Blank Slates

Don't you just love a blank slate?  One of the things I love most about my job is every day I start with a blank slate.  There is nothing better than taking raw fleece washing it, dying it, and spinning it. Each day brings new tactile experiences, new fibers, new colors. It excites me to no end when I am immersed in a day of dyeing yarns and fibers.  

Over the years, I have reflected on the colors I choose to dye, as well as how well colors turn out each day I dye.  When my mood is bright and cheery, the colors tend to reflect that as do dark and dreary, wild and funky, and dull and brain-dead.  The best colors come from bright, cheery, wild, and/or funky day. On the other types of days, well, let's just say it is a great thing I keep excellent notes on repeatable colors and color combos ;)

In all seriousness, in the past, I have held quite a few different types of jobs, some I enjoyed, some I hated, & a few I was indifferent to. Working with fiber is the first thing I have truly been passionate about and I hope it doesn't change anytime soon!

 

One of my blank slates. 

Buddy Sock Yarn in color 'Orchidea'. 

Picked cloud of mohair in the new colorway 'Poseidon'. 

The mohair being spun and finally plied. 

Tour de Fleece 2014

I'm always so excited when Tour de Fleece starts!  There is nothing more fun than watching all the gorgeous yarns spinners around the world create. 

This year my goal is to spin every day and to finish a few projects that have been languishing on the bobbins for quite some time. 

The lace here was started a month before TDF started. Hoping to knit a shawl with it before the summer is out!

Corespun mohair plied with a sequined sparkly thread for balance. 

Bought two Uniquely Yours batts in a destash a year or so ago and TDF was a great opportunity to spin a lovely pastel yarn!

This has to be one of my favorites so far. This yarn started life during a corespinning workshop held at the shop in June. It was spun using a blended wool batt, Moon Cloud, and Teeswater locks. 

A corespun Demented batt plied with sequined sparkly thread. 

One of my first spins of the TDF.   Corespun Demented batt with black Wensleydale locks plied with, you guessed it, a sequined sparkly thread. 

Black Wensleydale corespun. I have a huge fleece with many more skeins to come!

So far the Tour has been a blast and I will hate for it to end. But the spin will definitely go on!

Artist Or Craftsman?

As a fiber person who sells handspun in addition to handdyed, I have quit using the term 'Art Yarn' and prefer the term 'Handspun'. It was not something I took lightly in making the conscious decision to quit using the term. Basically it was with quite a bit of soul searching that I came to the conclusion....  I don't want to be known as a fiber artist.  Because, I simply am not. 

What I am is a damn fine spinner and dyer with an excellent sense of color who can create a plethora of awesomely textured or sublimely smooth handspun yarns for my customers who make my pretties into gorgeous wearable/useable works of art. Seeing the beauty my customers make is why I do this!  It fills me with joy and pride in knowing my hands created something that enabled them to bring their beautiful ideas, garments, and creations to life!

I don't want to be an artist. I want to be and feel that I am a craftsman (or woman).  I work everyday to perfect my craft and share it with the world or at the very least those who can truly appreciate the work put into it. 

Yep. I'm definitely a Craftsman. 

The first article.

In this weeks news...

How to card tweed yarn by none other than Stephanie Stratton, aka me, was published is the American Livestock Magazine!  Not sure if this makes me an author, but sure does feel good! 

The search is finally over for a cowichan style spinning wheel!  Cowichan wheels were traditionally used in British Columbia to spin a thick single ply yarn for traditional sweaters. The new addition to the spinning wheel herd is named Mildred and we are fast becoming good friends!

A copy of the article with the actual batt and yarn used to write said article. 

Mildred in all her glory with our first spinning venture together.

Our second spinning collaboration, a bundle of Corriedale wool bulky spun and plied back on itself. 

Southern Indiana FiberArts Festival SIFAF

It has come and gone, one of my favorite fall festivals of the year, Southern Indiana FiberArts Festival in Corydon, IN.  While, definitely not the largest festival I vend at, it is one of those charming festivals where you can talk to and get to know your customers as well as fellow vendors.

The town of Corydon is a charming little bedroom community and has a rich history as Indiana's first state capital.  Every year, I book a room at the Kintner House  which is within walking distance from the fair grounds.  Breakfast is served piping hot from the oven at specific times and all occupants sit at the huge dining room table.  Makes for great conversation where you meet many new people and share snippets of your life.

My booth set up this year for 2012

Dinner at 'The Real Enchilada #2'

On the drive to set up on Thursday.

Beautiful fall colors of Indiana in October

A stack of batts at the festival

My handspun yarns

This is my favorite batt from my mad carding sessions during the festival.

My huge score from Pam of Rooster Run Farm!

Pretty Little Things

Came across this lovely bag chock full of little compact balls of fluff the other day. Upon spilling the little balls out, I realized they are reminders or remainders of some of my first batts.

It really is amazing to hold these little cuties in my hand and truly enjoying my firsts. Not for their perfection or softness or even beauty. No, most of the little guys were stripped down to be recarded into something else. A few are left overs from spinning.

Never realizing I would come to love them years later, I crammed them in a little bag, stuffed them in a drawer, and completely forgot about them. Until now that is.... Now, I plan to spin them all on my 'Shipwreck' drop spindle from Jonathan & Sheila Bosworth and then... Maybe, just maybe, knit them into a shawl. In reality, I will probably finish spinning them, cram them in another little bag and probably forget about them for a few more years to only find them again and pledge another project;

Yarnside Gathering

I promise, I am not moving to Pensacola.  But I sure do like to visit there ever chance I can get!  This trip to the Panhandle of Florida will find me at a LYS (Local Yarn Shop) teaching classes.  The shop is Yarnside Gathering and it is located at 3480 Barrancas Ave in Pensacola Florida.


Here is the schedule for those interested.....


February 23rd
Beginning Drop Spinning......

Cost $20  Materials $20 

Details:  Learn to spin your own yarn using an inexpensive drop spindle.  Material fee includes drop spindle and fiber.  

February 24th

Beginning Spinning......

Cost: $30  Materials: varies

Details:  Learn to spin yarn using a spinning wheel.  You will learn fiber prep basics, spinning and plying.  Material fee will vary depending upon amount and type of fiber purchased to use.  You may bring your own wheel or use a demo wheel.

February 26th

Advanced Art Yarn Spinning....

Cost: $40  Materials: See Details.

Details:  For those who know and are comfortable with the basics of spinning a plied yarn.  You will learn the art of constructing Art yarns such as core spun, tail spun, coils, hives, 3-ply navaho and thick-n-thin.  Materials needed:  a spinning wheel, bobbin of pre-spun singles, darning needle, bobbins, fiber, & things you would like to spin into your yarn (beads, fabric, sequins, wool locks, batts, etc).   Fiber will be available for purchase and you are welcome to bring your own.  If you previously took the Beginning Spinning class, please ask instructor;)  Several spinning wheels will be available for use. 

A few of my art yarns as a teaser.....

Pearl Pirtle

I will be adding a new spinning wheel to the herd pretty soon. I got lucky and found a fun little wheel on the web and after a few convos back and forth she is now mine. I will not get to play with her for a while as she is being dropped off with a friend who will bring her to me at a later date. But, the herd of wheels and I are definitely looking forward to her arrival!

I have already named this lovely little wheel 'Pearl' Pirtle.  She was originally created in the 1970's by Paul & Beverly Pirtle.  Paul was a retired Air Force  engineer and made the Pirtle spinning wheels out of their garage in Huntington Beach, CA.  Pearl is one of approximately 200 Pirtle wheels made.  Due to her lovely 1" yarn guides and orifice, Pearl and I should be turning out some fun, funky and large art yarns soon!

Tutorial - Attaching Yarn to a Leader

I had a request recently about attaching yarn to a leader, so decided to put together a quick tutorial. This will work for both spinning wheels and spindles.

Step 1. Tie a loop at the end of the leader.

Step 2.Draft your fiber and insert through the loop.

Step 3. Fold fiber onto itself.

Step 4. Spin.

Tour de Fleece Project #5

Rainy, rainy day in Central Kentucky today. I have been a tad under inspired as of late so have decided to spin some merino top into graduated rainbow colors. Once I have two bobbins full, I plan to ply both together for a big ol' rainbow surprise;) I figure that will give me a good kick start into spinning more alpaca!

Spin Span & Spun

Just a few clips of finished spinning projects:) The first two are results from my Wacky Batty Club at Lunabudknits. I always like to card up an extra batch for myself and these are the results.

Merino, flax, sari silk, firestar, glitz, alpaca and sequins.

I slightly fulled the finished yarn so that the twist would even out and not skew any knitting job it is destined to be.

This yarn is from the roving I bought from Sylvia at the Spinning Retreat. The purple/green skein is 148yards, blue-green skein is 192 yards and the four peachy/green/purple skeins total 810 yards. All rovings were spun with a long draw to make a nice bulky & fluffy woolen style yarn.

I must apologize for the poor picture quality of this one. It is the spinning samples I did of the fleece I am about to spin and knit into a sweater. All samples are spun Woolen. From left to right : Spun from the lock, Spun from drum carded wool, Spun from drum carded wool with drop spindle. I have decided to go with the drum carded version of the fleece for the finished sweater. I've decided to go with the middle sample for the sweater:) The fleece is one I bought a year or so ago from the same Sylvia who I bought the roving for the yarn in the pic above. Guess you could say I am addicted to her lovely wool!

Craft of Bust!!!

I think this is just what I need to get kick started into no holds barred, full force Craftiness. Craft or Bust 2010!

The synopsis of the rules are:

I hereby challenge myself:

• to work on at least one craft project per week in 2010;
• to capture photographic evidence of said work;
• to post a weekly blog update containing the above evidence and written testimony as to What Has Been Crafted.

Want to read more about the Craft or Bust Challenge? Check it out here: Quicksilver Crafter

My goals thus far:

1. To finish all UFO's. For those of you who don't knit a UFO is an UnFinished Object.

2. To clean a fleece I bought last year, card it, spin it and knit it into a sweater.

3. To finish Spinning my friend Chris's alpaca fleeces for her.

I am repeating to myself: I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

And here are the beginnings of the Craft or Bust projects:

UFO #1 Want to see what it turns into? Follow the blog:)

UFO# 2 Fiber Trends Flower Basket Shawl using LunabudKnits Lace Wool

Part of the fleece I bought last year from Sylvia's BFL ewe. It is from the same flock that I bought the roving from at the Spinner's Retreat a few posts back:)

Separating the locks from the fleece for flicking. I carded a sample batch and spun a bit from that and will flick a sample batch and spin from that to decide which preparation I like better. Yarn will be spun bulky woolen.

Two skeins already for Chris's sis.

Bluegrass Spinners Retreat

It has been quite a while since I have posted due to work and life in general. Seems that with all my jobs I barely have a spare moment these days. In case you don't know, outside of LunabudKnits, I am also a Webdesigner/Photographer, Landlord and caretaker to my sweet little Granny.

I did manage to clear out a bit of time so that I could attend the Bluegrass Spinners Retreat. And Boy, Oh Boy! Did I ever have fun. How could I not have fun when you know I just had to bring along the cute little S17 I recently finished painting with the fun little sheepy and the Louet Victoria incase I wanted to switch to another project midstream! I also had several knitting projects on hand too:)

Knitting.

Picture time.

What we were taking pictures of was a bit of a tangle:)

Spin, Span, Spun!

Knit and Spin!

Yummie Roving!

12 ounces of yarn I finished during that week end. On the left is 4 ounces of the BFL I bought while at the retreat. On the right is 8 ounces of odds 'n' ends I had carded into batts but did not particularly care for, so I spun them all together. Keep an eye out for my next post which will be about the finished project with it.

Pretty, pretty yuck batts!

Sylvia brought some of her BFL roving to sell and wouldn't you know it, I went home with ALL of it! It is from her sheep which she raises in Central KY. Just beautiful stuff!

One of the left over batts from my Wacky Batty club on the Victoria.

Knit Leaves..

Mmmmm.... BFL & Silk Pencil Roving!

Stash....

Singles....

More Singles......

The yarn previously tangled while plying:) Definitely worth the trouble of de-tangling!

Some ones stash likes to go on trips with her!

Gorgeous yarn!

More stash!

Finished yarn hanging to dry by the fire:)

We all had a fabulous time. I did unfortunately miss out on a few of the spinners as we were all having such a good time that the last thing on my mind was snapping pics. Take my word for it, there was an abundance of good food, great stories, fabulous weather and wonderful friends gathered together to share it all!