Tag: spinning

Spinning: banana fiber

On By CarynIn Craft

For my next spinning adventure I selected banana fiber (made from banana leaves) from my stash. It was already in my mind to consciously spin thicker singles, because my default spin size has been getting quite fine. It was a double challenge with the banana fiber which has about an 8 inch staple length (the length of individual fibers). Spinning fine would not be a challenge, spinning thicker was! To add to my challenge my fingers decided to spin the singles counterclockwise, opposite to how I usually spin. (Probably because I ply counterclockwise when I’ve spun clockwise, so my hands were already in ply mode.) The counterclockwise twist did not make the hook on my spindle happy, and it unscrewed in the middle of the walk and flew off into the grass. Hm. Undeterred, I switched to making a half hitch to secured the spun yarn.

Photo description: white banana fiber on a top whorl spindle secured with a half hitch below the silk cord lashing

I was pleased that the silk lashing I do on the top of my spindle shaft also serves as a security measure for the half hitch. Not only did I finish the walk still spinning, I continued to use the half hitch method for the rest of the spin over the next few walks.

Photo description: all the banana fiber from my sample spun up on the spindle still missing the hook, Missy the dog and her ball in the background because it is hot in Texas and my last leg of the walk was around the kitchen counter inside

I managed to spin slightly thicker, we’ll see how it plies up. The banana fiber has a stiffness to it, more like flax, and doesn’t need much twist to make viable yarn. It had a cottony feel to it, despite the long staple length. It was easy to spin, but I think if I spin it again I will load the fiber on a distaff rather than pull off sections of combed top roving.

Turns out I can

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve been spinning on my morning walks for some time. I finished spinning up some camel fiber, but forgot to bring down a more fiber. I didn’t want to clomp up the stairs and wake everyone up at 6am, so grabbed a ball of the plied camel fiber, a crochet hook, and circular knitting needles. It was experiment time. My intention was to make my fiber page swatches as I walked. I know the crochet pattern I use by memory, and I don’t need a pattern for my knit swatch. I think I have crocheted hats while walking before, so finishing up the crocheted camel swatch wasn’t pushing the limits really. I’m pretty sure I haven’t knit on the hoof, but with the circular needles, it wasn’t a problem. I don’t think I would take a large or fiddly project out for a stroll, because dropped stitches would be a nightmare, but a simple patch is easily done.

Photo description: asphalt background, size 2 circular knitting needles with hand spun camel fiber cast on and in progress knitting garter stitch. The ball of yarn is in the colorful bag hanging on my arm.

Things I can do while walking: spin yarn, ply yarn, crochet, knit, nålbind, chew gum. Just not all at the same time. (By the way, I really recommend not chewing gum while working with fiber, stray hairs get everywhere.)

Fiber Pages: template now available

On By CarynIn Craft

I thought my fiber page CRICUT pattern was available online, but apparently it wasn’t, until now. I have made the cut design public and included a materials list and a link to the blog post that has assembly instructions. The link to the CRICUT Design Space project is here: https://design.cricut.com/landing/project-detail/630799ca21506d2c4716a4c2

I discovered that the template wasn’t public when I went to make more pages. I assembled my entire stash of 12×12 card stock to make 10 additional pages, which should keep me supplied for a while. I sewed the spine of each page using the 1916 Singer Treadle sewing machine, which did a fabulous job.

Photo description: sewing a paper spine to card stock with a Singer model 66 treadle machine
Photo description: My supervisor napping: Thor the cat keeping me company during assembly by laying on the bed with the materials
Photo description: 10 new fiber study pages with colorful end paper spines, additional elements are in a plastic bag to ease storage until they are needed

I only fully assembled two pages with the paper spools and fiber drawer for my two current projects. The rest I left so they would stack easier until the time comes to fill them with fiber.

And here is a cautionary tale: when buying photo albums, pay close attention to the spacing of the holes and size of the album. I have too many fiber pages for one book, so bought a new one but didn’t double check dimensions (I really should know better). I’m also stubborn, and rather than returning the book, I cut new holes. My eventual plan is to make my own covers, but I needed something to protect the pages in the interim. Frustrating.

Photo description: post holes on the new cover and old page don’t match up

Spinning cottonwood

On By CarynIn Craft, Flora

We visited a park recently covered in cottonwood seed fluff; of course I had to try to spin it.

Photo description: the start of twisting cottonwood seed into a singles yarn, with a stick to hold the yarn, and an open seed pod in my hand

There is good reason the cottonwood tree is named after the plant. The fluffy seeds look similar to the fibrous cotton seeds, but are much smaller. The fibers are short, less than an inch, which made spinning a high twist with a stick a challenge. It would have been better to use a tahkli spindle or chakra, which are designed for short fibers, but it was a walk through the park, so I used what was at hand. I also didn’t prep the material at all, but spun from clumps of seeds, taking out non-fibrous material as I went.

Photo description: small amount of single spun cottonwood yarn on a stick (different smoother stick)

It took me the better part of an hour walking the park to spin a small amount of yarn because I was not getting enough twist in and it kept drifting apart. When we were done at the park, I had my eldest help me fold the single in half, and I added some twist to ply it, just to see what it looked like. It was fluffy and soft with a pretty luster.

Photo description: several inches of two ply cotton wood yarn

Note, I am allergic to cottonwood, but is a nasal allergy, not a contact allergy, so I was quite sniffily by the end. I have spun it now, though, so can stop wondering if it is possible.

Compaction

On By CarynIn Craft

I thought this pair of pictures would be interesting. First is a bundle of camel fiber next to an empty drop spindle, the next is that bundle of fiber spun into singles on the spindle. There is a big volume change.

Photo description: camel roving wound into a loose nest next to an empty drop spindle
Photo description: full spindle in the same position

These pictures were taken 20 days apart. I spun for about 30-40 min 12-13 days during that time, giving an approximate time investment of 6-9 hours. Plying goes much faster, and I can make a 2-ply yarn from this yarn in 60-80 minutes (2 walks). Winding into a nostepinne style ball takes just one walk.

Photo description: 2-ply camel yarn wound onto a paper tube, spindle empty in my hand, asphalt in the background

Really it isn’t the time, it is making the walk bearable, and the zen I get from spinning.