Going up North

Yesterday was shearing day at Wyammy Ranch and just on the spur of the moment I decided to go to Occidental to buy some Wensleydale fleeces. With a beautiful day like yesterday it wasn’t very hard to decide. Driving through Hwy 1 is always fun anyway.

The redwoods also have its own beauty.

I got there right after the shearing was done, so I had plenty of time to choose my fleeces.

This is like going to a candy store for me. It’s always hard to choose since each fleece is different from each other, with its special characteristics and variations that makes them unique, but I was decided to shop this time for white wool.

This is JoAnn felting machine. I wish I had one. This is like a big sander with a couple of plates that rub each other to create friction. I could make huge projects with a machine like this.

What a view!

I came back home with a couple fleeces and one is already washed and under the sun getting dry.

Blending fibers

One of my biggest pleasures of spinning is the fiber preparation that goes beforehand. Finding the right compliment that won’t overshadow each of the fibers that I have chosen to blend together can be a little tricky with some risks involved. Here is where planning, discovery, and a little bit of serendipity takes me to new appreciations where my own expectations takes a second role.

But that is exactly what makes it fun and almost addictive. And I know I’m not rediscovering the wheel here, but I still jump screaming  ”Eureka” when I get something soft and pretty. I’ve been spinning a batt lately made with Icelandic lambswool, alpaca and border leicester.

I find the alpaca and the soft undercoat (thel) of the Icelandic similar in softness and it produces a yarn with a pretty halo that I suspect will be just more obvious once I soak it and  full it.

This is another good combination:

Gotland, Wensleydale and Mohair, and all three of them take the dye with so much vibrance. I have about 7 more pounds of the Gotland to go through, so I hope to post more of my progress before I find another thing to do…

Etsy update

I just post some roving for sale at my Etsy shop. If you are interested on purchasing any of my roving,  you can click at the pictures to get redirected to my store.

I had this colorway before with alpaca roving, and liked it so much that I decided to repeated this time with Wensleydale wool.

I really like this colorway. The greens are relly pretty. This is roving has a blend of 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino and 20% Tussah silk.

And the last one for now, is 100 % Wensleydale wool. I called this colorway flame!

Phat sample box

I just joined the Phat Fiber Sample Box as a contributor! I just got my samples ready to get mailed for the May box. Here is a little preview before it goes to the mail:

I carded Angelina fiber in colors of fuchsia, gold and green, mohair locks, Wensleydale and suri alpaca

Here is the carder doing its job…

And the batts ready to be mailed!

Wensleydale roving.

I had a couple of great days this week! I was able to dye 5 pounds of wool in two days. I will be putting new roving in my Etsy store soon. I’ve been working on dyeing Wensleydale wool. It is a bit coarser than what I’ve been dyeing lately, but when you work with alpaca, silk and merino before, and then move to Wensleydale, then you can notice the difference. I love how it takes the dyes, and I just love its luster. The breed was originated in Yorkshire in the early 19Th century. Well, this is what I’ve been working on:

The sun has been very helpful with me. It took me about two days to get it dry.

And this is an image of a Wensleydale sheep that I got in Wikipedia. If you want to read more about it, please click the picture to get redirected to Wikipedia.

Well, I have to go now, time to open our shop…