What a busy week, I can't believe it is Friday again! We, LouAnn, Karin and I had a busy day at the Museum of Appalachia's second Friday of Sheep Shearing Days. We saw between last Friday and today close to 1500 students! We did not have any rain today, but I forgot to take any pictures, not a single one.
(If LouAnn reads this she has my permission to insert one or two here.)
We left in such a rush last week that we didn't get a chance to go thru the fleeces that had been shorn. So today, before everything got started, Karin and I rushed up and chose the fleeces that we wanted to take, keeping in mind that this evening, when the crowds were all gone, there were going to be many more fleeces to choose from, among them were several Scottish Blackface.
I came away with 11 fleeces and Karin got close to the same amount, we feel very rich indeed. Once I get back from my west coast trip, I will be washing fleeces again, and this year, I have a trampoline that we bought for the grandkids, on which I can spread them out on once they are clean, they should dry very quickly. (I hadn't thought of that until just now as I was typing!)
On Tuesday of this week, I went to the post office to pick up a package before I went to weaving. In this package was a double flyer spinning wheel. I used to have one, but I felt like it was too fragile to take to the museum for demos and I sold it.
I got to the Center before anybody else did and unpacked the wheel to make sure that nothing had gotten damaged in the post. It looked good, and I managed to get it put together.
I knew when I purchased the wheel that it was going to have to go to "Bobbin Boy" for an overhaul/tune up, to be fully functional, but with a little cleaning and oiling, I did manage to get "take up" on both flyers. It is missing one 1/3 of the distaff, but I was thrilled that it had the other 2 pieces. It will be the middle of next month before I can take the wheel to Asheville, but I think it is going to be a really good demo wheel.
If you have never seen anybody spin on a double flyer, you simply must search youtube for some videos! When this wheel is fully functional I will be able to spin 2 strands of yarn at once, usually flax, but wool is also a possibility.
Speaking of wool, I took this Merino/ Silk blend from "Into The Wool" and divided it into 2 color ways. One color way is using the oranges and the other one will be all the greens. I will use both of the resulting tonal skeins in a woven scarf.
The oranges, light and dark, are alternated on this first bobbin, on the second bobbin I am going to start with the dark orange and work my way thru to the light orange.
I will ply these 2 strands together and see what I get. I am going to do the same thing with the greens, I think it is going to be 2 very nice skeins of yarn.
I probably will not be posting next week, I am on my way home for a full week. Mom, brothers, and sister are there and my west coast daughter and her son are meeting us there too! Who knows we may get a couple of my cousins to stop by for a visit.
I am looking forward to some time sipping iced tea and swapping stories under the big umbrella on the back porch. It has been too long!
Until next time, Play with wool! Tina
(If LouAnn reads this she has my permission to insert one or two here.)
 | |
| Tina and Karin setting up the tables this morning. The cars are just starting to arrive. |
We left in such a rush last week that we didn't get a chance to go thru the fleeces that had been shorn. So today, before everything got started, Karin and I rushed up and chose the fleeces that we wanted to take, keeping in mind that this evening, when the crowds were all gone, there were going to be many more fleeces to choose from, among them were several Scottish Blackface.
I came away with 11 fleeces and Karin got close to the same amount, we feel very rich indeed. Once I get back from my west coast trip, I will be washing fleeces again, and this year, I have a trampoline that we bought for the grandkids, on which I can spread them out on once they are clean, they should dry very quickly. (I hadn't thought of that until just now as I was typing!)
On Tuesday of this week, I went to the post office to pick up a package before I went to weaving. In this package was a double flyer spinning wheel. I used to have one, but I felt like it was too fragile to take to the museum for demos and I sold it.
I got to the Center before anybody else did and unpacked the wheel to make sure that nothing had gotten damaged in the post. It looked good, and I managed to get it put together.
I knew when I purchased the wheel that it was going to have to go to "Bobbin Boy" for an overhaul/tune up, to be fully functional, but with a little cleaning and oiling, I did manage to get "take up" on both flyers. It is missing one 1/3 of the distaff, but I was thrilled that it had the other 2 pieces. It will be the middle of next month before I can take the wheel to Asheville, but I think it is going to be a really good demo wheel.
If you have never seen anybody spin on a double flyer, you simply must search youtube for some videos! When this wheel is fully functional I will be able to spin 2 strands of yarn at once, usually flax, but wool is also a possibility.
(A short video of Tina spinning on a double flyer spinning wheel in 2014.)
Speaking of wool, I took this Merino/ Silk blend from "Into The Wool" and divided it into 2 color ways. One color way is using the oranges and the other one will be all the greens. I will use both of the resulting tonal skeins in a woven scarf.
The oranges, light and dark, are alternated on this first bobbin, on the second bobbin I am going to start with the dark orange and work my way thru to the light orange.
I will ply these 2 strands together and see what I get. I am going to do the same thing with the greens, I think it is going to be 2 very nice skeins of yarn.
I probably will not be posting next week, I am on my way home for a full week. Mom, brothers, and sister are there and my west coast daughter and her son are meeting us there too! Who knows we may get a couple of my cousins to stop by for a visit.
I am looking forward to some time sipping iced tea and swapping stories under the big umbrella on the back porch. It has been too long!
Until next time, Play with wool! Tina
1 comment:
OK, Tina. I inserted a picture from this morning AND a video of you spinning on the double flyer wheel.
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