Some time ago, I was given multiple bags of alpaca “seconds” – fleece that couldn’t be sold for a number of reasons, possibly that it’s not soft enough, that it wasn’t sheared well, or that the quality is really varied. The stuff I have is… all of the above! But it was free, and I’m having fun going through it to pick out the...
In my last installment of “As The Carder Turns” I was wondering how heavy I could make a batt, and the answer is 70 g (just under 2.5 ounces) of Corriedale. I really packed it on, and I’m really pleased with how it looks – even if my camera really has trouble accurately capturing pinks and purples. “Wouldn’t it be neat, though,” I said...
The folks in the Combo Spin team are telling me that I should probably have a full two pounds of fibre for a sweater spinning project, and that means I’m short by four ounces. So on Sunday I got out the drum carder and came up with this batt, in shades of pink with a little bit of green/yellow (that’s showing up as gray,...
Last May we bought a fleece at MD Sheep and Wool. We were only going to look at the fleeces, not buy one. We were only going to compare a few, not buy one. We were only going to pet them, not buy one. Suuuuure we were. Pictured: two people who don’t yet know that they’re in over their heads. We washed it all,...
The weather this past weekend kept me indoors, and I decided to use some of my time to start carding Fleece Four-Twelve. I chose a section of fleece at random (it was the piece nearest me on the floor) and started by opening up the locks on the teasing tool so that the carder wouldn’t choke on them: Then I fed them to the...
After I’d taken pictures of many sheep, I met up with friend Holly at The Fold’s booth, where we tried to resist buying every single skein of Socks that Rock. The colourway that I was looking for was nowhere to be found, unfortunately. For the next several hours we perused as many of the vendors’ offerings as we could. Despite my best efforts to...
After a weekend of spinning whenever I got the chance to sit down, I’m about two-thirds of the way through the Rambouillet. It’s not my most even spinning ever, but it’s certainly even enough to make sock yarn – that is, if I can get the hang of chain-plying. I’ve been watching tutorial videos and I think I know what to do, but doing...
Did I really make plans to be out of town on the same weekend as the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival? That’s what I get for not looking at my calendar. Boy, did I feel stupid when I realized my mistake. Fortunately, Amtrak doesn’t charge change fees, and I am able to move my trip to the following weekendweekend before (the following weekend is...
One of my goals at Sheep and Wool was to purchase fibers that I’d never tried before. Here’s the haul. Not pictured: the Finn/Mohair I posted about on Sunday, and the pound of raw Romney that Janis has taken with her. I have spun Romney before, but it was dyed/processed stuff, so this counts as a new experience too. Falkland Top from Bullen’s Wullens....
On Saturday, Janis and I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, and had a wonderful time! For the most part, I kept to my shopping list. I didn’t buy anything that wasn’t on the list, and I didn’t buy some things that were on the list, like semi-solid sock yarns. I didn’t buy any yarn at all, actually! I picked up both...
KnittingPirate on Facebook
KnittingPirate on Ravelry
KnittingPirate on Twitter
KnittingPirate's Payhip Shop
KnittingPirate, via RSS