Fun with Fibre

BFL and tussah top Layered on the combs After a few passes with the comb

Ready to diz off

Finished top and waste

Waste blended with grey alpaca

One 150 gram bobbin finished

The Short Road To Becoming A Better Spinner

I have had a few people ask how long I have been spinning . I bought a spindle in April 2006 and started with that. I spun so much on that spindle that I thought my arm would fall off! My local guild had an older Ashford for sale so I bought it. That was in July 2006. I knew I wanted a much faster double treadle so last April my husband bought me a Majacraft Rose. I like the Rose because it's very fast and generally quiet..it's also a very pretty wheel. Lately I have been eyeing Quebec production wheels. Ah....maybe someday. I think the reason I have become a good spinner in such a short time is the fact that I spin alot. Almost every day. Once I start I can't stop. I am learning to knit with my own yarns and appreciate the originality of them. I spin for a couple of alpaca breeders, one who sent me 16 pounds last year. I also sell yarns at my LYS. It's a tiny quaint store and so far I've sold quite a bit. I wanted something new to sell at the store but I don't have any of my white sheep fleeces yet (I've ordered Corriedale and Finn). In my stash I found some lovely, soft BFL top and decided to blend it 80/20 with tussah silk. I used my big 4 pitch combs to blend the fibres together. So far I have one 150 gram bobbin spun and am working on spinning up another to make a fingering 2 ply yarn. When that is done I am going to dye the skeins solid colours with acid dyes. Stay tuned.............

New Goodies From The Black Lamb

Tussah silk and bamboo top Spicey inspects the goods. Yesterday DH and I drove to the Black Lamb in nearby Port Hope. Laurie always has lots of fibres to blend with. There was seacell, seacell/silk, soysilk, bamboo top, tussah and a few others I can't remember. I have wanted to try the bamboo blended with fawn alpaca ever since I saw a pic somewhere. It looked so shiny and soft. Now I just need some fawn alpaca. Funny since that is one of the easiest colours to find. I also bought another bobbin for my Majacraft Rose and an E-hook for my flyer. Happy Mother's Day to all! I hope my son calls me :)

Finished Yarn

Here's a few pics of the black alpaca and Icelandic blend. I think it has a little more loft and a little less softness than the alpaca by itself. Very nice yarn....about 120 grams worth and a fingering to sport weight. One persons sport weight is another's fingering weight. I've seen worsted weight yarns that look like a sport weight to me.

Anyhow I am waiting (and waiting dee dum) on many fleeces to come. Alpaca and different sheep fleeces. Some free...some not. Will show all the goodies whenever they arrive!