More yarn spinning than usual.

November 2, 2011

I have been doing a little more spindle spinning than my usual, as it requires nothing in the way of brain power or valuable floor space.  On a positive note I did bring a bit of spinning fiber with me through both of my moves in the last 3 mnths.  (Did I mention moving sucks?) 

So I have been working on some commercially prepared white cotton roving, and also on my Fall (that's my name for it) wool roving.  The colors are sooooooo rich and I am even thinking that it may turn out to be sock yarn...maybe. 

Here are a few shots.

I still have a bit, quite a bit actually, of the Fall roving.  I have one ball all nice and plied and one ball of singles.  Lots more spinning before I can do any more plying of the wool.

But this is the end of the white cotton roving.  It will be plied next.  I have been spinning for weeks and weeks on both of these!

I was trying to catch the brilliant colors in the sunlight, still working on the best location for pictures.

Maybe this post should be called 'Manic Monday'?

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Well gang, it seems I am still in the creative slump that has had a hold of me for about 2 weeks now.  As a result postings are getting difficult. 8~(  

So today I will just post a 'Thank You' note to all of my fans and wonderful on line weaving/fiber art buddies.

I actually received yet another gift from my friend 'Popsicletote' from the Ravelry.com site.  She is so talented and generous.  She actually hand-made me a reed to play around with.  She put it together with twining, and she actually did it on a backstrap loom.  On top of that, she actually sent me five wonderful skeins of yarn, a wool-cotton blend!  It is a fine yarn and I can use it for sock knitting or for weaving, either one.  Tempting to do socks as I haven't had any really nice sock yarn in quite some time.  How did she know that blue is my favorite color?

We often do what is called a Weave-a-long on Ravelry (aka WAL) and usually they have some sort of theme.  OF course there are no weaving police, so often there are wide and varied ideas going on.  The one going at this point is for plain weave.  Either plain even weave, or warp face plain weave.  As a result alot of the gals are doing, and experimenting, using the backstrap for plain weave.  (I have discovered that as far as terminology goes, it is understood that plain weave is neither warp face or weft face, otherwise it would be stated as such.  So here on in, assume when I say 'plain weave' that you can see both weft and warp.)  

And, actually this is what got me started on trying to do some plain dbl wv.  If you recall the pink and blue piece a couple of posts back was the best one so far.  

What I usually do is warp face dbl wv and they are definitely horses of different colors.  I think they both have their place to be used to their best advantage, and at this point I still prefer my warp face dbl wv, and warp face plain weave also.  This may have something to do with the fact that I am still learning how to do plain dbl wv.  Mostly, I think it is the cleaner lines that make me prefer warp face dbl wv.  Plus you don't have to factor in the color of the weft, as it is never seen.

The learning process for the pln dbl wv is how I ended up doing the skull piece I have on the loom at this moment.  I didn't get it just right for pl dbl wv and converted it over to wrp fc dbl wv.  Often when I am learning a new technique I will have to 'adjust' my thinking.  I end up with alot of extra bands that way, and luckily, I have learned to save the warp yarn somehow and I usually even make a envelope bag out of them, so no waste!  That is a good thing.  I would only have so much need of a narrow band, and the little bag's make great give-a-way's.

For now, here are some pictures and my 'Thank You' to all of the folks out there, you know who you are, who enable and encourage our fiber art addictions!  I often find surprises of gifted fiber related boxes in the mail box.  Thank you one and all.

I think she got the thin reed pieces from disassembling a dinner place mat another lady from Ravelry sent to her.  Again, generosity.  The gold trim is one of her hand produced pieces.  I am not sure what technique she used.  Might be weaving, might be braiding.  Trim for our weaving's has become a hot topic of late also.

Sky blue and teal.

 

And how did she know that I am a bag lady?  All the way from Oregon?  Isn't that little blue bag just perfect for weaving tools!

I've been doing some spinning also!

October 13, 2011

Here is another one of my on-going projects.  Spinning up some wool on my hand carved spindles by Ms. popsicletote from Ravelry!  Aren't they cool!  The yarn isn't bad either.

I have had the roving for quite some time now.  As a matter of fact I have a LARGE basket full of roving in storage that I just keep chipping away at.  I think this will turn out to be sock yarn at some point...not sure though, I might try weaving it into something who knows. 

It spins up nice and fine and I usually use my spindles as support spindles in my lap in my recliner as I am listing to the television.  Aren't the colors vibrant!  Did I mention I am into the Fall colors lately?

This spindle is a phang, and it is carved of cypress and spruce.  The whorl is bark!  How cool is that?

 

I added the phone for a size reference. 

Did I mention Fall colors?  lol

I love the way all of the roving looks in one basket with all of those vibrant colors.

And I have even been chipping away at some cotton roving.  Spinning is great when I am don't have a particular weaving idea going on in my head.  I love using my own hand coiled pine needle baskets too.  Hand crafted anything is the bomb!  This spindle is one I got in a swap along with the pink and yellow roving you see in the basket above.  Great for cotton.  Just the perfect weight.  Not that I know much about the technical end of spinning yarn.

 

O.K. I think I am all caught up now.  See ya soon.  Gotta go work on those Christmas presents.

Sheep pelt!

I have owned this sheep 'pelt' for many years.  I acquired it when I went on a day trip looking for cotton fields after purchasing my spinning wheel.  I found it in a little roadside teeny tiny flea market kind of place.  Paid next to nothing for it if I recall.  I have used it for everything from sitting my spinning wheel on it, to a chair cushion in front of my tapestry loom.  

Actually, it drove me crazy.  It kept shedding, it was white and would get dirty very easily.  It seemed it was always in the way somehow.  

Then it actually turned gray from all of the use and dust.  I was actually ready to toss it into the trash.  That being the case I decided to try putting it into the washing machine and see what happened...WHAT A SURPRISE!  It came sparkling clean and beautiful.  So beautiful in fact that now I am trying to figure out what to use it for.  Check it out!  Gorgeous!  No felting at all!  Of course I used cold water and wouldn't even consider the dryer.

It reminds me of beautiful smooth butter with all of its hues of cream and pale yellow.  Seems only fitting to own one as a weaver/spinner.