep. The quality also differs between seasons and years. Usually they grow quite a lot of undercoat during the winter to keep the body warm. At the same time, the wool can be of lower quality due to pregnancies, but this year the sheep haven’t been served by the ram and all the nutrients have gone to the sheep themselves. This year’s spring shearing is spectacular with its abundance of airy undercoat, glistening with lanolin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Raw sampels from four of Milis\u2019 spring shorn \u00c5sen sheep. She says these have a lot more undercoat than the autumn shorn wool.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I get to take samples from four fleeces and I treasure them like diamonds. As I write this piece, the sheepy smell fills the room and my heart with a song that only a spinner can hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tack Milis!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy spinning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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