What a scorcher!

Well, it is one of those days that you plan to do everything early.  They are estimating that it will get to 42 degrees here in Melbourne!  When it get's like this the one thing I don't want to feel is that I have wasted a day, so I got to washing some fibre and taking advantage of the hot weather for drying.  My D.H. hates the smell of wet fleece drying over the heating vents so this is a perfect opportunity to stock up on washed fibre.

Add to that an old washing machine that is parked outside my Laundry door and I am set.  I have really found that washing a fleece is stress free as long as you keep the water hot and maintain the temperature whilst you are washing and rinsing.  Any change in the temp and you risk felting your fleece, but if you work quickly and use plenty of dishwashing liquid in the wash/soak  and vinegar in the rinse/soak it really comes up a treat!  I now have fluffy fibre with no residual grease.

In a perfect world I would go on to dye it, but if you felt how hot I was, and how hot I looked, you would forgive me for letting it dry and leaving the dying for another day.

An old washing machine makes it a lot easier

English Leicester fleece going into hot soapy water

Just the odd toss to dry it all through - four fleeces in all!

I have also taken advantage of the time indoors to organise photos of some of my latest yarns.   I love the combination of Wool, Mohair and Silk (in all it's various forms)  and it is from these three combinations that I then dye and spin my yarns.  Then of course you choose a method of spinning and that is really based on how the fibre 'speaks' to you - yep, you are right, it is an exact science! These yarns are all in preparation for markets coming up, some of them will be used for scarves and cowls and might eventually go on my website.  Winter will come soon enough but until it does, I am making yarn while the sun shines!

Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day to all, hope you share it with those nearest and dearest to you.  I have been spinning in earnest lately as I have quite a few events coming up.  Yarns going in to CCCK's in Northcote in March, an Indoor market at Apollo Bay in April and the Queens Birthday Market in June, and then of course the Bendigo Wool Show with my friend Mandie from Ewe Give Me the Knits.  I can't stop now otherwise I will lose momentum!

I am going to try a new method of making faux tailspun yarns that I found on You tube.  I think this will be a wonderful way of utilising some very long Mohair that I have.  I just love the scarf that Natalie creates it takes me back to Carnaby Street and the Beatles era!  However I also love the English Leicester Tailspun yarn I recently worked on, I just know it is going to dye up really well and has a softer curl than the Mohair, not to mention it is also more economical.

I have posted all my new yarns on my Flickr site, so if you are interested please go and have a look!

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks to Ethel for her lovely English Leicester Fleece

Happy New Year from Skenes

Finally taking a breath and getting into a holday routine.  I promised myself that I would take this opportunity to spin and spin and spin, as my D.H is pottering around on the Pearlah and thoroughly enjoying himself.

The one modification you have to overcome is a certain lack of equipment, I mean as accommodating as D.H. is there is only so much room in the van and unfortunately the  carding machine, picker and all the dye pots had to be left behind.  I had hope, but hey all spinners can facilitate their passion with a minimum of equipment.   Needless to say, I still brought four large hampers of pre dyed fibre and my hackle so I am determined to make a dent in it.



Circular Hackle



This is a circular hackle, a prototype produced by Julie of Petlyn Fibres and this is the perfect opportunity to test it out. 

It will get a work out as I am filling it up with every type of fibre I can think of and drafting off some mighty 'rough rovings'.  Just what I want for this Skenes inspired yarn. 

I just looked out of the window and there was the inspiration! 

Colours out of our window

 So searching through the hampers this is the result.



This a truly loaded Hackle

 


A roll of rough Roving




Spun single







Coiled back on commercial threads

Well I have better get back to it, as I am sure the "Captain' might return soon and besides I have the another colour way coming on!