BYC Spinning Fiber

[Giddyup]

I never thought to see spinning/fibre here, but when you have one critter why not all the others? LOL

we have 2 alpacas, one black and one cream. The black we may breed one day, he's registered and grandma is a beautiful rose grey.

I thought i was getting bad hording 2 years of fibre and a new season coming up.

I'd love to spin but no time for any more hobbies. I have started to knit and love it. Getting better so that i can start knitting our own yarn. I have only processed one years worht so far. We only have one local mill and they are at a year to get your stuff back.

Don't know how else to sell it? What do you guys sell your raw fibre for?

 

[Lady Lavendar]

YAY!!! SPINNERS! I didn't think I would find spinners here. Any Weavers??
I've been spinning for a few years now. I have a Kromski Mazurka and an Ashford Traditional. I love spinning up Alpaca and Merino.

Katrina

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Weaver here.

I'm down to 4 wheels ... Kromski Sonata, Ashford Traveller, late 1800's great wheel and late 1700's Irish style saxon.

looms on the other hand

I have a couple simple frame looms, card tablets, a couple rigid heddle looms, a 4 harness table loom, a Harrisville-Design T/6 floor loom and am restoring an early 1900's Ed Worst counter balance, 4 harness loom.

I only have one more child to move out, then I'm knocking down a wall between 2 bedrooms to expand my fiber room!!!

 

[Lady Lavendar]

I'm down to 4 wheels ... Kromski Sonata, Ashford Traveller, late 1800's great wheel and late 1700's Irish style saxon.

looms on the other hand I have a couple simple frame looms, card tablets, a couple rigid heddle looms, a 4 harness table loom, a Harrisville-Design T/6 floor loom and am restoring an early 1900's Ed Worst counter balance, 4 harness loom.

I only have one more child to move out, then I'm knocking down a wall between 2 bedrooms to expand my fiber room!!!

You sound like me.. many fun fibery machines to work on but little space to put them in. I purchased my first loom in Wisconsin and made my poor husband drive all the way up from Texas to come get it for me because I could never find a loom in Houston to buy. Two weeks after we brought it home, I found an ad for a loom nearby online. I went to see it and it turned out that the weaver had passed away and her family was selling her entire studio (14 looms and all accessories). They just wanted them gone. I bought everything (2 Macombers, Schacht jack loom, a barn loom, Jim Ahrens loom (pre AVL), Cranbrooks, LeClercs, Sabinas, rigid heddle loom, a Lillstina table loom, and a Navaho tapestry loom and one that looks like a very early Union but its more likely to fall apart than weave something). There are at least two looms in every room with the barn loom and Jim Ahrens loom in the garage. I would very much like to teach weaving someday but I am still learning to use the looms. I'm anxious to try the Navaho tapestry loom but I don't have the space to move it into the living room yet.

Next year, we're tearing down our guest house and putting up a studio for my ever growing crafts.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

How did I miss this thread?!

I just started spinning on a top whorl drop spindle about two weeks ago. I am totally addicted now. I have always had an obsession with yarn, my stash is huge and largely hidden. Now I'm finding myself drooling at the sight of sheep...

I bought a kit from a Etsy store called Maine Wood (I think), for about $35 I got two spindles (one top whorl, one bottom whorl), 4 oz. of handpainted blue roving, and 2 oz. of plain natural roving for practice.
I then went and bought 4 oz. of BFL (Blue Faced something) roving in GOREOUS purples.
The woman I bought the BFL roving from sent along a sample of this dreamy pink stuff. I have no idea what it was. It was so silky and the fibers were loong. I spun that up quickly and now have a gorgeous little bit of yarn that I'll save for something...
I put together the blue and the purple roving and made some really pretty but thick and thin (I was still brand new) yarn. I used the yarn to knit a camera bag for the new camera I bought from Terrielacy. I felted the bag to try and hide some of the uneveness of my yarn and to make it more sturdy to protect the camera in case of a drop. I think the finished product is nice. I'll try to get a pic of it.
I have now been working with just the blue roving. I am almost done with it. My resulting yarn is MUCH more consistent now. I have gotten much better with drafting evenly.
I am saving the rest of the dreamy purple roving until I'm finished with the blue stuff. Then I'm going to need MORE fiber!
That BFL roving feels like butter to me. I haven't felt many types of fiber but wow, I love it.

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

LL - what a treasure trove!!!

Pine Burrow, I love the way thick/thin yarn looks when knitted. Don't try to hide it!! Celebrate it!!!

 

[valmom]

What a diverse bunch we are I took a weekend spinning class about 20 years ago when my kids were little- got the bug a little bit, then life got in the way. I still have my wheel upstairs in an extra bedroom. I still have two fleeces (one I got last fall- I could tell I was getting the bug to start spinning again). I really want to try a drop spindle- it seems less cumbersome than getting the wheel out of its nook- but I've never even seen a drop spindle being used. Maybe I'll look on etsy and get one of those "kits" with the roving and the spindle.

Now look what you've done- I'm on another hobby kick!!

 

[Lady Lavendar]

Hey Valmom,

You definitely need a drop spindle.. its a go everywhere do everything yarn maker. It is SOOOOOO addictive. In many ways I prefer it to my spinning wheels. Using it is very "Zen" like, I go into this deep calm state and my hands work of their own accord. On Ebay they have a kit that contains a bottom and a top whorl DS so you can try both. I prefer a bottom whorl but that's just me.

I keep mine in a baggie with some Merino near the front door and when I go somewhere I know I'm going to have to wait like the Doctor's office it goes with me.

 

[valmom]

I have looked at some of the spindles on Ebay- there are some really pretty ones. I'm such a sucker for pretty Is there a good video that shows "how to"? There was a link earlier in this thread, but it didn't find the website.

 

[Lady Lavendar]

I'm sure there are videos out there and books as well but honestly, get some decent roving to start with and aside from a little awkwardness in the beginning with your hands and figuring out when to twist the spindle, drop spindle spinning is self explanatory and simple. I'm lazy and pre draft all my roving so its only a matter of attaching it to the spindle and spinning until I feel the tension is right between my fingertips.