Future Blanket!

When you spin to weave, you have to think long term.  You have to get the fiber, hopefully ready to spin but if not you go thru the process of possibly pulling any short cuts and too soiled fibers, then washing, washing, washing and rinsing and rinsing over and over until it it all cleaned.  Then out on screens in the sun to dry.  This has taken me days to complete and lots of water!

If you are lucky enough to have it ready to spin then you spin and spin then ply.  I usually soak in warm water with alittle orginial dawn then rinse and hang to dry - it just blooms.
Then comes the planning the project, warping and weaving!
So it can take months to work on a project but you do it from the fiber animal to the finish project.  As you work on it, you realize that you are doing something that was done centuries ago - you are creating with your hands!  I find such peace as I see it progress from raw fibers to a finish item.

My future blanket will be made of a blend of alpaca/shetland in natural colors of tan & redish brown.  The fibers are from a friend's alpaca & shetland sheep.  She surprised me one day with these two bags of roving, ready to spin!  She said it was payback for something I had gave her - I nevered expected anything and had actually forgot about giving it to her.  I feel very blessed to have such  kind friends.

Hopefully sometime this summer I will have it all spun up and on my loom, so we can have my first blanket to lay on the couch this winter.
Thank you Susan!