Helpers

And you thought I was doing this alone...

Shawl/Scarf

I think I may have mentioned this before - the eventual 'first' project from the CF wool will not be a shawl but rather a scarf.  The main reason for this is relatively simple - to weave a shawl requires a fairly wide loom, and mine is in storage in NZ - the only ones I can rent here in the US are table looms (or small portable looms) which generally only go to about 24" or less.

So on that basis I looked around for some decent/challenging pattern and something that I can also experiment with dying some of the wool.  I found in one of my twill pattern books a scarf with a block twill design (they call it 'glacier' and I've entered that into my computer programme and am playing around with colour schemes.

I've also done some quick calculations on how much wool I'll need (I'll check that again, and probably again to make sure) before proceeding to the dying and warping stage.

Rough notes for 'glacier' scarf

The two designs were to compare colour schemes - I like the one with white, it represents a strip (with two pattern repeats) across the scarf.

Production

Starting to ramp up the production now - running just the best locks through the flick carding process, and then drum carding into batts.

At the monthly spinning group meeting I asked if anyone had a 'picker' - and now have a couple of avenues to pursue to try out a picker (either at another club or possibly on loan) to see what difference it makes (obviously speed over flick carding) and if the quality will be the same.  It will remove the vegetable matter from the scoured wool - essential if I end up storing for some time and/or taking any home.

Lock (left) and flick carded lock (right)

Finished skeins, batts, and flick carder ('pillow' wool residue in background)

The latest skein was from a bobbin I filled to the max and came out at 226 yds and 1.9oz.  If I continue that then I would only need 6 of them for the 'scarf' project (next blog)

Just for fun

Now I know my eyes are failing - I had to resort to a jeweler's loupe to see how this turned out.  I wouldn't want to be spinning a bobbin full!!

Two-ply wool thread

First yarn

I completed enough singles to make up my first skein yesterday.  I've decided for the first project I'll be using two-ply, accordingly I ran the 'S' twist singles through the wheel to make the required 'Z' twist wool.

It turned out to be about 145 yards, and weighs 1.3oz.  At 18 wraps per inch it is a Laceweight so should work out for the type of cloth I'll be making.

Skein No. 1

Carding

After the somewhat tangled mess that was the llama wool - this CF wool is a dream to card.  Previously flick carded to 'open up' the locks, and get rid of most of the vegetable matter, the locks are then lined up on the drum carder and wound in.  The process lifts them up with the small roller and they are then picked up by the faster traveling large roller.  They wind on to the large roller and you generally stop when the wire teeth are about half full.

The process is repeated just to ensure the fibres are all lined up.  I've found twice through is plenty for this wool.  Blending with other fibres or colours would mean more trips through the carder.

The Ashford (NZ) drum carder

The batts of top are rolled after removal from the drum and then they can be 'stretched' out to make sliver - ready to spin.

Rolled batts of top

Back in Business

It's been a while since I processed any CF wool - but I haven't been idle.  The long running 'llama' wool project has finally drawn to a close.  I carded and spun the final two skeins of llama wool so that I can hand over the completed batch.

Once the carding was finished I was able to clean up the drum carder ready for CF wool processing, and then once the final spinning and plying was done I washed the entire lot and bagged it up ready to go.  In all there is about 10oz of two ply wool - and about 700yds in length.  I'm not a knitter so have no idea what that could produce - but I suspect a useful number of hats/scarves?

The finished llama

With that out of the way I have already today washed a 1lb of wool, spun a batt, and carded two more.  I think it will be a woolly weekend...