What Came Off The Loom Yesterday

A while ago I warped up my loom with 6 yards of lace weight wool.  (2 ply lace weight yarn from Hide & Hare: Romney, Corriedale, & Merino cross)  (EDIT: Since someone asked, my loom was set up for an even weave/twill with 18 epi.)  The idea at the time was to weave several samples for a long term historic weaving project.  I will post more about this in the future.  At the end of the 5 samples I still had a lot of warp left.  In truth, one of the samples was suppose to be yardage but weaving with a weft of cobweb weight (2 passes for each shed) was getting to me.  I will write more on this soon, I promise.   I used the rest of warp with 3 separate wefts of different yarns. 

The top one has a weft of Berroco Boboli Lace (42% Wool, 35% Acrylic, and 23% Rayon)

The middle has a weft of Plymouth Yarn - Mushishi (95% wool/5% silk, Colorway: 13)

The bottom has weft of hand spun teeswater wool.

All examples are pre-washing (photos of washed fabric are below).

Most of these are going to be Christmas presents for family.  I suspect that they will become table clothes and place mats, and perhaps an infinity cowl.  The fabric started as 22" wide but has shrunk between 21" and 18" wide.  Each is about 1.5 yards long.

Oddly enough the teeswater weft which was highly twisted and single ply, made the fabric do this after it came off the loom.  The corners curled up wildly on their own.  I was a little worried and thought that this would be forced to become pillows.  However it has relaxed almost completely after washing and hang drying.  During the middle ages c. 1350, many fabrics were woven with a warp of single ply z-twist and a weft of single ply s-twist to create a balanced weave with single ply yarns.  Here is a perfect example of what happens when you don't do that.

Above: Before Washing

Below: After Machine Washing

The fabrics all softened a lot after washing and they got a lot more fuzzy. The fabric in the middle, shrunk the most and fuzzed up (bloomed) the most but the colors in the weft are now a lot more visible.   And unsurprisingly the one that shrank the least, and bloomed the least, was the one with the wool/acrylic blend yarn. The historic weaving samples have washed up quiet differently and are more pleasant to work with and to look at I think,  Its more like a nice wool fabric that you might buy than the "novelty" weaves if this post. Having now washed all of these I suspect they will all become infinity cowls for Christmas presents.

Perhaps a List Would Be A Good Idea

The Current Project List (Running Post Updated Often)

Mostly this post is to keep track of too many projects.  Some of these are no more than random thoughts, plans laid by mice & men, or half baked ideas.  If it is in red text then the project is done. Links to Yarn & What Knot blog posts and Ravelry pattern pages are provided for easy reference.  

1. 1 lb of Cormo wool spun in the grease
1. "Spinning in the Grease"
2. "Spinning in the Grease - Part Two"
3. "Spinning in the Grease - Part Three (The Final Yarn)"
4. Bobbin One, Two, Three, Four
5. The sweater project (??)
2. Weaving Projects
1. 5 oz of Teeswater wool spun and woven - Christmas present for Mom
1. "I Digress"
2. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
1. Cowl for me
1. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
2. Christmas present for Mom
1. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
3. Hand Woven Table Runner in Rainbow Cotton (Breaking in the the New Loom)
3. "The Textiles from the Account Books of Elizabeth de Burgh, Lady of Clare, 1350-1351" 
1. Test of "Apple Blossom" colored wool
2. Test of rayed (striped) twill of various types of wools/sizes/colors 
3. The final list of fabrics to be woven
4. The Golden Fleece Project (Otherwise known as 7 lbs of THAT ROMNEY FLEECE)
1. "The Golden Fleece"
5. Random Hand Spun Yarns
1. The Loud Batt - Mood Swing (this was mentioned very briefly in "the Golden Fleece" post but I need to write up something more when its done.
1. Spun, Plyed, Knitted
2. Screaming Orange Yarn (Alpaca and Silk)
3. Rainbow Yarn (50/50 Merino/Silk)
4. Teal Yarn
6. Random Sewing Projects
1. a curtain for the studio
2. Dress for the little cousin
3. Hoodie for the little cousin 
7. Linen Waistcoat (Jacket) c.1630 based upon extant examples
1. This jacket is almost done. I need to finish writing this documentation.  
8. Half Baked Knitting Projects (By this, I mean half done projects)
1. Scarf out of rainbow cotton yarn as Christmas present for Miss L with a bonus headband
2. A bunny out of handspun for Miss E
3. Cowl out of Noro yarn 
4. Lacy Scarf out of alpaca/silk handspun lace weight
5. Something out of Malabrigo Rasta yarn in super bulky - color Archangel
6. Scarf for my sister in law
9. Round 10 Stitch Blanket project for the house made of handspun (the thing that will never be done - ever.)
1. yarn one (spun - knit)
2. yarn two (spun - knit)

Like a Hole in the Head-A few observations I had while spinning

Originally Posted on an old blog of mine: on September 26, 2010 by Elizabeth Ives

This is the current list.  I'm always taking suggestions for more observations about spinning (proper credit will always be given so send them in).

1) I needed a new hobby like a hole in the head (this observation was made many years ago now but it still holds true.)

2) Don’t walk away from cooking bacon to spin.  You will burn the bacon.

3) Twisting new fibers into a broken thread is best done at high velocity

4) When I’m done making yarn the only think I can do with it is look pleadingly at friends who knit (unless I choose to weave it.  I just don't love knitting.)

5) What spins clockwise un-spins counter clockwise if your not paying attention

6) Having a spindle for each roving you own is overkill but really nice (I don’t, by the way, but I know someone who does.)

7) Spinning reduces stress : having a small helper (cat or child) increases stress

8) My arms are not long enough

9) You can’t snack and spin at the same time so maybe spinning is good for a diet

10) Admiring the large quantity of teal wool you have just spun will not get your sewing done any faster.

11) A fine appreciation of woodworking is not excuse for new spindles just more expensive ones

12) Spinning is not sexy to your spouse

13) Do not tell your husband that you dream of fabric and spinning

14) But do tell him it’s ok to by the lathe so he can make you spindles.

.

15) Having your husband look at you while spinning and say “that looks tedious and time consuming.  Maybe we should buy you a wheel” may result in his premature death when he turned down funding on a table loom the week before. (I've since solved both of these problems and now own a wheel and a floor loom!  I even still have the husband.)

16) Thinking of these rules while spinning results in uneven thickness and a solid thunk on the floor

17) There are some weddings that are too fancy to take a spindle to.  Truly I have taken my spindles to a wedding before but in my defense it was for the lady who got me addicted to spinning and it was just that kind of wedding.  Also I have not taken my spindles to many weddings and REALLY REALLY wished that I had.

18) There is nothing quite like getting someone else addicted to the fiber arts.  If you sit down by me for more than five minuets, ask what I'm doing, or stare like you want to ask but won't, I WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO THIS.  You have been warned.

19) Fiber nuts will "huff" raw fiber because we like the smell of it.  Don't ask us why, we really don't know. But raw wool smells so good! (usually.)

20) The best questions come from kids.  This one came from an adult: "Where did you get the pink sheep?"  (That one is right up there with questions about Tomahawk missiles vs. real tomahawks.  But hay, some scientists have genetically altered fur to glow under black lights, maybe the pink sheep is not such a bad question after all.)

21)   Adding another survival skill to the post-apocalyptic skill set is not a good excuse to take up spinning but who cares.  Who am I kidding, that is a perfect excuse.  As if you really need one.

22) Do not turn around and look, when, having just handed your friends a bag of fiber to fondle, they shout and point "Oh look! A flock of flying turtles!".  Just saying that if you do look, that bag of fiber might not be there anymore.  

Golden Fleece Part One

Since Last Time:

I took a break from the Cormo that I was spinning to spin two more colorful yarns.  One was Teeswater wool you saw in my last post.  That is now being woven to make a shawl for the Christmas pile.  The second was an attack of frustration and color.  I had a bad day where it felt like none of my projects were working correctly.  In response I carded a batt (I have a double wide Staunch drum carder) of wool, alpaca, silk, sari silk, and baby camel.  It came out bright and colorful.  Loud actually.  I spun it up in a long evening and it made me feel much better.  It is also destined for the loom as soon as I find or come up with a suitable warp (there is not enough of it to be the warp and weft so I will have to combine it with something else).  

In the mean time I will go back to the Cormo and my current warp.  I've also begun to think about my next large project.

Spinning in the Grease Fleece Two

This is a full (7 lbs) Romney fleece.  Not just any fleece mind you, but one that won both the Best Of Breed for Romney and Best In Show at the Big E, 2014.  Its stunning.  And I have plans for it.

I'm a little in awe of the thing actually.  Its the biggest project I've ever taken on and most likely, the most ambitious spinning project I've taken on.  A few years ago I challenged myself to spin 30 yarns in 30 days (yarn being defined by one bundle of process top or roving, usually about 4 ounces). I managed to do 27 of them in 30 days I think,  This project seems so much larger than that for some reason and I don't even have the self imposed deadline. I want to make every inch of this yarn lovely and perfect.  And then weave it perfectly.  I suspect that I will lose a few ounces to trial-and-error and experiments but with 7 lbs to work with that should not be a problem.

EDIT: Fiber people are funny.  We think the smell of lanolin and hay is delightful and wish it came in a perfume.  We stick our heads in bags full of fiber and smell the stuff.  When I was pulling out some of this fiber to work up a sample at a living history event I was attending I was thinking just how wonderful it smelled.  Earthy.  When I got to the event several fiber folks wanted to know what I was working with.  I would hand them the bag and sure enough they would stick their heads in and smell the stuff, often before feeling it.  Apparently I'm not crazy.  I have said it before, but not here, I love textile geeks.  Of course my husband does not quite agree with the perfume idea.  

So the details of the fleece are this:

Farm/Breeder (where the real credit goes): Smiling Sheep Farm

Website: www.smilingsheepfarm.com (the site has not been updated in a while but the contact information is good)

Purchased At: Fiber Festival of New England, 2014 from Smiling Sheep Farm's Booth

Staple Length: 5.25-5.5 inches long  (Just look at the crimp on that fiber! Whomever sheared this boy was just a master.  There are very few second cuts.)

Weight: 7 lbs

Color: Dark Chocolate (I'm sure it has a name in the breed coloring but I don't know it.)

Greece Content/Veggie Matter: Light in both cases (he was jacketed)

The Current Plan (subject to revision, better ideas, and mood swings):

I plan to spin several samples so I get the hang of working with this fleece.  Once the spinning method and prep method (if any) is determined then I will divide the fleece for warp and weft.  How much goes into each pile will be determined by the practice skeins and their weight/yardage.  The weft will be blended with teal, blue, and purple silk on the drum carder.  I'm adding silk both for the color and to extend the amount of yarn I will get.  I will then spin it all, wash the yarn, and weave it into a blanket probably in an overshot pattern.  I thought about weaving in the grease too but I would love to get the yarn pre-shrunk first (something the test skeins will also tell me).

Of course I need to finish the current projects first.

I Digress

I have taken a break from the natural colored Cormo I've been spinning in the raw, to work on something with color.  I'm in love with color.  Color make me happy.  So I needed to take a little 1 bobbin/yarn break.  I choose the ball of Teeswater wool roving, dyed in blue, light blues, gray and purple.  I spun it up over two days (5.5 oz) in a nice lace weight.  

Teeswater wool is usually processed as locks for tail spinning (Spin Art: Mastering the Craft of Spinning Textured Art Yarn by Jacey Boggs, page 44-49) but this was processed as top.  I love that the fibers are very long and have a high gloss to them, therefore they reflect light and color almost like silk.  However its not a next to the skin type wool.  I may end up weaving with it for the fun of it. The yarn is very strong and perfect for weaving.  It would make a good warp thread but in this case it will be a weft thread.  

Single ply Teeswater yarn waiting to be plyed.

As I sit here writing I am wondering if I even need to ply it to weave with it given what is on my loom right now for a warp.  I may be better off if I leave it as a single ply.

In any case, I won't weave itself.   

Spinning in the Grease - Part II

I have had a few more thoughts along the way on this project.  I took the time to go though my bag of wool last night to separate out all the nice pieces of wool from the second cuts and tangles.  This was the result.

As you can see the vast majority of the fiber from this fleece ended up in the nicely organized bin rather than the tangles on the right.  In all about 1 oz of tangles were separated.  Remember that is with the weight of the grease in it so its actual weight is less than that.  For a full pound of fiber I think that is rather good.  I can still put that last bit though my drum carder if I need to.  The real credit of course goes to the breeders and sheerer.  

The first bobbin is full now.  As I'm working its very tempting to take a large bundle of fiber in my hands so I don't have to stop very often.  I have found this does not work well with this fleece.  A bundle of wool about the size of a quarter at one end is the most I can really do at one time. Otherwise it tangles and I get waist at the end of the bundle.  This photo also shows how tightly some of the fibers are stuck together at the ends.  Just a little fluffing at the ends and it is fine.  If the fleece were old or had a lot of grease in it this would be a tedious, perhaps impossible task.  The longer the lanolin sits on the wool after sheering the stickier it gets.  Therefore this fleece which was light on lanolin and dirt to start with is able to be spun by this method. 

Actually as it turns out there is almost no veggie matter in this fleece and its very clean. I've had to pick out more hay out of commercially prepared, dyed, top than this fleece. I have a few bundles that are a little dirtier than others but mostly its just really nice wool.  I cannot wait to ply this up and wash it.  

Spinning in the Grease

Over the years I've had a number of blogs and as such this one is no different than the others.  The focus remains on my exploration of history and textiles, preferably but not always, in the same project.

I've been spinning yarn since 2010 when I decided that I should know enough about spinning to demonstrate it to my students of fashion history.  I wanted them to understand how much effort when into many any piece of clothing before the industrial revolution.  As it happens I got addicted to spinning.  It was a perfect blend of artistic talents, productivity, & mediation.  

In the beginning I hated the idea of working with raw fibers; those with the grease still in them.  I still hate the idea of washing a fleece and combing it out afterwards.  It is just not my cup of tea.  So I've begun to investigate spinning wool while the grease is still on the fibers.  Please don't mistake me, some fleeces require washing and processing just to be useful.  Some animals don't, such as alpaca, which is washed after spinning.  In the last two weeks I have bought not one, but two, unwashed fleeces.  Each were picked for qualities that made spinning in raw, not just a possibility, but a better choice then traditional processing in my opinion.  Traditional processing would work but I think I will get a better yarn if I don't wash them.

This first entry are my notes on the first of those fleeces.  

Fleece: 1 pound of Cormo from Foxhill Farm Fibers & Sheep

Color: Buff or light brown

Purchased at: The New York Sheep & Wool Festival, 2014

Staple Length: 4 inches

Grease Content: Light to Medium

Veggie Matter: Very Light (the animal was jacketed) 

Crimp: Light

Sample Yarn Notes: 2 ply, very springy, great drape, came clean in the wash bath with hot water and a light does of Unicorn Scour (the same detergent as you might use on a raw fleece).  I spun it to lace weight to get a two ply fingering weight yarn.  I think this will lend itself to a nice blanket or throw later.  I should also note that the in the grease yarn was smooth before washing and very fluffy after washing.  This is in part, I believe, due to the nature of the Cormo fleece which tends to bloom when washed, even with additional twist in the spinning.

Other Notes: The reason I picked this fleece was that it was very clean from veggie matter, the wool was consistently 4" long throughout the bag, the color was amazing, and the majority of the fiber was in these nice neat clumps (shown above).  Why process this?  The grease was not so bad that it irritated my skin, nor did it smell.  There was not a great deal of dirt or other matter in the wool.  The purpose of combing or carding wool after washing is to get all the fibers unmatted and lined up again.  In the case of this fleece it came that way.  These clumps pulled apart in my hands very easily and pulling off individual fibers for spinning was easy, either from the tip or the side.  I would not want to let the fleeces sit in the bag for a long time or it would mat on its own.  

I was able to spin it very easily from the side, almost like spinning from the fold (see The Intentional Spinner, page 74 for spinning from the fold.)  This is a semi-woolen spinning method that accentuates the natural spring of the Cormo fibers.

I am currently though most of the first 4 oz bobbin.  I do not want to try and ply this yarn from a center pull ball.  I think it would lead to disaster.  I will instead spin a second bobbin and ply it.  Afterwards I will determine how much second cuts remain in the fleece, separate the second cuts and spin the remainder. 

One last additional note: the smell of the lanolin makes the cats want to "groom" the fleece.  Not at all good for the beasties or the fibers.

There will be more to come on this yarn as I work on it.