anything but sheepish about wool

by Julia Rosenfeld

“I’ve always been artistic and a bit of an animal lover,” explains Sue Metz, an instructor who teaches regularly scheduled classes at the arts and crafts at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

Born and raised in England, where “everybody knows how to knit and everyone knits all the time,” Metz moved to the U.S. with her American husband in 1995. Among the treasured items she brought with her was an old spinning wheel and a few fleeces (the unprocessed wool shorn from sheep) that her aunt had given her.  

Metz raises and shears sheep and dyes the wool. She then spins the wool into yarn and knits the yarn into clothing and more.

Old world?

“I admit, I may seem a bit eccentric,” she says. “But, it just sort of all came together and I love it!”

Her passion for the fiber and the art are infectious, and Metz willingly shares her enthusiasm with center customers. Her wool fiber art is a popular item in the Whiteman Air Force Base commissary and a phenomenal learning opportunity for students in the base’s arts and crafts center.

“I loved the feel of the wool and asked at a nearby Amish store if they knew anyone who could teach me to spin,” she recalls. “They sent me to a woman who just happened to also be English. She gave me a few lessons, then had to move back to England. So I wound up with three of her sheep.”

As a Londoner, Metz certainly hadn’t grown up raising sheep. But in Windsor, Mo., she had three acres of land. “These animals get under your skin. They’re wonderful to be around. So I moved to the old farmhouse I’m in now – and while I still only have three acres, I went from having three to as many as 16 sheep at one time.”

Grazing land: Check. Sheep: Check. Now, how do you get the wool? Maybe the woman who taught Metz to spin taught her to shear sheep, too.

“No, the first time I had them on my own, I just used scissors,” she laughs. “You tie them up because they’re rather big and strong and wander off. Then just snip away the fleece. I shear them completely in March or April before it gets too hot. You don’t want them to have too much wool on them in the summer.” 

Because not all wool is created equal, Metz raises three different breeds for three different wools.

“I have a rare breed of English sheep, Cotswold, with fleece about 6 inches long, like Mohair. That’s used for luxury wear items. Then I have Shetland, which has a shorter, more durable fiber that’s ideal for socks and winter wear. Then I have two Rambouillet sheep. They produce the second softest wool in the world, next to Merino. Oh, it’s lovely and dense, with a great crimp and very, very soft,” says Metz.

Once the wool is gathered, Metz processes it and spins it into knitting wool using one of her spinning wheels.

“I’ve got four wheels. My oldest is a ‘walking wheel’ that’s five foot high and five foot long, made in 1820 or so. It’s a very heavy, wonderful wheel,” she says.

Metz particularly loves dyeing the wool. And if she can teach kids about dyeing, all the better. “I’m very tactile, and it’s a very hands-on process, so kids love it too. Plus, you can use all sorts of things as dye -- like powdered drink mixes or natural dyes like flower heads, marigolds, tree bark or even wild mushrooms.”

In addition to her regularly scheduled classes at Whiteman, Metz has taught spinning at a local college. She and her wheel are also regular fixtures at local Renaissance and Civil War reenactment events.

Yet her classes at Whiteman hold a special place in her heart.

“I love getting the feedback,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm when people try something new and find out how much they can do. It’s a relaxed environment, and we have so much fun together. I love seeing how well everyone does when they practice.”

In addition to spinning, dyeing and knitting, Metz teaches textile arts, dressmaking, embroidery and quilting – plus watercolor and drawing. “I’m up for whatever will go,” she says with a laugh. 

For a glimpse of Metz’s handiwork, visit her Web site at www.sheepspin.com.