Tag: spinning

Spinning dog hair

On By CarynIn Craft

My friend brought me a bag of dog hair! For a spinner, this is an exciting thing, especially when the dog has an undercoat.

Photo description: white and fawn colored dog hair in a gallon plastic bag
Photo description: Baxter as a puppy. He is 30% Great Pyrenees, 30% Cattle Dog, 20% Boxer, and 20% Belgian Malinois according to a DNA test.

I chose to separate out the white and fawn colored hair, because it didn’t seem right to blend it when Baxter the dog is spotted. The hair was clean with only a slight doggy smell, so I did not wash it. I did card it with a fine toothed set of carders.

Photo description: the white portion of dog hair loaded on one carder
Photo description: Missy the dog is very interested in the smell of the carded fiber. (Her hair smooth and is very, very difficult to spin.)

I chose to spin Baxter’s fur with a spindle shaft without a whorl, so I could have absolute control over the twist. It was a moderately difficult spin, not as easy as Samoyed, but still spin able.

Photo description: single spun dog hair on a shaft with cup hook

I chain plied the singles to make a three ply yarn. I like chain plying potentially delicate singles because if I do get a break, I can ply it together relatively easily.

Photo description: three ply yarn on a spindle shaft wrapped in a crisscross style

Because Baxter is a beloved pet, I decided to make a small keepsake with this yarn. I crocheted the white yarn in a circle, then used the fawn colored yarn to crochet a heart shape.

Photo description: heart crocheted from two colors of hand spun 100% dog hair

I believe scent is an important link in memories, so I did not block or wash the heart, but instead placed it in a plastic bag to preserve the scent so it will be a comfort when my friend pulls it out in the future.

Spindle case

On By CarynIn Craft

I wanted a travel case for my tiny Turkish style spindle, so went digging through my cupboards. I found a stainless steel can cozy that was just the right size, but didn’t have a lid.

Photo description: metal can cozy with open lid, curious dog in the background

I measured the space and used my laser cutter to cut and engrave a piece of thin birch plywood. I sealed the wood with modge podge (white glue), which also holds the circle in place.

Photo description: same can cozy with a wood insert graved with my logo of a tree and roots

The can fits nicely in the bottle pocket on the side of my purse and fits a handful of wool and the spindle inside.

Photo description: Femto spindle by Turtle Made inside the repurposed can cozy

And yes, I really did pull it out and do some spinning waiting in the line at grocery store!

Photo description: spindle with in progress spinning with a grocery cart in the background

Tiny spindle

On By CarynIn Craft

Squee! I ordered a femto spindle from Turtle Made on Etsy, which is a 3D printed Turkish style spindle that is teeny tiny!

Photo description: 3D printed spindle with dark green shaft and neon green arms sitting on my hand

With a spindle this tiny, the obvious choice is to spin as thin as possible. I have some green dyed Corridale mix wool from AnnieWhere that I used to get started.

Photo description: same spindle, wrapped with single spun green wool thread

The spindle works amazingly well for something so small. I plan on finding a case for it and have it be my emergency spinning kit. The emergency would be if I am out and about without a project! Or need to meditatively spin anytime, anywhere.

Yarn turtle #4

On By CarynIn Craft

Here is my fourth yarn turtle spun on my 3D printed Turkish style spindle using Southdown wool.

Photo description: thin single spun yarn wrapped around the arms of a Turkish style spindle, asphalt background as I was walking

I was hoping to make a three ply yarn from the Southdown wool, but I think I have enough roving for one more turtle, which will give me 5 turtles, which is not easily divisible by 3. I could chain ply, but I find that difficult with turtles, especially toward the end. I could two-ply, then cable ply by plying the two-ply together to make a four ply, which gives an interesting texture and results in very little waste. I could weigh the yarn and rewind it all into three even amounts. So many choices.

I think, when the spinning is done, I shall do some small lengths of each type of plying, to help me decide what to do over all.

Jumbo bobbin two

On By CarynIn Craft

I spun up three more bobbins of single spun Teeswater wool and plied them into a three ply yarn.

Photo description: three full bobbins on the bobbin storage shafts built into the Ashford Traveller wheel
Photo description: small bobbins depleted, one empty, two partially depleted
Photo description: three ply yarn on two jumbo bobbins, the left was done previously, the right recently plied

I think I have enough Teeswater roving to do one more jumbo bobbin of three-ply yarn, which means I will have to transfer yarn off a jumbo bobbin as I only have two. It will take me a while to spin though, so I don’t have to transfer yet.