Alpaca Scarf #3

I managed to finish the spinning of the dark alpaca singles while in Greenville, NC and was able to complete the plying this morning.  That let me wind some bobbins for the 3 colours I'm using on this scarf.

I had to make a couple of little boxes to hold two of the shuttles as I am running the yarn up the side of the scarf vice joining at each stripe.  This is because I am doing a fibonacci sequence for each of the two colours (cream and dark) with the coffee/medium as the ground for that.  The sequence goes: 1,1,2,3,5,8,5,3,2,1,1 then repeats with the other colour.

1st repeats, resting shuttles in the holders, and active one to the left.

It's a little slower weaving while I get used to keeping the yarn in the correct place at the sides, but it is starting to become easier, so shouldn't take too long to complete.  Then some finishing and they'll be ready to sell.

Back to Spinning

It's been quite a while since I did anything fibre related.  First it was visitors to work - then a trip up to Ottawa for a week, all taking most of my work and not-work time organising.  Incidentally the little bit of free time we had in Ottawa included a trip to Wabi-Sabi (wabi-sabi.ca) a great outlet for everything from roving to yarn to finished items to classes.  We spent some time there but didn't actually find anything we really needed.

But since we've been back I have started spinning the alpaca needed to finish the 3rd scarf of the alpaca series.

3 colours of alpaca with scarf #2

I still have one skein of dark to go and then will work out what the design for the stripes will be. I'm thinking a Fibonacci sequence maybe - depending on how it looks on the predominantly medium/coffee warp, but probably quite interesting if swapping between the cream and dark.

I'll have to take my wheel with me on the Thanksgiving trip tomorrow - we are in Greenville NC for a couple of days - as I most certainly won't be going out shopping on Friday which will give me an opportunity to produce the last skein.

The linen, ordered from Yarn Barn is not here yet (supply problems) so the Christmas deadline has now gone.  I'll hopefully be weaving the placemats some time soon and they will be ready a little after Christmas.  Otherwise it's now looking at 'last projects' before everything is packed up for storage and we move to NZ for a year (two looms, but no spinning wheel there, although I might be able to borrow one)

Frankenstorm II

Not quite as much achieved today (spinning) - I have moved on to the dark brown alpaca and have half a skein spun.  I mixed that in with some working out of the amount needed for the final scarf (in three stripes), and tidying up the rather spread out mess I had created on the dining room table!

Back to work tomorrow so it will only be an hour or two a day until the weekend, although next month will see us away almost all but the last two weekends.

I'm still awaiting the linen to get the Macomber dressed ready to make the next set of placemats - hopefully won't be long.

Frankenstorm I

Hurricane Sandy plus the other events, used to equal 'Frankenstorm', but that has now been changed to 'Super Storm' - given the Halloween reference/timing, I prefer the former.  So, with the Federal Government shut down today, I had a day of fiber work plus a few other bits and pieces (a walk, in the rain, to top up our bread and eggs not that we really needed it, but it was nice to get out).

The Alpaca spinning has gone well with nearly half the 8oz spun into 2ply. It's very enjoyable to spin and ply and has filled a pleasant few hours today.  We are off again tomorrow so no doubt there'll be more progress.

As supplied (bottom) and finished skeins (top)

And of course the mountain of flicked wool has grown with my small pile of combed wool growing only a little.  I like to take a break from spinning after 30-40 minutes to do something else, so did some combing in between.  I've enough combed top to spin another skein (like the blue ribbon 3 ply) and will keep going until I have enough for a larger project - mainly driven by the fact I have a very large bag of the best of the long staples that Anne sorted while picking through the washed wool.

Return from New York

We survived New York (the city may never sleep, but I needed to after the first couple of days :-) - had a great time up there for 4 days.  No textile connections barring a close study of some excellent clothing and rug examples in the National Museum of the American Indian.

So getting busy again I've discovered that my efforts at preparing wool fall far behind Anne's.  She is churning through washed locks - flicking them open ready for drum carding and can sit and watch TV and create a pile. In the time it took her to do [lots - not sure of weight etc] I was able to only comb and diz two insignificant balls of roving top.

Anne's to the left, mine to the right (actually only one ball at that time!!)

After that discouraging start: luckily a distraction.  As I had decided to liven up the final scarf with some stripes - I sent off for some more alpaca roving.  Linda at Crooked Fence Alpacas via Etsy was very helpful and quick and I now have two 8oz lots of roving ready to spin.  And it is superb - grade 1 and 2 (it's the micron count - I had to ask), and so so soft, and clean.  It spins like a dream so it won't be any time at all before I have some more two ply skeins to start weaving on scarf number three (it will be the white/cream and chocolate from Crooked Fence and the remainder of the coffee colour from NZ as weft stripes - I haven't quite worked out a sequence yet, but will)

The two colours from Crooked Fence - spinning already.

Close up of the alpaca singles

Clun Forest singles to compare

The two different singles look the same - there's no comparison in the feel.  The alpaca is very very soft and silky to the touch. 

Great viewing

While progress on the alpaca scarves has been steady ( I have about 12 inches to go on number two) and pleasant.  I've taken a break over the last three nights to view the video I downloaded.  It is "Three Bags Full" by Judith MacKenzie and is all about selecting and processing wool from fleece to yarn.  Absolutely loaded full off great tips and guidance.

It's pleasing to see we're not straying too far from the norm in processing the Clun Forest amongst others here - although as I have her book and another of her videos I guess I paid attention early on.

Highly recommended and can be found at: http://www.interweavestore.com/Spinning/DVDs-Videos/Three-Bags-Full-DVD.html?SessionThemeID=23&a=blacksheep

2nd Alpaca Scarf

I began the second scarf this morning; weaving with the temple in place this time.  So far it is all going very smoothly.  The draw in is approximately half and inch, but with the temple the reed is hitting the fell line with all the warp threads parallel thus no stretching, a nice even selvedge, and no broken threads.

Weaving alpaca on the Dorothy loom (with temple)

So far I am about 1/2 way though the second scarf - having had the day off (Columbus Day).  I also took some time to darn in all the ends (from broken warp threads) on scarf number one.

Alpaca scarf number 2

To use all the alpaca two-ply, the number 3 scarf may have some stripes - I'll have to work on some colour schemes.