"I started photographing my domestic world and writing not just about what I had made,
but why I made it, examining the thoughts that accompany creativity and the act of making."
Jane Brocket from The Gentle Art of Domesticity p. 189 UK edition

Monday, March 5, 2012

Following : Fowl and Fiber and Fabric


As I march into a new month
I am still trying to photograph our ducks . . . sigh


My blogging friend, Teresa , shared some beautiful alpaca fiber with me that she
had just been given .
After cleaning some of the straw out of it I put a small amount of very warm water
in the washing machine .  Then I added some drops of dish soap . I swished it around
and loosely put some fiber in the water .  After letting the fiber rest in the water
I turned the washing machine control directly to spin  .
After spinning the soapy water out , I took the fiber out of the machine .
Then I put warm water in the machine and added the soapy alpaca fiber .
I set the control back to spin and spun the rinse water out of the fiber .
Finally, I took the fiber out of the machine , and fluffed it out on a towel to dry .



I still have to process half of the fiber in the same way before I
start hand carding the fiber to prepare it for spinning .
I want to try blending  the different colors together to produce a tweedy sort of yarn .



First thing Monday morning my youngest daughter , some of her friends ,  her future mother - in - law ,  my oldest
daughter and I went shopping for a wedding dress at a lovely bridal shop !
So many fabulous fabrics and designs to choose from
for a November 10th 2012 wedding !
Joy !

Are you enjoying your days ?

6 comments:

  1. Hi Gracie! Nice to see you're enjoying the process of getting your alpaca ready to spin! It didn't get felted doing it this way? I am having trouble finding my carders, and I don't want to spend a fortune buying a drum carder.. I'll keep looking. Very exciting finding a wedding dress! Fun stuff! I'm just swimming this week and volunteering at the falls on Thursday.
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. A CA friend showed me how to machine wash fiber this way and so far it has worked well for me. Just be sure not to agitate the fiber which can felt it. Hope your appointment goes well tomorrow and that you find your carders soon!!! <3

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  2. Hi there I enjoyed reading what you did with the
    alapca fibre Teresa gave you - I have never done anything like that and I look forward to seeing the end results. How wonderful shopping for wedding dresses. I was very lucky that my D's I.L included me in all their wedding plans and that included looking for 'The Dress' such a lovely time. Anne x

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  3. Oh how nice of Teresa to share her fiber with you!!! So you have a daughter getting married? How exciting!
    You have a lovely blog!!!
    I will be back!
    Kris

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  4. Hi again. Thankyou for all the lovely comments you made on my blog. What happens on you retreat weekend? ( Hope that's not too nosy of me) Have a good time visiting friends and family. Anne x

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  5. Maybe a zoom would help capture the ducks! I get a kick out of picturing you standing over the washer as it spins...then check, then fill and soap, then spin..."spin" the word these days, eh?

    Wedding dress? Did I miss an announcement? So happy for Liz! Busy days ahead...November 10 (my mom's birthday...) ;)!

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