# FAC - June '07



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Arrrrggg! I messed up again :shrug: I have been MIA for the past week so I really apologize for not getting this up sooner.

Okay, here it is the June Fiber Arts Chat! I cannot believe this is June already. This is where we all check in with what we have been up to either in our personal or fiber lives. We really like to keep in touch with our friends and family in the fiber world. If there are any newbies please jump in and introduce yourself. Don't be afraid of us we really are a nice and very encouraging group. We will be more than happy to help with any problem. Our specialty is helping other becoming addicted and when they have a DH or DBF who doesn't understand we help with the things you can tell them :baby04: 

What I have been up to lately. I have a man in my life! This is a fairly new thing and thankfully he lives a fair distance away otherwise I wouldn't be here very often. He was just here for the last week hence my not being on line and MIA. Best of all he appreciates my fiber stuff :dance: 

I told all of you that I got a camera well today I took some pictures of some of my fleeces I just bought and my inkle looms. I'll see if I can get them posted tomorrow. Cyndi make sure you check your inbox in case I need help :help: 

I've been loving spinning this one Shetland fleece on my drop spindle. I must say that I have gotten pretty good at spinning like that and I'm enjoying it more and more. My mini niddy noddy works great for winding off the spindle when it is full. Now I need to figure out a way to get it into a ball so I can ply. Speaking of plying there was an extensive article in the new Spin Off on Andean plying. I read that article and studied the pictures and for the life of me I still don't understand it :shrug: :Bawling: It just looks way more complicated than I need right now. Once I get this plied I think I will knit myself a pair of socks.

I haven't done much weaving lately, no time. One of the pictures I took was of a pair of shoe laces I'm trying to make for my son. It seems to me that weaving very thin things is much more difficult than weaving wider things. Has anyone else found this to me true? I think especially with Inkle weaving and keeping the tension even. Maybe when I post the pictures you will be able to see what I mean.

Not much else fibery happening here. I'm washing more of that Shetland to play with this week at work.

I hope all of you are doing well and are happy and healthy. Now to catch up on what has happened while I was gone.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Waiting in anticipation for a PM to appear in my In Box from you!!!

I'm spinning up a green coopsworth with bits of dyed silk. It's spinning up wonderfully!!

Off to Farmer's Market I go


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## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Susan,
I use a nostepinne to put all of my fiber in balls. You can use anything to do it. When I was at the museum last month I forgot my nosty but took some yarn that needed to be balled, that I needed to use that day. A couple of ladder back chairs to stretch the skein and the shovel from the fire place as the nosty and soon I had a center pull ball. I have used the handle of a small garden rake, the broom you get the idea. I usually just go from the drop spindle to the ball stage by the way.

And on the narrow weaving, yes especially when you first start the piece it is much harder to get a nice looking fabric. I am getting better, but it is still a work in progress.

By the way, do you use a cheater to begin your weaving on the Inkle? I do, I have been told that is not appropriate as it is not "period", but I like the results so much better.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Gram what do you mean by a cheater? Are you speaking of the few rows of thick yard nor sticks put into it to get it all straight and even? Some of my books talk about using one and some don't. I did use those few rows of alternate yarn on the one band I did in my pictures (when I get them posted).

Cyndi I got to sleep in late this morning and I'm home for the first time in a month and I have no other human here with me. I have a ton of catching up I have to do. I haven't even had a chance to figure out the software for this camera. I downloaded it but that is as far as I got. It is a beautiful day today so I plan on getting lots of things done here, uninterrupted :dance: I'll scream if I need your help


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

After a couple of weeks of mostly non-stop gardening I had to stop and make the 10-hour drive to check on my parents. What a relief not to have to search for ticks everyday and no poison ivy to watch out for! But I came with a carload of plants, so I need to get out and plant their veggie garden. Still I brought my Little Gem and that Shetland roving so I plan to get that spun up as well as finish a pair of socks for DH. I've never knit him socks and thought he should know the joys of handknit socks--I may be sorry if he really likes them as I'll have to keep making them! I'm using purchased yarn for his first pair, but after that he gets handspun. With all the fleece I have I just can't see buying ready-made yarn although my spinning is far from perfect. I got some nylon to blend into sock yarn since a lot of the commercial yarn seems to have nylon in it. I knit some cotton socks for me that had elastic in it--really like them with running shoes--but I can't imagine spinning in elastic ?! Guess I'll have to buy yarn for those.
March, glad to hear there's a man in you life -- woohoo  Are you rolling around naked in the fleece yet :dance:


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Katherine in KY said:


> I got some nylon to blend into sock yarn since a lot of the commercial yarn seems to have nylon in it. I knit some cotton socks for me that had elastic in it--really like them with running shoes--but I can't imagine spinning in elastic ?! Guess I'll have to buy yarn for those.
> March, glad to hear there's a man in you life -- woohoo  Are you rolling around naked in the fleece yet :dance:



Maybe you could ply some homespun yarn with elastic thread. I use pure wool yarn for making socks. If I'm feeling like pampering myself I'll use some alpaca or an alpaca blend. I haven't yet tried camel because it is a such a delicate fiber but it's on my agenda to try it.

No fiber doings to report. Sigh. I'm still stuck in the little metal mad house(RV) and don't have room for such things. Sigh. We've got room for hubbies gun stuff.....but not my spinning stuff :flame: Congrats March....but have you considered just getting a dog? Dog: unconditional love, always happy to see you, YOU are God to your dog. Man: wants to be waited on hand and foot, hollers when he's cranky, snores(ok so does the dog but it's at a lower decibel level), knows how to push your buttons, spends enough on deer hunting that you could have had pound for pound filet mignon instead of the tough stringy deer he is so proud of.....OK gonna stop here...could go on. LOL....just keep it in mind


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

You know, I've always read FAC as FAQ...and stayed away because I didn't figure I had any.

Reading it for the first time as FAChat makes a world of difference, doesn't it?

I guess I'll have to go back and read all the other ones, now, too.  

Meg...who needs new glasses....


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

TxGypsy I have 4 dogs :dance: Three are fiber dogs (collies :baby04: ) I always have them when he isn't around and I'm not sure whose company I prefer just now. Maybe that alone says something about how I feel. Either way we have both lived alone for a long time and I plan on taking this thing VERY slowly.

Katherine, I just washed up some beautiful rose/gray alpaca. Not rolling in it yet but I may just spread a layer on my bed for a nap  

I have this really neat attachment to my dryer. It is a shelf type thing that fits right into my dryer. It is designed for drying sweaters on. Basically what it does is it sits there, on the part of the interior that doesn't move. The dryer spins around this shelf. So you can set a sweater on this and turn on the dryer and it dries the sweater without tossing it around. Sort of like a convection oven. Well this thing works great for drying small bits of fibers. It works GREAT!!!!


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Have 3 projects that I am prepping for: 1. creating wool batting for a duvet, then teaching myself to quilt making a scrappie/string quilt topper for it. 2. taking carded batts, dying them different colours & felting them into rectangles; then sewing them to make a wool blanket. I haven't dyed wool before and am looking at Halycon's Acid wash dyes to do this. Lastly have a fleece from Lashes, our female llama, that I would like to wash, blend some with wool and then spin up. Some of the prep is buying the dyes, etc. but some of it is just getting over the fear of failure. Worrying that I won't like the results...got to get out of this mind set.


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I'm here! which by itself is an achievement this month. My foster child had a very hard week-spent last Saturday in a tantrum that turned violent by midafternoon, and ended up in a crisis center for 72 hours. She's had some ups and downs since then, but is doing well today. We're still hoping she may be adoptable in the end-but it's looking slim chances for now. She's still in the pattern she was in at the residential center-just with only me to get her through. We'll hopefully make it to September-who knows from there.
Fiber wise I brought home two feed bags of llama fiber this week. Very soft and lovely colors- a rich red and a lovely gray and white. When I said I'd "love some llama fiber" I didn't realize it would be sheared by a young man on the barn floor! Hopefully I'll get the hay out of it and get it cleaned up. I spent about half an hour sorting yesterday on the deck, but the weather has gone gray and wet again so outside work has given way to inside work today.
I hope to finish spinning some black shetland from my little wether into a nice three ply yarn for gloves for my father-we'll see. The sweater I'm working on has proven to be quite a challenge for me. The back is one piece, then one side with the sleeve and half of hood is knitted, and joined to the other side...I'm still on side one! The three ply shetland I spun for it has turned out to be some of the best I've ever spun! And this year's fleece from the same little ewe is even better than last year's was. (I'm working with last years)
I took a fleece to school-raw and smelly- for the kids to see and touch. Then showed them the process from raw, to washed, to carded to yarn. They loved it. All of them are upset that I'll not be doing afternoon sessions during summer school, but two of the teachers have learned to knit and will be doing the knitting with them.
I'm going to read a few posts and then off to my wheel....may you always have what you need and need what you have...betty


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Betty bless your huge, wonderfully kind and tender heart :grouphug: Thank goodness you have your fibers to keep you calm and help you through.

My heart bleeds for these poor damaged children. Bless you 100 times over.


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## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Susan,
I use an old plastic card to start my inkle weaving. Open the shed opposite of the first throw and use that to pull against. I take it out the first time I move the warp. From looking at your weaving on the other thread though I don't think I would change a thing. It looks great.
After you asked I went on a tangent. I needed a digital camera so I could post pictures! Wouldn't you know everyone that I liked or could afford they didn't have. I think that was a message to not get one at the moment. :grump: I hate messages like that.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Gram I got my camera, Kodak Easyshare C653, on sale at Office Max. It was on sale at both Office Max and at Target but Office Max also offered an instant rebate so the actual price was only $99. then I bought their (OM's) insurance policy for a year. The sale price at Target was $129. Check the sales flyers and compare prices. I wasn't looking for a really fancy camera, just something I could take simple pictures with and share with family and friends. I'm really happy with this.

Oh and I also got 2 San disks for $10. that are 1 gig each. That is a whole lot of storage space.


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## Aunt C (Aug 29, 2005)

I was able to spin for the first time in months the other night. I spun half a bobbin of merino. It sure gave a soul soothing feel to my week.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

After weeks and _weeks_ of too much rain (preventing me from even getting into the garden!), we got beans, turnips, beets and pumpkins planted. Can't find the zuke and 'mato seeds; need to buy more, I guess. Very little spinning done so far.

BUT there is another gal who is interested in taking spinning lessons nearby who asked a friend of mine if I'd barter the fee. Well, duh! See what happens when word gets around the wheels are up and running again?!? That's two serious students so far - and a 'show' in Oct at the local art studio (which is nothing like you'd expect in a city). AND we plan on moving this summer.......

Oh my, I think I'll just curl up with chocolate now and start having a mini-meltdown. :help:

~Falcon


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Dear Falcon don't curl up with chocolate start spinning. You can keep the chocolate on the side table and eat with your free hand while you spin.

It sounds like you have a very full summer ahead of you.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Started a new pair of socks for Paul last night. I finished that locker hooked rug for the bathroom.

I never realized just how much water that wool absorbs with the wool only feeling slightly damp. I hung the rug over the shower stall and was amazed at how much water started dripping from it!!!


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

had my wheel now for one week saturday....

i have done 3 bobbins full, 2 of them are actually nice( first was merino, switched to the shetland which is ssssssssooooo nice)

am spinning the fourth to ply with number 3 to make socks for dh's bday. So i am really very pleased. :dance:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Dare I say it???

WE WANT PICTURES!!!!


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## littlebird (Mar 30, 2007)

Ugh.

I'm teaching this month, so no time at the wheel. :Bawling: I barely get time at the computer, but I check in here to see everything that people are working on. Please post pics! I'm living my fibre life vicariously through you, and need pics to sustain the fantasy!

I'll be back at it in July.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Littlebird make sure you check out my thread about my pictures.

Deb long ago we used to lob felt balls at each other for making repeated demands like your one for pictures. You may consider ducking for cover when you ask such questions  

I got to spin a spindle of fibers at work today :dance:


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## Annie in MN (Oct 15, 2002)

Hey all!

I haven't been doing much fibering lately. Wait, does shearing count? The alpacas are all done, and have four llamas left. They will get done as soon as my blades get here. I ran out of sharp ones. 

Mom has been wandering (Alzheimer's) even more this summer, so I spent my tax refund to buy fencing. A friend from my spinning group, her husband, and a friend of her's have been putting it up for me. It is hard to do anything around here, because a constant eye must be kept on Mom. Just one more section, and then almost the whole place (10 acres) has perimeter fence. She loved to walk down the driveway to check the mailbox, the problem is now she keeps on going down the fairly busy county road. Scary! So once the rest of the fence is up, she won't be able to walk down the driveway. We have decided that we will need to put up a mailbox inside the fence for her. I'll be able to turn the animals out on the newly fenced arean, so I'll have less to mow!

I was given a mini greenhouse, basically a four tiered stand with wire racks, and a plastic cover that goes over the whole thing. It works perfectly for drying fiber. I spread the fiber out the racks, and leave the zippered door slightly open. The cover prevents the wind from blowing the fiber all over the yard as it dries. 

I picked another large bowl of strawberries this morning, and am now trying to decide what to do with them. 

So are we going to have a separate thread for fiber porn, or should I just post them here? I have a few photos to share.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

ANNIE It's good to see you post again. Feel free to post pictures here or start your own thread. We will find pictures wherever you post them.

It sounds like you have come up with a unique solution for your mom. I couldn't help wondering (lord strike me down for thinking such things) if you were going to use electric fencing :shrug: I couldn't help giggling at that but you do have the animals to keep in too and I'm sure they don't have as much respect for fencing as your mother. I'm happy to hear that you are working with your mom's illness rather than trying to restrict her, other than for her safety.

Hugs!


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Checked a book out from the library yesterday of "essential" crochet - and most of the projects were worked with commercially spun wool (ex. 70% mohair/30% silk or 100% Merino)! Ok, cool, I thought. Where can I buy such wondrous fibers? In the index is listed all the distributors for that particular line of fiber lusciousness --- and not a darned one in MO! (Closest in KS or AR)

Well! How rude! Makes me even more seriously consider some sort of wooly works enterprise. Hand-spun, loose fibers and quality commercial-spun, wheels and spindles. Oh boy, I'm going to need a bigger yard....

~Falcon


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Our daughter's 18th birthday Saturday marks the end of June. How time flies!

A friend of husband's came by last night for a few minutes. He saw both of the wheels in the living room and exclaimed, "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a spinning wheel that small!" He was talking about my Traveller. Wait til I get a couple of those antique ones - they're even smaller. Then, as they were going out the front door to the neighbor's, he did a double take at the box of dark brown wool on the floor by the desk (in front of the door). He must've thought I'd killed some critter and boxed the body  ! It was funny. Husband nonchalantly told him it was wool, it was ok, there was wool all over the place and you just get used to it. Just gotta love that .

How do you ladies work up so much white wool without going mad? On my second bobbin and the monotony of no color is driving me loopy. (Ok, short trip, but still!)

Back to the carding and spinning.....

~Falcon


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

FalconDance said:


> Our daughter's 18th birthday Saturday marks the end of June. How time flies!


Very cool with the subtle hint to March to start a new FAC on Sunday 

I spin so much natural colored wool that the white is a relief. The only white I have right now is the tunis and dorsetXhampshire, polypay and a little bit of corriedale.

No wait a minute - I got 2 lb ea of white merino and corriedale.

I've had a good fiber month although I've only managed to spin 4 bobbins and get them double plyed, then have about a 3/4 bobbin on the wheel now. 

*I was able to sell an electric spinner and wool for a friend in need. 

* Turned 2 friends on to fiber, encouraged a 3rd. 

* Was able to give away or trade about 8# of fiber and only bought 4, no 5.5#.

* Finished the roving locker hook rug.

* And a pair of socks that have just both feet to finish is my only WIP.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Cyndi I love and appreciate your subtle hint :bash: My brain is so full of holes these days. Now, having posted this I bet I forget all about it. I'm off to make a sticky note and stick it on my computer.

I haven't spun any white wool in years, really! I agree with you Falcon it gets so monotonous. At least with natural colors there is always a bit of variation.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I remembered  The new FAC is up here http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=193343

Please post new posts on the July FAC.


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