My Little Spinning World!

 I have been working on some white Alpaca that I bought at the Smokey Mountain Fiber Fest a couple years ago.  After washing & carding it, it is like a soft mountain of snow.  Spinning it on my Alpaca wheel, double plying it.  Still have alot to go but hoping to get a shawl wove up with it.

Yarn to the left was some superwash roving that Candi at R&M Yarns had dyed.  She does such a beautiful job!  Can't want to take a class from her!

 

Picture below is my lastest blending board playtime! Going to ply it with some black rayon thread.  Weave a scarf on the Cricket.

What is Happening in my Weaving World!

Finally got the Leclerc warped up for rugs.  Did not take long cause I used the 8 dent reed.  Had some fiber that was given to me a few years ago by Phyllis at R&M Yarns.  Used it for the warp, mauve and grey.

I bought some New Zealand Wool yarn out of the discount bins at R&M Yarns after one of our guild meetings.  Had some black spots on it so it was 1/2 price.  I dyed it with Ghoul Aid, Cherry, & Grape Kool-aid.  Got done and thought how ugly it was, just thought lesson learned.  But as I am weaving it up - I am thinking how pretty it is.  Really a leasson learned - Never pass up a 1/2 price wool - you can dye it; And never think something is ugly - there is always beauty to be found.

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!

First Mill Processed Fleece

I sent my first fleece off to Stonehedge Fiber Mill in East Jordan MI a couple weeks ago.  Last night UPS pulled into the drive way and there was my fleece.  It is a beautiful alpaca fleece and it is so soft and downy.  Ready to spin or recard into batts with add in's if I decide to do that.

I love it!  I had always bought a raw fleece, spreaded it out, tried to pull anything that needed to be pulled out, then washed and washed and washed!  Spread it out on window screens and hoped I did not felt any of it.  This was so easy and less stressful!

Already thinking about sending a Jacob fleece off to them!

Chase N It Farms Free Fleece!

I won a fleece from Chase N It Farms (www.chaseit.com) !!!  They had posted on their website if you Liked them on Facebook you would get a chance to win!  I am so excited as soon as they shear, they will ship the fleece to me!

Blended Batts & Felted Pods

 

I love to card fiber!  I love to dye fiber!  Put it together and you come up with some wonderful batts ready to spin.

The above batt was dyed with Kool-aid Ghoul Aid and blended on the drum carder with some Angelina fibers.  The fiber is from a tunis sheep called Lucy.  My husband bought the fleece at the Smokey Mountain Fiber Festival in Townsend.

The batt below was also dyed with Kool-Aid Blueberry & Cherry.  The fiber is merino.

 

I had spun some Brown Sheep gray roving, then knitted and wet felted the pods below.  Then needlefelted some white Wensleydale locks randomly around the top.  They are freestanding with no support.  I love them!

Earth Loom

I think Earth Looms are so cool!  Some call them Journey Looms.  I have been hoping to build one of these looms in my backyard. 

I think it would be so much fun to weave a mixture of yarns, fabrics, branches, and grasses.

 

Has anyone done this!?  Let me know if you have.