Fireplace and Fiber

Lou Ann and I went to the Museum of Appalachia today, we were demonstrating for several,  school groups of 3rd graders on their fall field trip, back in time.  We arrived around 10am and they were working on getting our fire started for us, in the Peters Cabin, to take the chill off out the room.   I spent the day spinning away on my wool, and Lou Ann was weaving Christmas book marks on her Inkle loom.  The kids were fascinate, and asked lots of question!

It was really fun working with the kids as they came through our cabin.  They came in in fits and starts, small groups, larger groups, some kids really interested in what we were doing, and others more interested in the fireplace than anything else.  As always you could spot the future fiber artist right off the bat.  One little girl kept coming back to see us, she even came up to us in the lunch room to tell us that they had planned to stop by just one more time.  We were sure to let her mother  know that there were places in her town, that could really help her get started with a spindle.

 

I managed to spin a couple of bobbins of that gray Jacobs fleece I have been working on forever.  I think that I will have enough yarn, when I am done with it, to weave a shawl, though I may do a scarf first to try it out.  I have been thinking about what I could use as an accent yarn for these pieces, when I ran across a video showing how to spin tweed yarn by putting in bits of colored silk or mohair as you are plying.

 Singles waiting to be plied.

Skeins of yarn with no accent added.

 I have several colors to add to the yard, most of it is the navy colored fluff, but there is also 2 lighter blues, and a couple of pinky colors.  I watched the video multiple times, until I felt ready to try myself.  I played it safe and used only 2 ply's for my first attempt.  It took me about 20 minutes to feel comfortable with the technique and I found I had to handle my colorful bits of fluff a little differently than the original artist did.  Mine wasn't drafting as easily, so I had to use both hands and not trust the pull of the wheel to do it for me.

I am really happy with how this yarn has turned out.  I really wanted to finish the skein before I posted today so that I could show it to you, but that will have to be for next week.  For now, I am comfy and warm by my own fireplace, and I am looking forward to an evening of spinning.  Maybe I will finish the rest of the gray Jacobs!

Until next time, Happy Spinning and Weaving, Tina