As the cold weather moves along we have been finding more ways to utilize the plethora of wool that seems to consistently grow each year. Weaving has been a long standing endeavor that seemed a bit daunting and we never seemed to get to. Last September, at the Schafer Meadows Fiber Festival, we were intrigued and inspired when Lil' Miss got to try it for herself and we realized how simple the process was. We attempted to make our own tri-loom, even breaking out the power tools, but didn't have the nail numbers accurately varied. Either side of the loom has one quantity of nails, while the bottom has a different. Through our first fumbled weaving attempts, we learned!
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If you're looking for a way to learn several heritage skills that engage your mind and offer beautiful results, the Schafer Meadows Fiber Arts Festival is just the event to attend. So many willing hearts and hands eager to guide and teach a number of skills to adults and children alike. 'Lil Miss' created a beautiful pot holder while learning basic quilting; was thrilled to make her own mini shawl on a triangle loom; created a background for a future Glorious Beginnings sign with the wet felting class; took home her own mini back strap loom, and practiced her needle felting too! She didn't participate in all the offerings either, there were paper crafting classes, blending boards for practicing, spinners available for help and support, other needle felting projects, several types of weaving set-ups...it's just a treat! All supplies were provided free of charge and the classes were staged multiple times through the duration of the event. This is the way gatherings should be! Spinzilla 2014 Is On! At 12:01 this morning Spinzilla officially began! What? You didn't know? It was completely new to me, this year...but about a month ago, I ended up on their site, from some 'spinning' internet clicking, and I knew I could use something just like this to motivate myself... What is it? Spinzilla is a world-wide contest, involving spinners of every level, focusing on spending a full week dedicated to committing as many minutes and hours to practicing and developing their spinning skills as possible! There are certainly prizes and great opportunities for fiber deals, but as I am currently swimming in fiber, and I'm more inclined to focus on challenging myself; my biggest motivation is working through my mounds of fiber and still creating enough Trickle Creek Homespun yarns and Creative Batts for others! I don't anticipate winning any awards for amounts spun, but I have set some personal goals for developing my skills in various areas....
We're prepping to demonstrate our spinning and share Angora rabbits again, at the August 1st Orting Farmer's Market, this Friday! We want to be sure to have our examples of what a few colorful batts can create, in various weights. The market begins at 3:00 pm, but we are asked to come at 4:00 pm, to find the perfect spot after vendors have settled in. We stay until closing at 7:00 and enjoy every minute we share! Please join us to see how we harvest fiber from our animals, dye with kitchen items, card fiber, spin and create with it~ it's Wooler to Wearable!
What it takes and what it makes... We have been asked what quantity of yarn our fiber batts will make. My common response is that it depends on the thickness of your yarn and weight of your batt, and whether you are making a single or plied yarn. To further clarify, we thought it best to share a specific example. We have been having more fun in the studio and combined our favorite variations of greens for another one-of-a-kind fiberlicious, cottony candy creation! 'Mossy Croak' Truly, we love the greens of the forest, ferns, nettles and such that surround us and this creative batt name seemed to jump on into the pictures. |
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