Progress with spinning and knitting

I have been doing a lot of spinning lately. I finally feel like my handspun looks like yarn. I really have to stop comparing my handspun with what you buy in the store. It is not the same. I want my product to be something that others would want to knit with. I washed a few skeins today, when they are dry I’ll post pictures.

I am also doing some drum carding, blending alpaca and wool. It is fun to see the final batt. I will need to spin some up to see what kind of yarn it will make. Here is a picture of one of the batts, it reminds me of pumpkin pie:

I have figured out how to make a heavier batt with my drum carder, I have a Strauch’s Finest. I can make a 1 1/2 oz batt, which is a small batt but I am making more than one batt of each color combination. I weigh the fibers and write down how they are put through the drum carder, the resulting batts are very similar. (Nothing handcrafted is ever exactly the same). Maybe someday I will be able to afford to buy a Pat Greene Carder!

David and I drove up to Freeport, Maine yesterday to check out the Spin and Spa. This is an annual event sponsored by The New England Textile Arts (as far as I can determine, a group that only exists through a Yahoo group and at this retreat). It was hard to find out information about the spa but I had some yarn spun at a Maine fiber processor and met them there to pick it up. I went through the exhibit hall and, of course, bought some yarn and spinning fiber. The majority of vendors were local farms and artisans. Overall, it was a productive day.

I have been knitting. I finished my thrumbed mittens and the Woodlands Tunic. Both came out beautiful. I am now working on a scarf from Interweave Knits Summer 2007 – the Montego Bay Scarf by Amy Singer.  I am using this:

It is a handpainted yarn from Seacoast Handpainted Yarns in New Hampshire. It is a silk and merino blend in a fingering weight, colorway Sugar Plum. I love knitting with it . The scarf is going to look great.

It is almost the end of February. Winter still has a firm grip on New England, more snow fell on Friday. I looked over my list of goals for 2008 and here is where I stand. I am spinning more and enjoying it more. I have opened an Etsy shop! Please go and check it out: www.nightingalefibers.etsy.com. Let me know what you think. I will continue to put up different produts to see what will sell. There is so much great stuff on Etsy, some of the shops are very successful, but have also been there a while and probably have a following. I’ll just have to see how it goes for me.

I will continue to review my “list”. There are a few goals I have this year that are not on the list – more about those in future posts.

Cynthia

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Fiber, Fiber Everywhere

It has been a busy couple of weeks here. First we went to Las Vegas for the Fiber to Fashion show. This is an Alpaca Owners and Breeders program that focuses on what to do with all the fiber that comes off these animals. The weekend was an interesting one. I have gotten involved with alpacas for the fiber (I knit and I spin), but most alpaca owners got into the business for the financial aspects (ie tax benefits), so the fiber is a secondary by product. There are probably hundreds of thousand pounds of fiber in barns, attics and garages around the country while most of us buy alpaca yarn from Peru. A small amount of the fiber is processed in this country by Mini Mill and some is traded for goods (produced in Peru and Bolivia) through a co-op. These goods are sold in farm stores and include yarn, hats, socks, teddy bears, blankets and clothing. Some farmers sell fleeces to handspinners for $1 to $6 an ounce (!). The dilemma is how much is this stuff really worth? And can this country (with essentially no textile industry) produce products to create income for farmers or other fiber related businesses?

My dream is to have a company that produces yarn and spinning fiber. Maybe that will be with a collaborative relationship with an already established mill or my own Mini Mill. One thing I do know, you can not make money if you have to buy fleeces for even $1 an ounce. So, the BIG question is, again, how much is this stuff worth? If the fleeces are molding, rotting and otherwise being wasted in barns, attics and garages, why can’t I buy it for a reasonable price?

I do not mean to imply that there are not initiatives out there that make use of this fiber and probably make these entrepreneurs money. There are just so few of them. The alpaca business is growing but mostly in the show circuit and the sale of more alpacas. What about this beautiful fiber? Stay tune for news of my future company.

I have been knitting. I brought three projects to LasVegas. I only really worked on one, but I did finish it. Fidget was an easy and very portable project. Here is my finished project:

(I wish this was a better picture. The buttons have alpaca/llamas on them)

I started a pair of thrummed mittens when I got home (I just cannot work on the fairisle ones) and I have the first one done, except for the thumb, and the cuff of the second one. I hope to finish them this weekend and then on to try to finish my Woodlands Tunic (it is so close to completion). I will need another carry around project but I am not sure what that will be yet. Maybe another pair of socks.

I have been doing some spinning. I finished spinning a generic wool blended roving from Kraemer Yarns. I hope to ply the two bobbins this weekend. I am feeling a little more confident, but still not spinning consistently. I have a 4 oz bump of a local sheep farms wool, I am going to try to spin it a little on the bulky side. Maybe make a bulky single with it.

I have been complaining about the weather around here. We have had a lot of snow, rain and ice and I am getting tired of driving to work in it. I was humbled this week to wake up to the news of the tornadoes in the south. My heart aches for those who lost loved ones and their homes. I can only imagine what that is like.

I want to leave you with a happy picture:

 

“If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires” Horace Traubel

Peace

Cynthia