Dye-In

Recently the spinning group I am part of had a Dye-in.  What a great time playing with color with such a fabulous group of people, a beautiful day, and the perfect setting. Here is a link to the group's blog - A Day of Dyeing and Spinning. 

There was a lot of fancy dying, and I was a bit embarrassed to bring my tiny attempt at color-making with Kool-Aid!  You might remember my first attempts:  Kool! and Valenine Hearts. I should have known that most of the ladies had done it before and would be completely supportive!  

Here is what I started out with.  Teddy's roving. 

This is the mess that came out!

This is after spinning!

Another friend decided to give her yarn a dunk.

Some of the pretty projects. 

Here are a couple of things I've made with Kool-Aid dyed yarn.

Yes, the color is permanent, and yes I need to try something 

other than Black Cherry! 

If you'd like to try it yourself, I used this tutorial:  

Dyed in the Wool at Knitty.com.

DIY Hackle and Diz

You know how I like to do most things for myself...by hand from top to bottom.  Maybe you are just like me!  I wanted a way to make my own roving since I am no closer to getting our fleece to a fiber mill.  I found this tutorial for making a hackle using a piece of lumber, hair picks or combs, and self-tapping screws.  You can do it, too.  It is really easy!  

Here are some pictures of Chris making mine: 

Use clamps to hold hackle steady on the edge of a table, counter, or TV tray.

Now you load on the fiber.  I used lightly carded fleece.  A hackle is really for blending fibers and colors, but it works for my need to have long strips of roving rather than smaller rolags. 

I just used a button for a diz and pulled the fiber through one of the holes while moving across the hackle from right to left.  

I eventually switched to a larger coconut button which I think works better due to it's larger shape and hole.

There are lots of youtube videos showing this process.  Here is one I really like: Blending Fibre with a Hackle I've been able to make beautiful roving.  It works in a pinch.

If you are looking for the real deal, here is a link to one sold by The Woolery and this is what a diz looks like. I am lucky enough to live near this shop and get to stare at all the neat yarn, spinning, weaving, and fiber goodness they stock!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Pinterest Addiction

I'm addicting to Pinterest.  Thanks Lindy!  Pinterest is a virtual pinboard.  It lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To start your own pinboards you might need an invite.  Let me know if you want one. 

Here are some neat things I'm finding.  Come join us!

So many neat ideas!

Cuties that make me smile.

I love windows.

Pinterest

Invite me please!

Spinning Friendships

A friend introduced me to a spinning group that meets once a month and I love it!  What a joy to share a common interest.  

The chairs are empty because we were off visiting other spinners across the room, oohing and ahhing over their fleece and fiber, colors and crafts, but don't the wheels even look like friends?  Wow, the stories they could tell!  I had to grab the picture.

Mine might be giving thanks that I finally learned how to keep the wheel going in the right direction.  She (I think she is a she) might have a favorite alpaca fleece that feels softest to her.  She might be telling on me for the choice words I've used when I've messed up! :P

I like really old spinning wheels, painted pretty ones, and small ones.  My spinning neighbor sitting to the right of me had this wheel:

Majacraft's Portable Little Gem

It is just the coolest little travel wheel!  I bet it still can tell big stories though because of all the places it can go.

You don't have to have a spinning wheel to spin.  You can use a drop spindle or even make one.  The Joy of Spinning website has lots of tutorials to explore.

Here is what a basic drop spindle looks like:

Ashford Drop Spindle

Drop spindles can be fancy-schmancy or made with items from a hardware store.

An online buddy from Canada tells of her new adventure with a drop spindle in her blog, JADA Farms.  She mentions her spinning workshop and the camaraderie of shared stories.

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I am remembering an old tale about sitting on the porch looking out at the world with friends.  I'll close with the basic gist of the tale... the bond is stronger sitting side by side than facing one another as you experience the scene  playing out in front of you together.  

I have a pair...

Mumble, Grumble, Humble

Today I am mumbling inside about where I need improvement with my knitting and crocheting skills.  I came up with this adorable bootie, but trying to figure out the pattern in order to duplicate it has left me humbled...thus the mumbles.

So.  The left bootie came out smaller.  Now, do I make a third and keep fumbling through?  I might.  Do I (gasp) use a pattern? I think I need to be okay with the learning process and that I'm not going to be that good without investing time into the knowledge that is already out there waiting for me to use.  I am mumbling to myself that I don't have to reinvent the wheel.  Right?  I do raise the alpacas, hand card the fleece, spin it, and knit it!  It is okay to use a pattern.  It is okay to use a pattern.  It is okay to use a pattern. Mumble, Grumble, Humble.

P.S.  I should clarify that I mean it is okay to use existing patterns, not always my own.  I beat myself up when I can't come up with my own.

Thrummed Bunny Slippers

Thrummed.  I hadn't heard of that until I made an online friend, Deb.  She is a fellow alpaca farmer and we've become great pen pals...what DO you call pen pals these days when it is all via the internet?  She posted a really neat blog about thrummed slippers she made for her family.  They are much needed in Canada where they live!  Thrummed slippers have unspun, fluffy, fleece making the inside of your slippers all cushy and soft....and warm.

Just a few days ago I came across this incredibly sweet pattern for thrummed bunny slippers!  

Oh how CUTE! 

You are thinking "link, give me a link please!" right?  

Here it is: Bunny Hop Slippers

Here is a link to Deb's blog post, too, so you can see her slippers: 

 JADA Farms

These will be on my needles for sure.  Maybe in time for Easter?

Tickled Pink

 I didn't have what I needed so I made a call to my "source".  

We met up at the designated spot...a side parking lot where we could make the exchange.  

She brought the goods and I had the coin. 

After a speedy transaction I was on my merry way.  

Another successful roving and yarn purchase! :-)

Yes, I have my own stash of natural fiber and yarn, but when I want color I make that call to Lindy.  She dyed this for me on special order for a project I am working on for another friend, who is giving something special to yet someone else!  How neat it is to see this travel through our hands.

Lindy, also, carries things on Etsy occasionally, so keep an eye out for her beautiful, and colorful creations.

http://www.alpacalindy.etsy.com

Tickled Pink

How to Felt Soap

Felted soap has become very popular.  It is easy to do and great for gifts!  It is a bar of soap with a washcloth-type covering.  I use them for decorating, drawer sachets, and washing.  Here is how I do it.

Supplies:

• Small amount of roving or hand carded alpaca fleece or any wool that will felt
• Bar of soap (a good lathering soap works best and rounded bars are easiest for beginners)
• Hot water
• Dish detergent
• Rubber gloves (if needed)
• Plastic baggie
• Pie pan, pan, or shallow bowl

Alpaca fibers and other animal fleece and wool will felt because they have little scales that open in the hot water.  As you agitate and rub these scales start sticking together.  This is why you don't throw your alpaca sweater into the washing machine!

You will need to make about 3 layers of fleece.  The first layer will be the part that shows on the finished product so this is where I put two colors side by side or however you want to lay it out.

The second layer can be any color you like. Place it perpendicular to the first so the fibers lay in different directions.

After the third layer, put your bar of soap in the middle.

Wrap the fleece up around the soap so you have a nice little bundle of fleece all around the bar.  Turn it over to hold everything in place.

Start to slowly pour HOT water on the bar.  You can wear rubber gloves if it is too hot to handle.  Start patting the fleece and adding the hot water until the fleece is thoroughly saturated.  Don't rub because you'll rub the fleece away from the soap at this point.  Just pat and push and squeeze and start to shape the fleece around the bar.  You can add a couple of drops of dish detergent to help it come together.  Once the soap begins to lather through the fleece you won't need any more dish detergent.  You can flip it over, too, to soak up some of the water in the pie pan.  Dump out extra water as you need to.  

Another way to add hot water is with plastic soda bottles that have holes punched in the lid.  I used a hammer and nail to make about 4 holes. This is a great way to do it if you have a group.  Everyone can have their own water supply.

It is now ready for some serious rubbing.

Put your bar in a baggie.  Now you can take it anywhere you like!  Rub the bar gently at first and start to roll it and squeeze it.  As the fleece continues to firm up you will want to rub harder.  This step will take about 15 minutes.  You will feel it become nice and tight around the bar.  It will really lather up in the bag, too.  Sometimes I rinse it out part way through the rubbing process.

When your bar is all done, rinse it in cold water.  This will help the fibers close.  Squeeze out as much extra water as you can.  Set your bars on a towel to dry.  It will take a day or two and you will need to turn them over occasionally to dry on all sides.

All done!

When using felted soap to wash with, it is important to thoroughly saturate the bar before rubbing.  This allows the soap to come through the covering.  A soap that really lathers well works best.

If you need alpaca fleece or have any questions please feel free to contact me.  I sell raw, hand carded fleece for $4 an ounce plus shipping.  Two ounces is enough to felt about five bars.

Make Your Own Lightbox

Inexpensive Lightbox

Here is a great tutorial to make a lightbox.  

Click here for a tutorial on wikihow.

I use mine to photograph items I make for my Etsy shop and websites.

Felted Bowls

Small Felted Pouches

I'm getting ready for fall and winter holiday shopping!  

Recent Google Searches

How to spell A Cappella  (Acappella, A Capella, Acapella)
Who is the fastest kart in Mario Kart for Wii ?
Info on Irish Saint Caoilinn.
Skype or Google Voice?
How to skirt a fleece.

Evidently the Italian "A Capella" is preferred.  One of the kiddos must have been trying to find a sure way to win on Wii.  There IS a St. "Kaylen".  Google Voice is awesome!!! AND You can see we are putting the fleece information to use.  We built a screen out of pvc and garden fence.  Lovebug and Little Man are helping out. We are picking out hay and debris from Teddy's fleece to prepare it for spinning.

My New Wonder Washer

It was suggested to me to try a Wonder Washer for my felting process. Perhaps other fiber artists have already discovered this but it is new to me and I am pretty excited about it. A Wonder Washer is a small portable washing machine.  When I knit a bowl or pouch, I then have to wet felt it.  Which is like shrinking your favorite sweater.  I usually use my full-size washing machine, but it uses a lot of water and is harder to control the outcome.  So I gave the Wonder Washer a try over the weekend.  I am really happy with it but will need a little practice.

The first thing I had ready to felt was one of my pouches.  

I can tell you without a doubt that the washer did an excellent job at felting but it is supposed to look more like THIS...

Not THIS.... (Laughing at myself here)

I left it in a little too long!  No matter.  I found a home for it as something else and will definitely try again.

Casting On - Baby Kina

This is my current project. It is a Muriel Agator pattern called Baby Kina.... PRECIOUS!!!!  I discovered it on a blog I like called a caffeinated yarn. I'm testing the pattern with inexpensive yarn before I dedicate it to alpaca.  I think I'll try some of my handspun yarn, too, to give it a different look and texture with organic, natural colors.  Here is a link to the pattern if you want to purchase it. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-kina It cost me $5.  You do have to be enough of a knitter to interpret the pattern as it is not spelled out for you row by row.  For example it says "8 rows in garter stitch", and "continue in stockinet stitch until it reaches 9 cm".  If you understand that then you'll do just fine.  You need to join Ravelry! It is free and a great knitting resource. Ravelry.com