Tag: spinning

Angora rabbit fur

On By CarynIn Craft

My next spin-and-walk project is with angora rabbit fur. I didn’t card it, comb it, or wash it, I just grabbed handfuls straight out of the bag where the farmer placed the shorn fibers. I wasn’t expecting the short second cuts, but I’m rolling with it and making it into an experiment.

Photo description: handful of white angora rabbit fur with short second cuts (where the shears passed over already cut fur and cut short sections) and guard hairs (thicker longer hairs in the fur)
Photo description: single spun yarn with the second cuts caught in the twist sideways, making it very fluffy

Some of the shorter lengths of fiber get caught sideways when I’m spinning, like a bottle brush. I don’t think all of these will stay embedded in the yarn, but it will be interesting to see what does. It does make the yarn fluffy in a sporadic way.

Photo description: first walk’s worth of spun Angora rabbit fur

Angora is usually blended with other fibers so this is also an experiment on how pure rabbit fur behaves both in the spinning and in fabric.

Plying rose

On By CarynIn Craft

I have two plied my rose top. I spun the single a little thicker, so a two ply is sufficient to make a nice yarn. The rose fiber is harvested from the stems and leaves of the rose plant, processed in a similar way to Tencel, extracted from plant waste. I like the feel of the rose fiber and it spins up nicely. I plied from a center pull ball, then wrapped the plied yarn into a nostepinne style ball (my favorite kind of center pull ball).

Photo description: two ply rose fiber yarn on a drop spindle, asphalt in the background
Photo description: nostepinne style ball wound on a roll of card stock, drop spindle empty, asphalt in the background

I’m not going to wet block this yarn. I have time to let it sit while I finish up other projects, which will set the twist.

Egyptian cotton swatches

On By CarynIn Craft

I made my swatches for my fiber book from the Egyptian cotton that I spun on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

Photo description: knit square in moss stitch with size 2 Prym circular needles
Photo description: crocheted round coaster made from Egyptian cotton with a size B Clover crochet hook
Photo description: 3 salvage twined swatch with knotted tassels

I still love the twining weaving technique with open ended warps. This was my first swatch, but the sides are less wonky than my other weaving attempts.

Chain plying mint top

On By CarynIn Craft

My single spun mint top fiber has been sitting on my drop spindle for awhile. I spun it so thin I really was worried about it breaking during the plying process. I finally took a deep breath, got out my homemade spindle holder, and chain plied with my vintage Befra Willy spinning wheel.

Photo description: oak stand with drop spindle full of single spun mint top fiber which is a cellulose fiber infused with mint
Photo description: Befra Willy flyer and bobbin with three-ply mint infused yarn
Photo description: three ply yarn wrapped onto a PVC niddy noddy

I wet the yarn on the niddy noddy to set the twist. I’m still not feeling and “coolness” from the mint infused fibers. Maybe that will come once the yarn is made into fabric?

Woven Tencel

On By CarynIn Craft

I was only able to get three swatches from my Tencel sample, knitted, crocheted, and woven. I wove this swatch on a Clover mini loom, with the warp doubled. To finish it I ran the warp back up through the weft passes. I like the edge the method makes, but I don’t like how wonky this piece came out.

Photo description: plain weave swatch made on a Clover mini loom with three ply hand spun Tencel yarn
Photo description: same woven swatch after blocking, but still wonky

I’m going to blame the spin on this one.

P.S. Sorry if you received this post twice by email. I usually schedule my posts about three days out, and I hit the wrong button, tried to retract it, and put it on the proper schedule. I wasn’t fast enough and the email went out. It bothered me to have this series of posts out of order, so I fixed it for the blog, but those emails may have a duplicate or not resend. Ah, technology.