What luck that today I was catching up on your blog! I grabbed Dreaming of Shetland immediately. This is a terrific idea, and I'm glad you agreed to it. Somehow I missed the news about the Field Guide to Fleece, but I've pre-ordered now and look forward to having it in hand. Everything of yours I read casts new light on the subjects of fleece, sheep, history, evolution, human migration and what we take with us (and why), how to do what we love even better, and the perfect pleasure of working with one's intelligence and hands. Keep up teh good work. Best wishes in your research.

Yet another amazing discovery! How on earth do doll makers and wig makers know about this kind of sheep, and the best informed handspinner I know (you), doesn't? Good to keep an open mind and ear to other artists and crafts. May I throw in a question for the next Q and A, if you think it's of any general interest? Judith McKenzie says, in her DVD on Spinning Exotic Fibers, that alpaca doesn't have crimp. Hmmmm. I have a couple of alpaca fleeces, both from first shearings, that show what I would call crimp. A friend who has alpacas says there's a difference between crimp and "crinkle", but she sent me a photo of one of her fleeces that shows what I would call crimp. Maybe I can't use the sheep's-fleece terminology for other species. Have you seen alpaca fleece with crimp, and is that really crimp? Also, FYI, the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has added an on-line shopping cart for their qiviut products. See the homepage at www.uaf.edu/lars All proceeds return to the program to support the muskoxen, caribou, and reindeer. (I'm not affiliated with them, it happens that I love qiviut and I like to think I support the animals.) Thank you for everything, Deb.