The yarn I am spinning in this video is 50% mohair from Leonardo, the angora buck and 50% wool from Johnny, the Leicester Longwool ram.
Leonardo is an angora goat and Johnny is a Leicester Longwool sheep. Both animals reside here at Exotic Gardening Farms & Wildlife Habitat.
The yarn making process requires shearing the animal, washing the fiber and removing all the vegetable matter. Vegetable matter may include hay, animal feces around their rear ends, mud and other natural materials that have embedded themselves in the animals fur.
Once the fiber is clean, it must be carded. Carding fiber involves using either a drum carder or a set of hand carders. The fiber is brushed several times until all the hairs are going in the same direction.
I use hand carders right now, so once the fiber is brushed or carded as it is called, I roll the fiber into a rolag which looks somewhat like an empty toilet paper roll minus the hollow center.
The rolag is then drafted, or gently pulled into thin pieces of fiber. The length of the fiber and the elasticity of the fiber will determine how thin the un-spun yarn can be pulled.
This un-spun yarn that has now been drafted can be spun into yarn. The thinner the draft, the thinner the yarn. The thicker the draft, the thicker the spun yarn will be. Do not worry about spinning the yarn so it is perfectly even. There are no imperfections in hand-spun yarn.
Every thick and thin spot, every area that is not as perfect as store bought yarn will prove to you and others that what you are spinning is a perfect artisan yarn that machines are un-able to duplicate!
Filed under Spinning by on Feb 4th, 2010. Comment. 
Today I have spent the better part of the day working on a new sweater on my kniffty knitter looms. The sweater will be made up of wool and mohair. Some of the yarn was spun by hand and some by machine. It is a mix of browns, purples and other fall colors. I can’t wait to get it finished and try it on!
Yesterday Sarah and I went to 1812. I bought some flax – unspun, that I intend to try to spin. I haven’t decided what I will do with it once it is spun. I also picked up two spools of 100% silk thread. I intend to make some lace with it. I have a bobbin lace kit that I have not tried yet and I thought the silk would make a lovely lace collar that I could add to a sweater or other item.
Finally I had to take one of the goats to the vet last night. When we came home Spice was sick. The vet just happened to be in the office so I took her over for some cultures. Hopefully she will be ok. We currently have her seperated from the other goats just in case. I put the Peahen Belle in with her so she had some company.
Sheri
Filed under Fiber Arts, Loom Knitting, Spinning by on Dec 20th, 2009. Comment.
With the economy in the slump it is in, selling handmade craft items has not been easy. Items like goat milk soap still sell of course, but the rag rugs did not, which really suprised me. I gave them as Christmas gifts with the exception of the one pictured above, which I still have for sale.
The people whom I gave the rugs too really enjoyed them and made quit a fuss over them. In the spring, once the sheep are sheared, I will spin their fiber into yarn. With that yarn, I think I will make a rug. One to keep – maybe one to sell.
Of course, the loom is not empty. There is yet another rug on it being made. The economy will improve. These items will sell again. I have thought of joining Etsy. Anyone have any experiences with them to share?
Sheri
Filed under Spinning by on Nov 2nd, 2009. Comment.
We now have listings on both Etsy and Local Harvest. Items are a bit limited right now but we do have plans to add to the list as the season and time permits.
On Etsy we have gift baskets, rag rugs, goat milk soap, bubble bath and candles. Our items are made using 100% essential oils. They are made right here on the farm and the proceeds go to help purchase animal feed, pay vet bills and get habitat houses for the wild critters. Here is the link to our Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6841193
Please stop by and check our two new web presences out and then drop us a line to let us know what you think.
Have a wonderful day!
We have been on Local Harvest for a while now, but just got our shop set up. We have three items right now, farm fresh chicken eggs and two different choices for dried mugwort. Here is the link to our Local Harvest Storefront http://www.localharvest.org/store/M23685&ul
Filed under Fiber Arts, Soap Making, Weaving by on Nov 2nd, 2009. Comment.
As I sit at my Union 36 floor loom today weaving with hand woven yarn I found at the local thrift shop this morning, my mind begins to wonder. The yarn, a creamy off white, looks really nice against the deep brown yarn I used for edging. The colors of this rug makes me think about how nice a rug it will be come winter when there is nothing between the old wood floor and my bare feet except this warm wool rug.
The worn varnish on my loom as well as other markings make me wonder who used to own the loom and what made them purchase it. Were they mysteriously drawn to weaving in the same way I was or was it something they always enjoyed? Was the loom handed down as a precious reminder of the grandmother who used to spend her time weaving on it? Who made the decision to get rid of it and why? Whatever the case, the loom was well used at one time.
None of the past really matters, the loom is mine now, sitting in the living room. The sound of the threads being beat into place is somehow soothing. The repeated motion, somehow stress relieving. Each project is a little different, some I like, others I hate, but all have a home somewhere, rather it is here or in someone else’s home.
The handspun wool I am working with today is soft and supple. The lanolin in the wool can still be felt. My mind wanders. What was the purpose for this wool when it was bought new? Why was it not used? It doesn’t matter much now. The yarn, my treasure from the second hand store, has a new purpose, as a rug.
The tags were still on the wool, so I have a new internet search to make to find out if the company is still in business. More importantly, I know now what my handspun will look like in a rug. I am inspired. Gizmo, Tulip, Leonardo, Johnny and Pearl’s fiber will live on, through my spinning and weaving. From clothes to rugs and beyond, there will be plenty of projects to keep me busy for months to come.
Filed under Fiber Arts, Weaving by on Oct 30th, 2009. Comment.
