Woodstock Fleece Festival 2014

Oct 18, 2014 found us at the Woodstock Fleece Festival once again. This shot is taken just before the doors open and we're ready to begin after spending many weeks getting ready. Every year just gets better.

I participated in the longest thread challenge to raise money for the Alzheimers Society and placed third. Lisa Wallbank was first place and Ute Zell placed second.

3rd Prize in Longest Thread Challenge for Alzheimer

Cheryl Roberts of Fullin' Woolens, Cavan, ON generously donated this prize package of gorgeous rolags of Italian Merino, Tussah Silk, nylon, pulled sari silk, and angelina. It's sooo pretty! Can't wait to spin it and weave it. Thank you so much!

Shopping Time...

Romney Fleece from Willow Farm

Millends stuffed in bag from The Black Lamb

I did a little shopping and got a bag of superwash mill ends from The Black Lamb and a gorgeous silver Romney fleece from Willow Farm. At this very moment it is in the scouring process and half of it is about to spun out and put out to dry on this very windy day.

Spinning Hemp & Happy 2014 Thanksgiving

I have a stash of hemp sliver I have been saving for a couple of years. Now seems like the perfect time to bring it out.

Last evening I began the spinning using my Norwegian style wheel, which I love spinning on. I'm using the mid size whorl and it took a few adjustments before I managed to find the sweet spot with the drive band tension.

The hemp is beautifully fine, shorter stapled than I expected...and much more difficult to spin than flax. I had to experiment with different methods.

I resorted to pulling out one of my reference books-thank you Stephanie Gaustad for writing 'The Practical Spinner's Guide-Cotton, Flax and Hemp'. It really helped me to understand the fibre & just what was needed to spin it successfully.

The fibre has been sitting a couple of years and was compressed. If I wanted to spin an even single minus slubs, I would have to rework the already prepared fibre. This I did with my hand carders. I just drew the fibres over the teeth & laid them gently on my fingers with just minimal pressure to feed & hold in place.

I tried a rolag, but did not like spinning that way - the fibre was too slippery.

The other characteristic of hemp is that it does not stick to itself. There are no scales as wool has & no pectin as does flax. It is slippery. You must not compress it!

You have to get enough twist to hold the fibres together, but not too much as that would snap it in two.

This is a photo of the singles twisted back on itself.

Hemp plied back on itself

3.25 TPI

When spinning, change hooks frequently to prevent the spun thread from rolling into the valley.

I would love to blend some of this with some silk for a scarf (?).  If I had more of this it would be nice to plan a larger project.
I'm beginning to like the challenge of spinning hemp. Dyeing will be fun.

Flaxen spinning

Though I must complete my Olds Level 5 final project, I have revised my plans. This flax was going to be dyed using fibre reactive dyes and used for a towel, but the woad in my garden had to be used and the flax ended being dyed with the woad that day.

I scoured 462 grams of spun flax to remove the waxes and set the twist in my singles using 1 T. laundry detergent,  2 T. washing soda and hot water in a large non reactive pot. I simmered the skeins in this solution for 45-60 minutes. Then rinsed in cool water.

462 grams flax spun into linen ready to be scoured.

The woad was harvested and prepared. The skeins were dipped 3 times and aired between dips. The result is a beautiful silvery blue colour.

Woad dyed linen singles. Oct. 2014.

Now back to the planning for my project.
This post has been revised.