I needed a new fiber page for my spinning book, so I made five. Honestly, it is easier to make multiples for most things, since the tools are out and the groove is worn. I chose five because that is how many end papers I had when I cut the fancy paper to size. Random, but effective. I chose the colors to go with the end paper as well.
Newly constructed fiber pages
Getting the pages in the book has proven a bit more difficult than prepping the pages. I need longer metal posts, and something to space out the pages in the spine, to match the thickness of the page. Hm. That means I need to venture into a craft store. In December. With the other thousand people that need to do the same. Hm.
I’m continuing my quest to spin all the things, and I grabbed my purchased prepared flax roving and set out on a walk. Hm. Flax does not spin like wool.
Loose roving and a short drop spindle is a difficult way to spin flax.
After the initial (abysmal) trial, I pulled up a book on spinning flax (and yes, I often do my research after trying on my own). There are several different preparations of flax. I did not have the yard-long fibers, I had combed top roving, which has a staple length of about 5-8 inches. The Practical Spinner’s Guide – Cotton, Flax, Hemp recommends using a distaff to hold the fibers. My sister gave me a distaff, but I hadn’t successfully used it yet. So I separated out sections of roving, pulled out the distaff, a handkerchief (also from my sister), and some cord, and “dressed the distaff”.
Flax fibers aligned on a handkerchief with distaffDressed distaff with flax and long shaft top whorl spindle
I changed up spindles as well. The freshly spun flax single is stiff, and the book’s author (Stephenie Gaustad) recommends wrapping the yarn at a low angle along the shaft to minimize bend. So I pulled out one of my top whorl student spindles with a long shaft. Drafting is different too. I tend toward worsted draw (short draw, keeping fibers aligned) but do rely on a little twist to draft out the fibers. Most spinners fall somewhere on the worsted to woolen draft spectrum as a default. Spinning flax I need to pull out the fibers, hold them, then let the twist in. It is a two handed operation (or at least a four opposing digit task). Flax also doesn’t need or want as much twist. If I spin the spindle too vigorously the thread snaps. I have dropped my spindle many, many times. I’m learning to give a gentle spin. It is enough.
Current progress on flax spinning
I am gaining a deep sympathy for the miller’s daughter in Rumpelstiltskin. If it was flax she was spinning (which honestly looks like straw and is spun into valuable linen), and her Dad had a tendency to the poetic embellishment, and the king was literal minded and greedy… well. Stuck in a room full of the wrong kind and preparation of straw with a spinning wheel (that was also probably the wrong kind), I can see her despair. It is still too bad that her cleverness didn’t extend to explaining metaphor, but not all of us are quick with the spoken word.
I have finished my Clun Forest hand work samples and mounted them on a page in my fiber book. I made swatches by knitting, crochet, nålbinding, and weaving.
Clun Forest wool fiber pageWith descriptions
I would not make a garment out of this yarn, a rug, yes, or basket maybe. I think though that I overspun the singles. This article talks about how Clun Forest is the best for hand-spinning and produces a “very soft yarn”. My yarn sneers at “very soft” with its fists up. Perhaps on a spinning wheel with low twist some loft would be obtained, but my drop spindle spinning produced a sturdy single. Sturdy, not soft. Hm.
Nålbinding produced the squishiest swatch, and with a liner would produce a respectable hat which could potentially deflect plummeting white acorns. I just noticed that I mounted my nålbinding round wrong-side up. Hm. Easy to fix with the brads. Easier than taking a new picture. Ha.
The third sample of gifted Rambouillet wool in my stash was raw fleece, which means it came straight off the sheep and had not been scoured to remove most of the lanolin.
Rambouillet raw fleece
I scoured the wool with Amway LOC (taking a risk because this is fine wool, but the other scouring soap is on my wish list) at about 125 degrees F, letting it soak for 15 minutes in the same temperature water so the lanolin doesn’t redeposit.
Scouring the wool (so much dirt!)Wool rinse (Look! The wool is white!)
I sacrificed my salad spinner to the cause. I haven’t used it for salad in over two years, and it does a lovely job getting most of the water out of the rinsed fleece.
Rinsed wool in a salad spinner
The fleece was dry in a few hours, and I was able to comb it in preparation for spinning. There is more waste when combing, but the waste contains the nepps and vegetable bits that are not desirable in spinning. I put the waste out in the compost bin.
I spun this on my 3D printed spindle, drop spindle style, as I walked the neighborhood. It is even more lovely to spin than the commercially prepared roving. I’m rather falling for Rambouillet.
Single spun Rambouillet woolTwo ply center pull ball of Rambouillet yarn pulled off my spindle (with Missy photobomb)
