Third Week, Post II

This week was all about blending fibers and discussing different ways of dyeing fibers. One technique was to put fiber in glass quart jars and add different dyes to each, allowing you to produce a sample of different colors. Another technique is to 'paint' spun fiber in a pie pan by dripping different colors onto different portions of the yarn. My goal is to produce things that are colorful, clear and distinct. I've seen many examples of hand-dyed fiber that is muddy or muted by all of the colors blended into it.

As for the actual creation of blended fibers, I was able to take a picture of one of the batts we created. We used the odds and ends Lana had to create them and work the kinks out of my new drum carder.

In the way of spinning, I will be focusing on slubs. I don't happen to possess a jumbo flyer for my Ashford, but I am making due by feeding the slubs through the orifice and onto the bobbin. I haven't gotten a rythm down yet for incorporating them into a yarn so some of them are rather lumpy, which is not

Next week I will be working with Lana on Navajo spindles, which look like this:


They are on average 30"+ in length and are often spun while sitting on the floor. I have been told they are a great way to spin chunky yarn.

In other news, I attended the monthly Olympia Weavers Guild meeting and got to meet many local weavers. I will take part in the Sheep to Shawl project for the Puyallup Fair in September by spinning some of the wool to be used in the shawl. I'm very excited about being invited to participate in this event and hope to participate more in the Olympia Weavers Guild.

Third Week, Post I (Discussion of week 2)

Last week was a bit hectic and I was unable to finish my weekly post so I will be doing two posts this week to cover what I did/read last week and what I am doing this week.

I've been reading quite a bit about the history of textiles and it is amazing how early on we understood the physics behind twisting a fiber (albeit intuitively). Tendons, grasses, innards - all of these things were used to create strong fibers with which to fasten things together. Following this came simple ways of weaving things and then, finally, the creation of looms to make fabric with.

Very few fabrics survive due to the delicacy of the fibers used, so how did they piece together that fiber was being twisted and woven? Most often it is the imprint of a woven fiber onto clay that reveals what techniques people were using. Other ways of determining how people created woven products is through paintings and other artwork that depicts daily activities. There are also the few remnants of cloth and clothing that have survived thousands of years in very specific conditions that have allowed us to see actual examples of the cloth and its uses. The history behind spinning and weaving is extremely interesting and, until recently, was very much a family activity.

Another book I read through this week (week 2) was Lexi Boeger's book on spinning designer yarns, I've attempted one or two designs and plan to continue playing with slubs, granny stacks, coils, and adding objects to my spinning. One of the ways I can see some of these yarns being used is definitely in making hats - beyond that I am unsure because the yarn is what needs to be displayed more than a person's proficiency in croceting or knitting. Also, a few designs seem too busy for things like gloves or even a scarf. My enjoyment in designer yarns definitely comes from the challenge of creating them more than anything else and I am extremely excited that I get to do that in the next few weeks.