Yarn Giveaway--Winners!

For Fiona.

 

For Fiberdance.

 

For Nicola.

 

For Countrymice.

 

After reading at all of the lovely comments on my last post...

...I decided that I couldn't have just one winner...

...so I chose four!!

Congratulations!!

Winners, please send your full name and postal address to my e-mail...

...woollove-fiberart(at)hotmail(dot)com.

A Tale Of Two Spinnings-Yarn Giveaway

Lincoln locks spun into yarn on a spinning wheel.

 

Yarn made on my drop spindle with locks and other 'add-ons'.
(Double click on the photo if you want to see what each is made of!!)

 

Yarn made with dyed Finn locks...close-up.

 

Locks spun with sari silk ribbon.

 

The top photo is of yarn that my friend, Linda, and I made together on her spinning wheel...

...using dyed Lincoln locks and (for part of the skein, anyway) a 'core' of wool- blend string.

I found it quite interesting, trying a wheel...

...because other than driving a stick-shift car...

...I don't normally do things that require both my hands and feet at the same time!!

I must confess that I don't think I'll be buying a spinning wheel any time soon...

...not just because of my ineptitude ;), but also because I really don't need to produce yards and yards of yarn at a time.

I did learn some new ways to make my 'spindle-spun' yarn better though...

...and it was a wonderful experience, overall!

If you'd like a chance to win an assortment of my hand-spun yarn...

...for felting or other purposes (remember, they are small quantities!)...

...please leave me a comment on this post.

If you let me know your color preferences...

...I'll try to give you some in that color range (if I have it!!)

I'll close the giveaway on Sunday, June 26th at Midnight (EST)...

...and please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Springtime Table Runner- Part 2

The finished runner.

 

Close up.

 

Ruched cotton gauze backing.

 

Glittery Angelina fibers and dyed locks.

 

With the addition of a little color and shimmer...

...the slightly off-white hue of the 'mystery fiber' was no longer an issue.

The dyed locks provided a bit of texture, but not too much...

...since a table runner should be as safe for underpinning a vase of flowers...

...as it is for cradling a warm casserole dish!

I like the way that the pencil roving doodle...

...morphed into a vine bearing colorful flowers.

And the batt-like quality of the short fiber merino...

...helped it to felt into individual blossoms quite easily.

Springtime Table Runner- Part 1

Laying out cotton gauze over fluffy mixed roving.

 

A second layer of wool and a doodle of pencil roving.

 

Adding blobs of color, texture and glimmer.

 

Wetted out during felting.

 

This was a project that I made just before Easter...

...as a thank-you gift for my handyman.

I had bought some 'mystery carded fiber'...

...which is a blend of what came off the carder last at the fiber mill.

It still had some natural lanolin in it...

...and this batch wasn't perfectly white or free of vegetable matter (v.m.).

I wanted to try it to see how it would felt, though...

...and thought it would make a nice spongy base for this runner.

After making a swirly design in pencil roving...

I added bright, short fiber merino, dyed locks and Angelina fibers to the surface.

Next time: the finished runner.

Silk, Wool and Dyed Blue Locks Bag- Part 2

The open bag in all of its orbicular beauty! :)

 

Notice the pearlescent, vintage button.

 

The finished bag with the flap closed.

 

The bag back with its dyed blue locks 'tail'.

 

After felting a purse like this...

...there's one important step that I haven't talked much about...

...and that's blocking.

It's important to pull the bag into shape with your fingers while it's still wet...

...then stuff it with fabric, in order to hold it in place while it dries.

After drying overnight, I remove the fabric (usually cloth placemats)...

...and finish drying it, empty, so that the desired shape is preserved.

I'm happy with the cute egg shape of this bag...

...and the way the locks and multicolored roving coordinate with each other.

Silk, Wool and Dyed Blue Locks Bag- Part 1

Dyed blue locks and multicolored silk and wool roving.

 

Laying out roving for the bag flap and handle.

 

Applying the dyed locks 'tail'.

 

The bag front, prior to felting.

 

This bag is yet another 'variation on a theme'...

...but this time, I used cleaned, dyed locks and a blended wool and silk roving.

I employed my familiar peanut-shaped resist...

...making the bag body white and the flap and handle blue, brown and green.

I found that I actually prefer raw locks for laying out...

...since it seemed to me that the cleaning and dyeing (for this batch of commercial locks, anyway)...

...had partially felted them and made the locks a bit harder to use.

The other challenge was the fact that the flap and handle roving was a wool and silk blend...

...and that meant that it felted differently than the all wool roving of the bag body.

Next time...the finished bag with its pleasingly egg-shaped body...

...getting ideas for Easter, anyone??!?! Giggle.