Heavenly Wools
  • Home
    • About Haunui Handcraft Wools
    • About Kate
    • FAQ
  • Online Shop
  • Resources
    • Using My Wool >
      • Spinning
      • Feltmaking
      • Nuno Felt
      • Needle Felting
    • Projects >
      • Norwegian Stocking Cap
      • Granny Square Beanie
      • Anna Maria Hat
      • 'Scrap' Scarf
      • No-spin knit & felt scarf >
        • No-spin scarf videos
    • Hints & Tips >
      • Felting Tips
      • Making a Felt Sample
      • Navajo Plying
      • Photographing your work >
        • Lighting
        • Framing Shots
        • Image Editing
  • Blog
  • Contact

Over the Hills and Spinning Away...

19/9/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
So...it's taken me a while, but I'm back to show you not the workshop (too busy to take notes), but the results..and a little appendix.

The first part of the workshop was taken up with drop spindling. Angela (Angela Daish, our tutor) handed round a bag of carded fibre for each of us, and a rather scary-looking rolag/batt (to my eyes, anyway). I had brought my larger Kundert top whorl spindle and some merino - but this was not what Angela wanted us to work with!

We started off with learning to thigh-roll our spindles, something I haven't mastered because I tend to use bottom whorl spindles and turks, and it works better with top whorl spindles. Soon I was spinning away with my usual pin-thin merino...but that was all to end - as Angela wanted us to try spinning thick!

Picture
So out came a box of dyed locks, quite a 'gutsy' wool, but still very soft, and we spent a few minutes fluffing them up, ready to spin. At this point, I was using one of Angela's spindles. She'd shown us how to start off so we could just pull our cop off to store or ply it. The aim was to produce textured yarn, so I did just that! Then came the real shock ...chain (Navajo) plying! On the fly! Strangely enough, although I'd done this before and found it very annoying, Angela made it seem very simple and soon we were all chaining away! The photo shows my finished (tiny) cop of textured yarn, and here's the same yarn wound off to show its rugged good looks.

Picture
After this marathon effort, it was time to recoup my strength with some lunch and a cup of tea.

After lunch, we were all told to fetch a saucer and a support spindle. Angela had a wonderful supply of different spindles which we were allowed to try, and use during the workshop. I honed in on a KCL Woodworks Tibetan with a glass doughnut insert, which spun like the wind, and for a long, long time. More about this later! I'd also brought another spindle with me, a Russian which I got in a swap last year. I'd struggled with it, and Angela told me it wasn't perhaps a good one for a beginner. More about that to be told in a later post....

Picture
Soon I was spinning away, enjoying using  the heavier spindle for this rather 'textured' batt! 
I spent quite a bit of time on this, just going with the flow of the texture with the support spindle. Although not the yarn I would usually make, it was fun for a change!

During the rest of the afternoon, Angela demonstrated using a hackle and diz (I got hackle envy) and a Majacraft circular loom. I was quite amazed at how versatile a circular loom can be! If you're interested in finding out more, have a look at the Circle Weaving group on Facebook! I would never have thought of making gores for a skirt on a circular loom, for instance!

At the end of the class I drove home (and managed to be there by dinner time, even). The weather was not great for photography, and nthere wasn't a kea in sight. Since getting home, I've now spun nearly all of a little blue batt I'd started before I went, and had a go with Angela's lovely strong carded wool.
Picture
This is my 'Texas Jeannie' , a lovely, well- balanced lightweight support spindle given to me by a kind fellow crafter. She's wonderful for fine yarns and spins like a dream. There aren't any listed in their Etsy store right now, but they are available from time to time.

Picture
Here's my Kundert top whorl, which was perfect for the weight of this fibre. I usually use it for plying my fine yarns. You can find these spindles listed on Etsy as well as a lot of other fibery stuff!

And the appendix? Well, yesterday I met Angela in Christchurch...and we did a swap  - fibre for ...this! Mmmmmmmmmmm. From KCL Woodworks, a very worthy addition to my collection. 

Picture
1 Comment
Leanne
19/9/2014 03:37:31 pm

Really interesting textures.....I need to spin more textured yarn! That spindle is gorgeous too!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Not just a move, a time warp!

    Author

    Kate is a semi-retired photographer and craft dyer who lives in Southland, New Zealand.

    Archives

    October 2020
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    September 2014
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010

    Categories

    All
    All
    Area Open Day
    Art Yarn
    Awards
    Beads
    Boucle
    Christchurch Earthquake
    Christmas
    Christmas Rush
    Competition
    Crochet
    Customer Images
    Donations
    Dyeing
    Felted Knitting
    Feltmaking
    Handmade Felt
    Hat
    Hints And Tips
    Holiday Greetings
    Jewellery
    Knitting
    Mitts
    Navajo Plying
    New Fibre
    New Pastels
    News
    New Shades
    Newsletter
    Nightfall
    Nuno Felt
    Online Shopping
    Pastel Colours
    Postage
    Price Changes
    Products
    Project
    Ravelry
    Recycle
    Renewal
    Renewal Project
    Reuse
    Site Revamp
    Snow
    Spinning
    Spring Challenge
    Studio Space
    Thick And Thin Yarn
    Tour De Fleece 2013
    Travel
    Unwind Fibre Retreat
    Upcycle
    Video.
    Wait On Parcels
    Winter
    Woolcraft

    RSS Feed

Site by ImageOxford © Kate Mahoney 2010 - ​2021 All Rights Reserved
  • Home
    • About Haunui Handcraft Wools
    • About Kate
    • FAQ
  • Online Shop
  • Resources
    • Using My Wool >
      • Spinning
      • Feltmaking
      • Nuno Felt
      • Needle Felting
    • Projects >
      • Norwegian Stocking Cap
      • Granny Square Beanie
      • Anna Maria Hat
      • 'Scrap' Scarf
      • No-spin knit & felt scarf >
        • No-spin scarf videos
    • Hints & Tips >
      • Felting Tips
      • Making a Felt Sample
      • Navajo Plying
      • Photographing your work >
        • Lighting
        • Framing Shots
        • Image Editing
  • Blog
  • Contact