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Celebration of Sheep and Wool

May 4th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
4 comments
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Shearing a sheep with manual shears. Totally amazing!

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A lovely spinner, with whom I had the pleasure of talking spinning with :-)

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Just a few of the many beautiful sheep.

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Is there anything cuter than a lamb? Yup! Three of them!

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I love how this sheep wears a bell on the collar.

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The Sheep Shop

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Callie was a huge hit with Judah and Willow

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Family portrait time!

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Goodies!

We had the pleasure of attending the Celebration of Sheep and Wool at Pembroke Farm today.  It was our first time visiting and what a wonderful spot it is!  Not only do they raise sheep for both meat and fleece, they also train border collies for working with the sheep, grow organic veggies, and run The Sheep Shop.

Today we got to watch a sheep shearing demonstration where the shearer was using manual shears.  She made it look so incredibly simple and easy, which I know that it is not.  Judah and Willow were very impressed with the sheep for “sitting so still while getting their hair cut.”  I also had the opportunity to chat with spinner who was demonstrating.  It is not very often that I get a change to talk shop with other spinners so it was incredibly enjoyable for me.

The kids got the most enjoyment out of checking out all the animals … especially Callie, the horse.  She allowed them to pat her nose, which was a huge thrill!

And of course, I got to oooh and ahhhh over all of the lovely fiber and creations in The Sheep Shop.  The items that struck me the most were the needle felted people and MerMatrons.  They were all so whimsical and I can’t even begin to imagine how much time went into crafting each of them.  I did come home with some yummy spinning fiber as well.  Truth be told, I’m eyeballing it sitting on my desk as I type this post … I’m just itching to get into it!

Happy Saturday all!  I’m off to spin!

April Handspun

May 3rd, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

daylily cable

Its that time again … time to share the previous month’s handspun booty :-) I can’t believe how quickly the time is flying already! And of course, I enjoyed this months spinning immensely. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I am completely and hopelessly in love with wool. Each month is always my “new favorite” or a newly found and much loved new-to-me technique.

April was my first time ever spinning for a cabled yarn and can you guess how much I liked it? I loved it! I picked out 4oz of South African Fine in “Day Lily” colorway by Spunky Eclectic and paired it with 4oz of Merino/Mohair/Alpaca in “Good Morning Sunflower” colorway by Belfast Mini Mills. The end result is a wonderfully round and brightly colored yarn that just screams “CABLED COWL!” to me.

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My next spin is another of my absolute favorite fibers – Romney. This was the March club shipment from Spunky Eclectic and, during 20 Questions, when it was revealed to be Romney, I did a little happy dance. Long wools are so much fun to spin and they make amazing shawls. I decided that this 4oz bump should be fingering weight singles for exactly that reason … to make a shawl.

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My last spin for April was another favorite for me and many other spinners as well. The April club shipment from SE was oatmeal colored BFL overdyed in a rainbow of gorgeous hues. Amy’s inspiration for this colorway was seashells, hence, the name. I chose to spin this fiber as a fingering weight single as well because it NEEDS to be a shawl too.

So, my spinning total for April is 16oz bringing my 2013 total up to 5.5lbs of fiber spun. Trucking right along towards my spinning goal!

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And this last picture is just a fun shot from the yarn photo shoot. Apparently, I need a supervisor to oversee all things here and Bugsy was diligently keeping watch as I snapped some pics. He takes his job very seriously!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and Happy Fiber Friday!

Sunday Spinning Haiku

Mar 31st, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
4 comments

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Citrus colored wool,

Resting in the bright sunlight,

Soon to be plied yarn.

February Handspun

Mar 1st, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

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Its that time again … time to share last month’s spinning … and I had an adventurous month!

I chose to start off 4oz of buttery soft alpaca that my dear fiber friend Tina gifted to me.  This was spun up as a fingering weight single which I think will be absolutely perfect for a shawl.  Probably a nice West Knits design :-D

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Next up was 4oz of some amazing Wensleydale from Rosa’s herd.  This was my first time spinning Wensleydale in carded form and I just loved it!  This was spun up as a fingering weight single as well because I though that it would pair up perfectly with the alpaca from Tina.  I can’t thank both of you enough for the wonderful fibers!

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This bump was another first for me … my first time spinning Cotswold sliver.  The feel of the fiber reminds me a bit of Shetland and the colors in this are AMAZING!  This was the January offering from Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club and is called “Eye of the Peacock” which I chose to spin as, surprise, surprise, a fingering weight single.  This handspun is going to make perfect socks!IMG_0631

And I tried another new fiber this month … Norwegian.  I fell completely in love with this fiber.  I find it similar to Falkland to spin up and it makes the most delightful singles!  This 4oz bump is from Northbound Knitting in the colorway is “Firewoman.”  This yarn has been telling me that it wants to be either a cowl or shawl.  I guess only time will tell but I how can it not be awesome in these great colors?

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Do you guys ever get sick of me telling you how much I love each and every fiber that I spin?   I guess that I just really enjoy wool and this fiber was no exception.  “Aurora Borealis” was the December club color way on Falkland from Spunky Eclectic.  It sat for a whole month in my stash because it was one of those “special” bumps of fiber that I would take out and admire and then gently tuck back to save for another time.  I love the blues, green, and purples that blend throughout this colorway and I think that it will make gorgeous fingerless gloves, a cowl, or shawl.  IMG_0635

And nope, I never get sick of Falkland.  I love how it spins up, especially in the “Reese’s” colorway by Northbound Knitting.  This fiber practically BEGGED to be spun up nice and fine and then navajo plied. This, I have secret knitting plans for!

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And last, but certainly not least, is 4oz of “Peacock” in mixed BFL by Northbound Knitting.  This was another fiber that wanted desperately to be navajo plied.  It also told me that it wanted to be pre-drated too.  I generally don’t pre-draft my fiber anymore, and almost never with BFL because it drafts so well, but the effect that it makes on the color is hard to pass up sometimes.  I like how it stretches out the color changes and gives even more subtle transitions through the colorway.   Combine that with navajo plying and I think the effect is quite striking.  These two skeins are already designated to the “special” yarn section because they are almost too pretty to knit.  Notice that I did say “almost.” :-D

So February really was a productive and adventurous month, with trying new fibers, and fibers in new preparations.  My total amount spun was 28oz bringing my 2013 total up to 44oz … just shy of 3 lbs.  Not too shabby!

So how are your 2013 crafting goals going?  Are you trucking right along or have you revised your goals?  I’d love to hear!

 

 

“Spinning Dyed Fibers” With Felicia Lo

Feb 18th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
8 comments
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Photo Courtesy of Craftsy

Back in November, my dear friend and fellow blogger, Tina of Peacefully Knitting, did a review of the Craftsy class Spinning Dyed Fibers with Felicia Lo.   Since reading Tina’s review I have been wanting to take the course and have just recently signed up.

As both a spinner and a novice dyer, this class really appeals to me.  I enjoy working with colors and am always looking for new tips, tricks, and techniques to play with.   Some of the topics which I particularly enjoyed were:

  • Color theory
  • Preservation on colors
  • Simple tips for muting brightly colored fibers
  • Combo spinning (spinning from multiple colorways)
  • Andean plying on a wheel – This trick really surprised me.  I use Andean plying  frequently when I spin on spindles but never thought to try it with my wheel.
  • Effects of pre-drafting and spinning from the fold on color
  • Fractal spinning

Combo spinning has been a dream for me since last year when it was the subject of a monthly challenge for the 12 Lbs in 2012 group on Ravelry  (now 13 Lbs in 2013).  I like to ooooh and ahhh over the gorgeous combo spins of other members in the group but have always been a bit apprehensive of trying it on my own.  After watching the chapter on “Mix & Match” several times, I’m feeling a lot more confident and am ready to give this a try.  Now I just have to pick out the fiber …. :-D

This is a class that I know I will keep coming back to over time.  There is so much to try and do in regards to playing with colored fiber and this class is some seriously great inspiration to dive right in!

So if you are looking for some new things to try with your spinning or want to experiment more with color, this would be a perfect class for you.

“Spinning Dyed Fibers” gets two thumbs up from this spinning chick!

WIP Wednesday – February Spin Progress

Feb 13th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
13 comments

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Today’s work-in-progress Wednesday post is all about spinning!

February may be the shortest month of the year, but my wheel is getting a pretty good work out.  Yesterday, in particular.  I’ve been spinning up the lovely fiber from Rosa and Tina and two never before spun fibres from Spunky Eclectic and Northbound Knitting.  It is a fun month with what is looking to be lots of really great new yarns to add to my stash.   This photo is just a little teaser and I will let you know more in my February Hanspun post a little later on :-D

I’m enjoying the 13 Lbs In 2013 challenge just as much as I did the 12 Lbs in 2012.  Some people have asked if I get bored of all the spinning and my answer is always a huge, resounding “Nope!”  There are so many different kinds of wool to try and  so many amazing indie dyers to tempt me that there is always fresh challenge and inspiration.

Are you working toward any goals in 2013?  How are they going?  I’d love to hear all about it!

January Handspun

Feb 8th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
7 comments

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I enjoyed last year’s spinning challenge of 12 lbs in 2012 so much that I decided to join up with the 13 lbs in 2013.  And I’ve got a bangin’ start to this year’s spinning.

My first spin for January was 4oz of rambouillet in “Posturing” colorway by Hello Yarn.  It was my first time spinning both rambouillet and Hello Yarn fiber and it was such a treat!  The fiber is soft and fluffy and very much like merino and polwarth and the colors are bright and cheery.  I chose to spin this as an navajo plied fingering weight yarn as I plan to knit some really awesome socks!

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Next up was 4oz of BFL/Silk in “Le Tigre” colorway by Northbound Knitting.  I LOVE the drapey hand to singles spun from this fiber, and the colorway is to die for!  I chose to spin up this bump as fingering weight singles as I think it will look really wonderful knit up into a shawl … probably another Stephen West shawl :-D

 

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Next was my second bump of October Club … 4oz of superwash merino in “Summer’s End” by Spunky Eclectic.  This was a progression dye I chose to spin it as another navajo plied fingering weight yarn as it will make really awesome socks.  I mean, look at Spinnydread’s Summer’s End Socks … they’re freaking beautiful!

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My last spin for the month was 4oz of border leicester locks which I carded up into rolags and spun woolen as a bulky weight 2 ply.  The more that I play with carded fiber and long draw, the more I’m loving the whole woolen process.  I’m not really sure what this yarn will be but I’ve got a few ideas percolating.

January’s total was 16oz or 1lb of fiber spun and I’m already working on some really lovely spins for February.

What have you been working on lately?  Do you have spinning, knitting, or crochet goals you are working toward?  I’d love to hear all about them!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – How Do You Spin? Part 4

Dec 6th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
No comments yet

 

This week’s Tips And Tricks Thursday is all about spinning semi-worsted yarns. This style of spinning is one that I am quite comfortable with as my favorite yarn/fiber store carries a ton of delightful fibers and keeps me inspired.  As with semi-woolen, this type of spinning covers a range of different spinning techniques but some of the key features are:

  • Traditional woolen prepped fibers or carded fibers are used
  • Twist does not enter the fiber between the hands
  • A short draw is used (sometimes called the “inch worm”)

So the fibers you would tend to look for with this type of spinning tend to be the ones that are prepared in a less orderly manner.  Carded fibers, rolags, and fiber batts all work very well with this style of spinning.   Fibers on the shorter end of the spectrum can be used but you can also get away with spinning more of the medium staple length wools to long staple length wools in this manner as you are using a short draw for your spinning.

Semi-worsted yarns appeal to me because the have many of the characteristics of worsted yarn that I love blended with the woolen.  It is like a “best of both worlds” scenario for me.  The yarn spun this way tend to be:

  • smoother but less elastic than their woolen or semi-woolen counterparts
  • they are quite durable and show off the luster and shine of longer wools and silk.
  • they are a bit softer and fuzzier than the woolen yarns
  • they tend to be a bit warmer than worsted yarns

The short draw technique for semi-worsted is very much the same (or the same) as worsted spinning.  You can draft either forward or back but the hand movements are small and precise, hence the reason some call this draw “the inchworm”.  The twist stays between the forward hand and the orifice and I  like to smooth the yarn as it slips through my fingers.  Here is a great example of semi-worsted spinning:

If you’ve never tried this style of spinning, I highly encourage you to give it a whirl.  Happy crafting all!

 

Tips And Tricks Thursday – How Do You Spin? Part 3

Nov 29th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

Today’s Tips and Tricks Thursday post is all about spinning semi-woolen yarn.  This is another style of spinning that I am still working hard to learn.  It is defined as semi-woolen because it uses the traditional worsted prep of combed top but uses woolen style spinning techniques.  A wide variety of spinning is covered by the “semi-woolen” umbrella but some of the key points are:

  • Uses combed top for fiber prep
  • Twist enters the web or the fiber between your hands
  • Uses a forward draft

The fibers in the combed top are usually (but not always) shorter fibers such as angora rabbit, yak, camel, or a blend.  This list is not inclusive … there are tons more short fibers that are used for woolen and semi-woolen spinning.  The key determinant in defining semi-woolen spinning is that the spinner uses combed top in conjunction with a long draw to draft the fibers to produce a lovely soft and fuzzy yarn.

The drafting technique for semi-woolen is very much like that of the woolen long draw with the main exception being that the forward hand pulls the fiber gently towards the orifice, leaving the back hand in place, as opposed to the back hand doing most of the work in true woolen style.  With my experiments with semi-woolen spinning I have found it very useful to try and keep a distance of approximately 6 inches between my hands and to frequently fully release the fiber from my forward hand.   This helps to keep me from reverting to my almost instinctual short draw for worsted spinning.

Another key element of successful semi-woolen spinning is that  it tends still to be under spun and over plied.  This aids in giving the lofty and fluffy appearance and more bounce to the finished yarn than is seen in traditional worsted or semi-worsted spinning.

Recommended finishing techniques for semi-woolen yarns are to wash in hot soapy water, plunge into cold water to rinse and give the skein a good whack on the back of a chair to “fluff” the yarn, then hang to dry.

For those of you who are visual learners like me, I’ve included a short video by InspirationFibers that demonstrates the difference in technique from true worsted spinning to semi-woolen spinning and it only requires a change in the motion of the hands:

 

 

I hope that this encourages you to try something fun and new with your spinning and I’ll see you all tomorrow for FO Friday!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – Take A Rest

Oct 18th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
8 comments

This is one of my favorite tips for spinning and it is also the absolute easiest trick you’ll ever try.  When I finish spinning a single, I let it take a rest, either on my spindle or my bobbin for at least 24 hours before I do anything with it.  Why, you might ask?  Well, I feel that it helps the twist to relax into the spun fiber … it calms it down a little so that when I decide to ply it or if I want to leave it as a single and wind it off, it doesn’t get tangled.

Some people don’t bother with resting their yarns and others, like me, swear by it.   Why not experiment with your next handspun?  Test it out and see if it makes a difference for you!

Happy crafting all!

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