No Mail? No Problem! Bus!
Although the Federal government has stepped in and legislated the postal workers back to work, things will not get moving again until Monday the 27th and I would imagine with the backlog, it will be some time before things get back to normal for delivery times. In spite of that, there are still ways to transport things, at least within our own province, that aren't brutally expensive, like the bus, and so far the high point of this week has been the parcel I got from the bus from Wooly Wool of the West.
Since they are all done shearing and lambing, Val posted a note on her Etsy shop that she was ready to sort fleeces that were available to purchase. Like everywhere else, it's first come first served so I got my oar in pretty quick to make sure I got some nice fleeces. And now that I have access to A&B Fiberworks in Alberta, I can have them washed, carded and pin drafted into marvelous spinning fiber in a very reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost too! I could never clean and card an entire fleece (never mind several) as well or as fast as A&B can, plus they can make pin drafted roving (not batts) which is still my favorite fiber preparation. They are very careful and gentle in their methods plus there are no harsh chemicals used so I know the fiber is going to come back having retained all it's best qualities.
Although a lot of my fiber purchases last year were dyed commercially prepared top I'm losing my appetite for it in the same way that too much candy makes your teeth ring. Make no mistake, I'm enjoying spinning what I have on hand, but it is alternating frequently with larger bunches of natural fiber which I am developing a preference for spinning. You will see, over the next few weeks, the lovely yarns that have been coming from these lots of fiber. I feel that I have finally acquired sufficient skill as a spinner to produce quality yarns from these fibers which, as a beginner, I don't think I would have been able to do. Commercial top is a great thing to start with - almost "fool proof" spinning fiber for a beginner. Natural fibers, especially those that are not the standard mainstream fare of Merino or BFL, present a bit more of a challenge to spin as everything about them from crimp to staple length must be taken into consideration in relation to how they will be spun and each factor will change how your hands respond to the fiber as you spin it. What I am realizing more and more is that it is my hands that make the final decision on what will be produced, not my head and eyes. How the fiber drafts and responds to tension all play a big part in the diameter of the singles and how many plies will make up the resulting yarn. Ultimately the fiber chooses more than "I" do what it will become. It's a strange reality! Anyways, I'm looking forward to working with the fiber from the fleeces I chose and I have lots to keep me busy in the meantime while they're being prepared! Cheers all!
Since they are all done shearing and lambing, Val posted a note on her Etsy shop that she was ready to sort fleeces that were available to purchase. Like everywhere else, it's first come first served so I got my oar in pretty quick to make sure I got some nice fleeces. And now that I have access to A&B Fiberworks in Alberta, I can have them washed, carded and pin drafted into marvelous spinning fiber in a very reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost too! I could never clean and card an entire fleece (never mind several) as well or as fast as A&B can, plus they can make pin drafted roving (not batts) which is still my favorite fiber preparation. They are very careful and gentle in their methods plus there are no harsh chemicals used so I know the fiber is going to come back having retained all it's best qualities.
Although a lot of my fiber purchases last year were dyed commercially prepared top I'm losing my appetite for it in the same way that too much candy makes your teeth ring. Make no mistake, I'm enjoying spinning what I have on hand, but it is alternating frequently with larger bunches of natural fiber which I am developing a preference for spinning. You will see, over the next few weeks, the lovely yarns that have been coming from these lots of fiber. I feel that I have finally acquired sufficient skill as a spinner to produce quality yarns from these fibers which, as a beginner, I don't think I would have been able to do. Commercial top is a great thing to start with - almost "fool proof" spinning fiber for a beginner. Natural fibers, especially those that are not the standard mainstream fare of Merino or BFL, present a bit more of a challenge to spin as everything about them from crimp to staple length must be taken into consideration in relation to how they will be spun and each factor will change how your hands respond to the fiber as you spin it. What I am realizing more and more is that it is my hands that make the final decision on what will be produced, not my head and eyes. How the fiber drafts and responds to tension all play a big part in the diameter of the singles and how many plies will make up the resulting yarn. Ultimately the fiber chooses more than "I" do what it will become. It's a strange reality! Anyways, I'm looking forward to working with the fiber from the fleeces I chose and I have lots to keep me busy in the meantime while they're being prepared! Cheers all!
Posted by Gloria Patre at 6/23/2011 1:15 AM 
Categories: Sweaters, Fiber
Tags: hand spinning natural spinning fiber fleeces
Categories: Sweaters, Fiber
Tags: hand spinning natural spinning fiber fleeces
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