How to Tease wool locks

This video was prompted by question by someone on Ravelry.  "I received some Leicester locks, but how do I spin them?"    I searched the web for something that would illustrate my confusing words (I at least found them confusing)  but couldnt' find anything.  So, I'm filling the void with this video shot by my almost 4 year old!

How to tease wool in preparation for spinning


 Enjoy!

 ~Kara

Where does time go?

I swear I've written up a few post in the past few days but haven't completed them to the point of publishing!  sheesh!  But here's something I can share quickly!
Flanelberry Fibre is having a sale!

Go buy stuff!!!!  :D


~Kara

Wovember

***  I wrote this piece mid way through November, then got caught up in life and neglected to post it!  Eek!  I think that the articles on that site are still very relevant, and Wool should be a more prominent fiber in today's world of textile.  So I'm saying, lets keep supporting wool and it's producers.  Wear it all year round! Not just for a month! ***


Have you heard of this yet?  Wovember is a movement to wear as much wool as possible in the month of November, to bring awareness of the deplorable misuse of the terms wool, woollen, woolly, in commercial garments that contain no actual wool.  And wool being the fibre that comes from sheep, and sheep alone.  It is also to promote the use of wool as a textile, and showcase the beautiful animal that gives us such a wondrous product. Speaking of that animal, no other animal produces the same fibre with the same properties as wool.
Unsure of the properties of wool?  Let me sum up the wonderful qualities this fiber.

Wool is wicking.  Wicking is the ability to absorb and hold hold moisture, while still feeling dry and keeping you warm.  Wool can carry up to 30% moisture and still feel dry.

Wool is elastic.  It can stretch and hold shape.

Wool is insulating.  So not only will wool keep you warm when you want to be, you can make a beer can cozy out of wool, and it will keep you beer just as cold as one of the petrochemical cozy's out there.

Wool self extinguishing.  You can't burn it.  So while wearing it, it wont melt to you if you are at a camp fire, as you would had you been wearing  a garment described as woolen but made of acrylic or polyester.

Wool is fabulous.  You can't get ALL of these features in any other fiber.  Sure, you can get some of them in other fibers, but not ALL in one, as in wool.

And lastly Wool is sustainable!  We do not have to dig deep into the earth to get it, then push it through countless processes to turn it into fiber!

So up with Wool!  Up with sustainability!  Up with cozy socks on a cold winters day!

~Kara

Dye day

Today, its cold.  And it's raining.  Yes, raining.  On November 10th... Where's our snow?!   But when it gets dreary, I like to spin, and boy do I ever have a lot to spin right now!
On Sunday, I dyed up nearly 3 lbs of wool.  It was the first time I've done a huge batch like that in years.  Literally.   Sure I've done some quick stick it in a jar solar dyeing, but nothing like hand painted rovings, or kettle dyed locks.  My first two rovings turned out quite hideous, but sometimes a hideous roving turns into a beautiful yarn.  I call it the ugly duckling effect.
Anyway, enough words.  Time for a whole bunch of color!

Four different colorways here, left most 2 are merino top, and the two on the right are Cotswold roving.

 These are a  few of the beautiful BFL locks I hand washed. They took color beautifully.

 8oz kettle dyed merino top. It's spinning up quite wonderfully.

 These first two are the ones I'm considering ugly ducklings.  The yellow in the back is not an ugly duckling, it's beautiful.  It's all Cotswold.

Some of this will be spun up, and some will be sold as rovings,  mostly for thrummed mittens, as I'm not certain there's a single spinner up here, besides myself!  Though I do intend to change that, by having a few drop spindle kits at the craft fair on the 20th!

Anyway, back to spinning for me!  Hope you are having a wonderful day!

~Kara

And she keeps spinnin'spinnin'..

I promise I'm alive, still kickin', still spinnin'.   I've been busy with Craftster.org Mod stuff, like starting a felting challenge and getting learn to spin lessons up.   I've also been 'working working' at my hubby's shop, and there goes a whole day, I tell you.  Doing paper work is BORING.  But necessary.

I've also jumped off the deep end and have overfilled my craft plate with an upcoimng craft show... 17 days and counting left until the 20th.  I'm no where near prepared.  I hope my order of wool (that I also last minute ordered, because procrastination is the name of my game)  comes in quicker then quick, so I can get to dyeing and a bit more spinning.  I see fluffy singles, whimsical thick and thins, and a few solid color "standard" yarns.  I also plan to some small braids of roving for thrummed mittens, and learn to spin kits.  So that is what will be filling my plate for the next little while.

But here's a little teaser pic of what I'm working on currently.  I haven't weighed it out yet, but I think I have nearly 8 oz of this to spin.  It will be plied with a single of the brown.  So 4 oz like this and another quicky 4 oz just straight up spun.  Then ply them together and you've got yourself a manly yarn.

Yup so that's the story.  What I've been up to.   Oh!  And I won the runner up prize from Flannelberry!  Wewt! go me!  I'll share it when I get it!

~Kara

Phat Fiber Sample Box: Spin Up Girl Fibers Pressed Fairy Giveaway!

Phat Fiber Sample Box: Spin Up Girl Fibers Pressed Fairy Giveaway!

Ooh a Phat fiber give away, how can you resist?! I know I can't!