# New to Fiber Arts



## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi everyone! I've been on HT for years and lurked here often. I knit (for many years), needlepoint (off and on), Latch hook, sew (most of my life)and crochet (just learned). (yes, I'm addicted to yarn & thread)

I really would like to learn to spin, weave and tat lace. So do your best to corrupt me ;D


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Rosemama, welcome to the fiber forum!!! We are all a bunch of enablers, so you've come to the right place!


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Hello & Welcome!



> So do your best to corrupt me ;D


 Be careful what you ask for :hysterical::hysterical::help::bandwagon:


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

welcome, Rosemama- how well I remember dropping in down here years ago and now they won't let me go.  This is the best place in town!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

You should fit in well around here, they even let a, rough around the edges, guy like me hang around.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Welcome to The Fold Rosemama! It does sound like you will be a natural here. I know we have a few who tatt, I'm not how seriously they do. We are getting more and more weavers here, we have many more crocheters, lots and lots of knitters and even more spinners :spinsmiley: What do you know about spinning and where do you want to start? I started with a wheel (Ashford Traditional) I bought from a member of my knitters guild, she gave me a raw fleece from her herd and a few hands on instructions. The rest is history as they say . Lots of people begin with a spindle. You can read the Spinning 101 thread that is in the stickie at the top of this forum, I think it is titled 101 threads or something like that.

We are here for you so ask your questions.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Welcome!!
We love to corrupt people over to the fiber side!:flame:

Just a word of warning though, WIHH really likes to help other people spend their money!! LOL!:gaptooth:
She's half the reason I have two wheels already, and just started spinning 2 years ago! LOL!!!:runforhills:


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Welcome !!!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Welcome!!! 

We will corrupt you thoroughly, just you wait! :teehee:


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## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I knew I could count on you all to enable my fiber "whims"!



Marchwind said:


> Welcome to The Fold Rosemama! It does sound like you will be a natural here. I know we have a few who tatt, I'm not how seriously they do. We are getting more and more weavers here, we have many more crocheters, lots and lots of knitters and even more spinners :spinsmiley: What do you know about spinning and where do you want to start? I started with a wheel (Ashford Traditional) I bought from a member of my knitters guild, she gave me a raw fleece from her herd and a few hands on instructions. The rest is history as they say . Lots of people begin with a spindle. You can read the Spinning 101 thread that is in the stickie at the top of this forum, I think it is titled 101 threads or something like that.
> 
> We are here for you so ask your questions.


Well I've read the 101 threads and done some browsing online regarding the wheels that everyone prefers, etc. For those of you who don't raise you own critters, how do you decide where to get your supply from? 

We used to have sheep ranchers in my county, but not anymore  so I'll be resorting to mail order or online. Also with my outdoors responsibilities in the summer, I won't be able to get started until this winter, at best.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I'm an urban homesteader.  No fiber critters here. 

I have bought fleece from a number of places. I bought two from a man right here on HT who was selling fleece. He might even still have a couple for sale - check the barter thread. I was looking for a Polypay fleece as a trip down memory lane so I googled Polypay breeders and found a farm just one state over. His wife is a spinner and she picked out a fleece for me. I believe our own Weever also raises Polypays. I wanted a Cotswold fleece and started googling for breeders and found some nuns who live on an island off the coast of Washington State. They had beautiful fleece but all the 2013's were sold. I sent them an email and they reserved a 2014 fleece for me and it is really flat beautiful. My first fleece, however, was one I found on Craig's list. I honestly didn't know the quality at the time I bought the fleece. It was cheap and I figured I could learn from it. It is a BFL fleece in the most lovely shades of brown and caramel, very well skirted and free of vm. I paid all of 20.00 for it. 

Maybe someone here who is hoarding fleece has one they would part with or part with some of. Honestly a whole fleece is a LOT of fiber when you get into some of the larger breeds. 

You can also buy fleece on Ebay. I haven't done that yet but I have been tempted. 

You don't have to start with a raw fleece unless you want to and dive into things with both feet the way I do. lol! You could just buy the roving and learn how to spin. Svenskaflicka has a shop and sells beautiful roving!! 

There is also Ravelry. They have all kinds of stuff for sale from fleece to roving to tools and equipment.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I love rovings. I get quite a bit from Knitpicks. 
http://www.knitpicks.com/Yarns/Unspun_Wool_Roving__L300129.html


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Some of my rovings are on my Etsy shop now!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

If you are buying fleece a good question to ask is if it is sheared for a hand spinner. Most are not and the down side to that are what we call "second cuts" (little short bits of wool from the shearer running back over an area already cut) and they are the bane of most hand spinners. I'd say you want a staple length (the length of the fibers from cut end to tip) with a minimum of 4", especially if you are just starting out. What state do you live in and what towns or cities are near you? You may have a fiber festival in your area, definitely worth going to. We can help you locate one or a guild or place for you to connect to people who can give you hands on help if needed.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Welcome, Rosemama!! I just started spinning with a drop spindle, and I'm already saving up money to buy a wheel! It's very addicting!


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

Welcome Rosemama! Great group of folks here, always supportive and very helpful! Check out Dharma Trading Company for roving and dyes. They have a decent selection of ready to spin fibers, good pricing and fast shipping. Keep an eye out on craigslist for raw fleeces. I've posted "fleeces wanted" ads there and have gotten some good results. Hopefully you will be able to make it to a fiber event......so much fun! BTW pictures of your progress are always appreciated!


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Hiya, Rose! This is the best group! Between them and my local spinners guild, I'm learning so much. If you have a local spinners guild, go hang out with them this summer. Ours has a beginners corner, where experienced spinners will sit with newbies and run them through the process. Keep an eye out on eBay and Craigslist for a wheel. I got my Ashford Traditional for $91 on eBay. It was a "pick-up only", so there weren't a lot of bids, and it was worth the 2 hour drive to see a new part of the state, and pick up the wheel.

One thing I will say is invest in good roving to learn. I didn't want to "waste money" on roving that I may have very well destroyed, so I used poorly processed fiber that was given to me to practice with. I got so frustrated, but was determined to master it. Once I used up all the free stuff, I bought some real roving. Wow! What a difference! It practically spins itself and is much more enjoyable.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Check out the thread on alpaca fiber.

If you are interested in spinning, test drive more than one. I ended up with a Kromski rather than working my way up from cheap and difficult to an &#8220;earned&#8221; wheel. Life is too short.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

E como mai Rosemama!

Jump right in! It's soft and comfy in here. 

Finding fiber to spin shouldn't be too hard. Lots of folks here have fiber critters and everyone else has friends who have fiber critters. If you don't have room for full sized sheep, there is a "micro-sheep" version which you could probably find room for:



















If you had a few of these they'd give you lovely fiber to spin. Of course, then pretty soon you'd need a spinning wheel.


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## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

hotzcatz said:


> E como mai Rosemama!
> 
> Jump right in! It's soft and comfy in here.
> 
> ...


Believe me, I'd love to, but I'm still in town working long hours, so other than my bird  more critters are not currently in the cards. But thank you for the good-intentioned enabling


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

We live in town, too, that's why my DH won't let me have a sheep. He is soooo mean to me! Bunnies can be tucked into tiny corners, though, and they don't mind. But, working long hours, that's not good. Hard to keep up with your spinning if you do that! Can you call in sick, well, actually, I guess it would be to call in well and get more time off? 

Do you have the type of job where you could take a spindle or wheel to work and spin there? Spindles take up a lot less room than a wheel, but they are also a lot slower.


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## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

Oh my, Hotzcatz! You're just the worst enabler I've ever met! 

No, I work in healthcare, so bringing a wheel with me wouldn't work out so well (I have brought knitting in when I've known in advance the patient schedule was going to be light :/)

I read your previous post when I was at work, so I couldn't see your photos...OMG! You can't tell me that those are REAL bunnies? I thought they were toys!!!


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

hotzcatz, there you go- posting pictures of those adorable little fluff ballz. :grin:

One of my challenges for TDF is spinning some of that fuzzy stuff! I can hardly wait.  

Rosemama, I believe in supporting local shepherds and shepherdesses as best i can so much of what I spin (in the way of fleece) is purchased that way. When I say "local", that can mean anything from 30 miles away to still within the state borders- all the way up to Canada and down to Iowa. 

I do attend a fair number of fiber events here and there and there are ALWAYS bags of fleece beckoning me. 

I belong to a fiber group and we have several shepherdesses in our group that I buy from. Its fun to know the sheep your fiber comes from by name and to be able to request a particular fleece a year in advance. 

AND I have some friends that are THE worst enablers ever (Kasota, you, your mama Granny Annie, and BlueBerryChick are now among them! :teehee that you should NEVER take with you shopping at a fiber festival.  

I have one friend, Nancy, that calls me from pastures and county fairs and says "I am looking at the most fabulous fleece, do you want to split it with me?" and of course, I cannot say "no". It's not in my vocabulary. When Cabin Fever sees her name on caller ID, he KNOWS it's gonna cost him some money. 

But truly, splitting fleeces is a GREAT way to try different fibers without committing to a WHOLE fleece of a paricular breed. As a new spinner, you will not even KNOW what KIND of fleece you are going to enjoy spinning -but spinning a variety of wools (and non-wools) is a great learning tool in itself. 

I prefer NOT to buy fleeces sight unseen without the advice of someone I really trust that is there personally and physically to do the inspecting and handling of the fleece for me. There is SUCH a huge disparity in quality, cleanliness, handle, strength, VM size, amount, type etc that I personally would have a terrible time risking it. But working with someone you know and trust can make it a far easier and more pleasant experience.


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