I am SO glad I didn't start on my fiber journey with this fleece. I would have cried and given up right away. I feel like I know enough now to know what to do with this. It's a white Romney fleece I had bought awhile back. I washed it and put it in this bag and forgot about it. Some things are just meant to be.
I finished the Shetland fleece I'd been working on for about a week. So took some of this fiber out and put some on the drum carder. It just kept sticking on the licker in wheel like crazy. And had lots of nebs and things on the bigger wheel. When I took it off the wheel, it was so fine, I only had to do one swipe with the tool that separates it to get it off. With the Shetland, it took all the strength I had to get it off.
So, I got the hand carders out. I have not had a very good relationship with these things. I had tried them a few years ago when I first got them. And I hated them. I really didn't know how to use them then. At my spinning class, I tried some again and figured out how.
So I put some of the fiber on one of the carders and then used my little dog brush to comb it in. This way, I only had to card once.
Just look at this fibery goodness!
I did a basket full and started a bobbin on the wheel. I love spinning from what ever these little puffy clouds of fiber are called.
It's really spinning up pretty. It's going to take a LONG time to hand card that whole bag of fleece. I hope it will be worth it.
It's looking good so far. I just love working with sheep fiber. But I think I will be investing in a set of fiber combs soon. And a blending board. And a loom maybe? Oh, there is so much to dream about!
4 comments:
It looks like a beautiful fleece.
They make different size carding cloth for different fibers. I once tried carding angora on our standard hand carders, BOY that was a disaster!
Keep an eye on freecycle.org for free looms and such. I once saw 2 spinning wheels given away on there. They had already been given away by the time I saw it or I would have tried to get them. Someone else put a wanted ad for hand combs and was given them by the same lady. She's the one that gave me the knitting needles : ) Its amazing what people give away.
Kimberly
So luxurious! Oh what a sweater it would make if you had the patience and serenity any quantity! I am still in awe of your yarns.
Kidding starts in about five weeks down here. We are anxiously awaiting many many goat babies in the next several months. Meanwhile, trying to stay warm in this cold snap drooling over your yarn and dreaming of the sweaters it would make! Well goats don't give no wool, but we sure have wonderful cheeses!!
I'll stay tuned......
BTW, Are your honeybees ok?
Thanks y'all! I do think I would like to make a sweater out of the Shetland. I saw some bees yesterday going in and out of the hive. It's supposed to start raining later tonight, so I'll take the quilt off then.
I can't wait to see baby goats soon!
Now I need to check out free cycle and see what they have.
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