I handspin all of the yarn for my knitted items. It takes approximately 1 and 1/2 hours to
spin and ply one oz. of yarn. As an example, a pair of my handspun socks has a minimum of 9
hours work. In addition to handspinning the yarn, I scour (wash) the fiber beforehand, I then
card (brush to align the fibers for spinning), hand-dye and then knit.
Home
Here is a photo of a sheep being sheared. I purchase my fleeces locally, usually at
agricultural fairs where I can find fleeces from various breeds of sheep and different colors.
This is the wheel that I spin most of my yarn on. The style is "saxony", made of cherry
wood.
After I purchase a fleece and get it home, I wash it within a few days in very hot water with a mild detergent to release the lanolin and dirt and then set it out to dry. In the washing (known as "scouring") process, not all of the lanolin is removed, but enough of it is washed out leaving the fleece clean enough for spinning. To the left is a photo showing four fleeces that I've washed and were dried outdoors on a drying rack.
The dry fleece is separated into lots of 1.5 to 2 lbs. for dyeing. I prefer dark natural colors which I spin undyed. However, for white and light to medium grey fleeces, I will dye about half of the fleece (leaving the rest to be spun in its natural color). After dyeing, the dyebath is poured off and once again, the wool is placed on the rack for drying.
I use a picker to separate the dry fleece. Picking can also be done by hand, but a picker is much faster.
I place handfuls of fleece in the opening and pull the cradle back and forth. It has very sharp teeth which separates the fleece into small clouds of wool which fall off the back of the picker. These clouds of fleece will then be carded.
This is a closer view of the teeth in the cradle, which are very, very sharp.
This is another view of the teeth in the picker bed. When not in use, a picker should always be locked as it is very dangerous and should never be left unattended when there are young, curious children around.
Now for the carding. This is an electric drum carder which I use for most of my carding.
The picked fiber is fed through the front and the fibers are brushed, aligned and rolled onto the large drum.
I also keep a pair of hand carders which I use from time to time and also take with me to shows where I also spin. As you can see, they are much smaller and only allow me to card small amounts at a time.
After I've carded all of my wool, it can be removed from the drum carder in one batt or in one continuous strip, as shown here, called "roving" which I wind into a ball. I personally prefer spinning my yarn from roving, though many spinners prefer spinning directly from batts.
Now for the spinning. As the yarn is spun, it builds up in one area. I then move it down to the next hook and continue back and forth until the bobbin is full. The colored yarn at the opposite end is called the "leader". The fiber is spun onto the end of the leader and then pulled onto the bobbin.
Here are two bobbins of yarn which I've spun. This yarn is a single ply, but my personal preference is to work with a 2-ply yarn which calls for two bobbins of yarn. For plying, I use my Louet (manufacturer's name) wheel which I prefer as the bobbins are much larger allowing me to ply over one lb. of yarn onto one bobbin.
Here is a closer view of my yarn as I'm plying it onto the Louet bobbin. After I've set the twist (soaking the yarn in hot water and allowing it to dry under tension), it wil be ready for knitting or weaving.
After plying the yarn, it's wound onto a "niddy noddy". These are made of wood and come
in different sizes. I use my wood niddy noddies when winding skeins of yarn for sale. However,
before the yarn is knitted or woven, the twist in the yarn must be set by soaking it in hot
water. For soaking, I use niddy noddies made from pvc pipe. After the yarn has dried, it can
then be wound into a skein for use.
Hats
Felted, Scented and Unscented Soaps
Knitted Vests/Knitted Sweaters
Scarves, Shawls, Throws
Socks
Multi-Use Towels, Napkins, Table Runners
The Weaving Process
Show Schedule