I've bought some Romney batts from Weaving Works in Seattle. These batts come from a local farm and are luscious! I had so much fun with my first batt that I bought another. I've just begun spinning that up and am thinking I might have enough for a vest.
The other batt was spun and knit up into the Fiber Trends clog (A-33). Although the clog pattern has been around forever, this was my first attempt.
These were for Sam who has a size 12 foot. They were unbelievably long before felting. I think perhaps 30 inches! The Romney wool was loosely spun into a very low twist single and felted beautifully although the initial result was very furry looking, very much like those fuzzy slippers fom the fifties that didn't seem very appropriate for Sammy. I took a pair of scissors and trimmed closely to the fabric and I liked the result.
The clogs still need soles. I'm not so sure I want to use the FiberTrends ones . I'm tempted to visit the leather store and make my own.
I was asked to demonstrate spinning at the Willingham Weavery on the Art Tour on Vashon Island. I was set up right next to the batts and yarns available from Vashon Island Alpacas. I chose a few batts from an alpaca named Black Bart and spun up enough fiber for an alpaca hat for my son, Joe.
I used a top down hat pattern available on the internet from Silke Hupka. It's called Karlchen. I had used the pattern earlier for Guy's superwash hat and was worried about the bind off edge being too tight. I did a little exploring and found the technique of using a yarn over every 3 or 4 stitches on the bind off edge. The yarn over was immediately cast off with the stitch next to it. The result was a neat flexible edge. Very simple but it works beautifully.
Joe seems pleased with the hat and wears it a lot.
I loved working with the alpaca from the local farm so much that I made an appointment to go look at fleeces. Bill and Lee Green have the most wonderful house on thirty acres with the female alpacas and crias always on view from their windows.
I came away with some washed raw fiber in this beautiful shade of cinnamon from Sienna:
There is close to 3.5 pounds and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have enough for a sweater.
I also couldn't pass up the fiber that resulted from a huacaya jumping the fence to mate with a Suri creating a crossbreed named Deliah (possibly Delilah but it says Deliah on the bag)! It has the characteristics of both and is a wonderful white shade. I have less of this fiber so I have no ideas yet.
I noticed Weaving Works also carried raw fleece, batts and yarn from Vashon Island Alpacas.
This month, Spin Off, the magazine for handspinners has an article on eco-friendly farms of fiber producing animals which seems right in sync with my inclinations now that I'm discovering local fiber sources. Though at present, I feel supporting local farms is important even though the farms may not be completely deserving of the term "sustainable". (The two above may very well be but I don't have the information to state if so or not.)What appeals to me are the humane situations in which the animals are raised and the small support I am able to give to local farmers.
There is also the delight of working with fibers not distributed by the major suppliers. There is so much more variety! Keep in mind that I have yet made it to a sheep and wool festival so my experience is very limited. This is my first taste of that joy!
