BYC Spinning Fiber

[itsy]

Buck - AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Is that Polwarth? BFL? I have Woolgatherings as one of my favorite shops on Etsy, but I haven't purchased from her yet. She's got beautiful, beautiful stuff.

I'd love to see your shawl once you complete it. Please post more of your spinning! I love it!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Polwarth, I think I will have an extra roving in this color, I purchased all 3 so I knew I would have enough for my project, here's a different roving done with the same way, just a different order of color. the start and finish are the same


This is Mixed BFL, also a single

 

[itsy]

Wow - your spinning is so perfect and even! I wish I was able to do that!!

Very pretty. What are you going to make with that one?

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Real nice Buck Creek!

I need to spin even thinner, with more twist. Even when I spin from a Top and spin cob-weight singles, when I ply them, they always plump up to baby or sport weight yarns. I don't want to knit socks using singles, but I'm just not there spinning wool that is thread weight! Now silk, flax & cotton I can spin thread weight ...

 

[tamberlin]

Hi- I'm new to this thread, but have been spinning for about 2 years. I also dye my own fiber and have learned to weave to use up some of the excess. My family thinks I'm bonkers, but it's nice to know that there are others out there who see and think the same way.

I'm really impressed with everyone's work here - I'm still working on consistency and eveness of my yarn. I'll get it some day. I have 7 lbs. of Romney to work on!

"I spin so I don't kill people" is so appropriate sometimes!
My kids say I'm prepared for the zombie apocalypse.... the survivors will keep me around to make them sweaters.....
Deb

 

[GardenGal]

Do you have sheep, tamberlin? What do you dye your fiber with? What do you make with your yarn?

My sister and I have been spinning for a year, and have only ever used commercial roving - planning to change that this spring

 

[tamberlin]

Hi Gardengal -
I don't have sheep, but I wish I did!
We have several great fiber festivals around here and my Mom and I try to get to at least a couple. I do the spinning and dying and she (tries) to knit at least some of it.

Once you get into dyeing your own roving, you won't want to stop! For really easy dyeing, you can start with Kool-aid drink mix (I haven't actually done it, but people say it's easy and colorfast), I prefer Easter Egg dyes (Paas - you can get it cheap after Easter at Walmart and other shops and it never goes bad!). I haven't bought commercial acid dyes just yet, but I will someday.
I also use natural dyes (goldenrod, marigold, onion skin, whatever I find laying around.....

) The book Wild Color by Jenny Dean is back in print and it's a terrific resource for natural dyeing.

So far I've made sweaters from my hand dyed, scarves and hats and mittens from handspun. I've just learned to weave, so I'm trying to use up some of my less than perfect handspun in pillows and big fat fluffy scarves....
I'll find out how to post pictures....

What are you spinning right now?
I am working on some Romney fleece that my Mom bought back in November. I washed it and plopped it right into a pot of purple easter egg dye. The purple is awesome because the color "splits" and you get all sorts of shades of pink, blue and purple. When it had dried, I mixed it in the carder with some dyed silk and turquoise mohair I'd bought at a fiber show. I have to card the second half of the batch so I can spin the rest of the dyed stuff, then back to the plain silver grey for my mom to knit.
Well, I guess that's my Sunday work... lol and my DH complains that I never get anything done...

 

[GardenGal]

I'll have to stock up on egg dye after Easter Lately I've been spinning merino, bfl, and the like, making headbands with new - to me - knitting stitches. I've been crocheting for a while, and it surprises me how much less yarn knitting uses. I can make a headband with just an ounce of roving! My husband keeps telling me I have only one head, but I know other people with heads

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

I'll have to stock up on egg dye after Easter................ I know other people with heads

LOL!

Love 'other people with heads'!!

re: dyes. kool aid & FD&C food colorants (including egg dyes) do a good job, but for the price, a commercial powdered dye is far more economical. I use Jacquard dyes from Dharma

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

This will be N-plied to be used for this