All in Spinning

Let's Spin . . . Cheviot

Cheviot sheep are an ancient breed that originated in the cold, wet, rugged Cheviot Hills on the border between Scotland and England. They were noted as early as 1372 and likely selected for monastery flocks due to their hardiness. Initially, they were called 'Long sheep' or 'White sheep' in contrast to the Scottish Blackface. Sir John Sinclair is credited with naming these hardy sheep he chose for his estate in Caithness, North Scotland.

Combo Spinning

A combo spin combines several different fiber braids to create enough spun yardage for a larger project, say for a sweater. The braids are divided into chunks, spun in random color order, and then those singles are plied together.

Cashmere Dehairing

Today’s post is a follow-up to ‘Cashmere Gathering’, which I published a while back. In that article, I wrote about the history and characteristics of cashmere and about collecting cashmere from my own goats. Readers wrote asking me how I dehair and prep my harvested cashmere. So, in this post, I'll share my process.

"Shopping" My Handspun

I love handspun yarn! The rhythm of spinning is relaxing while the interplay of colors and textures equally imparts joy. Like many hand spinners, the result of my passion produces an abundant and ever growing handspun stash. Although these skeins are pleasing eye candy on their own merits, my practical side prods me to find a project that befits them.

How To Spin: Wintery Mix

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are in the midst of winter.

Snow is rare here, but we do get the occasional “wintery mix”. Within that mix, there can be a moment of transition when ice crystals begin to form and cling to any surfaces they contact. I think my skein of handspun captures that event quite well.

Alpaca Shearing

I've been working on a number of posts that will be appearing soon as part of my mini series on Alpacas.  And what better place to start than with the animal and their fleece!

 

This past weekend was crop harvest (fleece shearing) at Carolina Pride Pastures, a local alpaca farm featuring huacaya alpacas.

Samples & Swatches

As fiber artists and crafters, how many times have we heard the admonition "before you start your project . . . weave a sample or knit a swatch or spin a control or test dye a new color"?  I know that the vast majority of you are saying, "I never sample".  Am I right?  

 

The hope of my post is to bring a more positive light on this subject by sharing thoughts and ideas beyond the usual approaches to sampling and swatching.