I have obtained my most expensive fiber to date. Camaj Fiber Arts had a sale on Guanaco fiber, which is harvested from wild animals in South America. Because they are not domesticated animals, the fiber is harder to obtain, hence the cost.
I will not be blending this fiber, but spinning it pure and making swatches for my fiber books.
And yes, vicuña is on my wish list, along with qiviut.
I have a red paper wasp that is trying really hard to establish a nest in our mailbox.
The wasp flies out when I open the box, and I remove the nest when I get the mail. I’m hoping eventually she’ll look for a different spot.
In April 2017 our rock painting hobby started. I read about “Kindness Rocks” a national movement to leave messages of hope and art for people to find and keep, if they wanted, or hide for someone else to find. The movement has since gone global, and although our painting isn’t as frequent now, we still do paint and hide and I still find other’s painted rocks around town.
Since the start I have learned that sealing the rocks with a clear coat of UV protectant helps them last a little longer outside. The thicker the coat of paint, the more likely it is to crack and peel with the freeze thaw cycles. The rocks that keep their messages the longest have only the message or drawing, not an undercoat.
I was reading about Japanese Sashiko, an embroidery method that often goes through many layers of cloth for mending and reinforcing. The post talked about a ring thimble, where the pocked metal sits inside a knuckle on the palm of the hand, rather than a fingertip. I purchased one to try, then had the opportunity to test it while working on alterations for contest costumes.
This is by far the most comfortable and least awkward thimble I have ever used. It is in a good position for easily pushing the needle, but stays nicely out of the way when I’m stitching. It is adjustable, so I was able to easily fit it to my finger. Cap style thimbles are inevitably the wrong size for my finger tip. I do have a 3 in 1 thimble, thread cutter, and needle puller, which is useful, but a bit awkward. The ring thimble was very helpful pushing the needle through multiple layers of fabric, especially near seams.
I have finished spinning 4 ounces of Southdown wool using a Turkish style spindle to make single spun yarn.
Southdown sheep are a dual purpose breed from England. When I bought this wool, the sheep were on the Conservation Priority list. In 2024, they came off the list and are no longer considered a threatened heritage breed. Which demonstrates the power of attention and purchase.
Before I ply these singles, I think I will experiment with making swatches with the singles. The ways the yarn twist and fabric method bias interact have peaked my curiosity and I was to do some experiments.
Critters and Craft 