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Hand Spinning News

Out like a lamb

If March goes out like a lamb, April has come in with a few in the shape of some spring lambs and kids.

As is now traditional for the April issue, the blogpicks have a spring lamb theme. As it's still a bit chilly, there's a scarf theme to the free patterns and as it just happens there's an art yarn theme to the gallery.

So on with this month's round-up of spinning-related press, products, projects and prizes.

Top Stories

Fluffy giveaway

An interview and prize from Marianne who you may well know as picperfic.

Read more

blogpick: Purple Peacock Scarf

Purple Peacock Scarf

This woven Scarf is beautiful enough in its own right. Spinstar's comparison of knitting and weaving is a good read too.

Read more

Contents


News and articles from around the web

Cyclo-carder

Cyclo-carder

Thank you to Julia for sending me this lovely story. She wonders what the Luddites would make of this.

Pictured is Katharine Jolda, inventor of the cyclo-carder. It's a regular drum carder, powered by bicycle.

She also has an odometer fitted so that she can measure her 'miles per garment'!

Besides the exercise for the legs, I like the idea that while you turn the carder with your feet, your hands are free to feed in the fibre.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/27/DD9H1MEC91.DTL

British sheep stamps from Royal Mail

British sheep stamps from Royal Mail

This news has been doing the rounds, but in case you haven't seen them yet, you can buy this set of first class stamps from Royal Mail featuring British sheep breeds. Featured are Welsh Mountain Badger Face, Dalesbred, Jacob, Suffolk, Soay and Leicester Longwool.

http://shop.royalmail.com/post+go-pictorials/british-farm-animals-1-sheep-post+go-stamps-set/invt/sku00000160/

Pompom Flock

Pompom flock on display

These little sheep are part of the 4,500-strong flock which has just gone on display at Penrith.

Contributions of pompom sheep made from real wool were invited and the organisers were overhelmed by the response.

The Flock art project aims to promote Cumbrian sheep farming and is now on show at the Rheged Centre in Penrith

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-17664896

Wool Wedding Dress

Would you wear a wool wedding dress?

Wool wouldn't immediately come to mind for a Spring bridal gown but there does seem to be a move back to wool in textiles generally.

Bride Chic from onewed.com takes a look at some designs that range from beautiful through to interesting. The fabrics are breathable and it is difficult to guess that they are or contain wool.

http://www.onewed.com/blog/show/bridal-trend-alert-wool-wedding-dresses

Home Grown Cashmere Shawl

Himalayan goat numbers boosted by science

This kid is a pashmina goat, said to produce the finest cashmere, but their numbers are low.

Noori here is the first clone of this breed. This is controversial technology, the reason for the attempted cloning is that the local industry depends on these goats but their numbers have been dwindling. They live at very high altitudes which makes them even harder to find. It is hoped that these clones can be bred at lower altitudes.

http://io9.com/5894691/the-best-cashmere-comes-from-adorable-clones-of-himalayan-goats

Spinning 'Over the fold'

'Over the fold' for skinny yarn

There are some great tutorials on the Schacht website with lots of good advice and even accompanying videos. This one is no exception.

I've used the 'over the fold' technique for shorter fibres or roving which wouldn't cooperate any other way but here Stephanie Flynn-Sokolov suggests the technique as suitable for long or short draw and one of the easiest ways to spin fine yarn.

http://www.schachtspindle.com/yearning-to/2011/issue_18.php

Lamb with mum

Concern over lamb loss

This is a lovely photo in the Stornoway Gazette but a sad story. Levels of stillbirth on Lewis and Harris is high this year.

A number of possible reasons have been suggested including poor quality or old silage, geese and the weather.

http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/concern-over-lamb-loss-1-2216734

Yarn Lover’s lamby Desktop for April 2012

Yarn lover's desktop for April 2012

It's the time of the year for cute lambing pictures. There are some listed below and if you can't get enough then Ouida has made this desktop for your computer, completely free and with a built-in calendar too.

http://knit2.wordpress.com/desktops/

From the blogosphere

Baby Angora Goat

Blogpick: Baby angora goat

This little fella is a kid Angora goat (which give fibre that we know as mohair). Click through to Devon Fine Fibres for larger photos of baby and mum.

http://devonfinefibres.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/angora-goat-baby/#

Cute lamb photo

Blogpick: Lambing time at Clumber Park

Nottingham spinners from Spinnotts and Woolly Outlaws spent the bank holiday weekend at Clumber Park's Spring Lambing event doing sterling work demonstrating the craft and also taking some cute photos for our admiration.

Click through to the following day's blog post for one more baby.

http://travelfibreandthread.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cute-photo-time.html

Patchwork lamb

Blogpick: Lambing at Patchwork Farm

This cheeky girl is called Amelia.

Patchwork Farm have posted pictures of four new lambs produced by their ewes Hillside Holly and Quinn: http://patchworkfibers.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/holy-moley-batman/ and in the post below there are more lambs and she describes how she uses a baby alarm to monitor the ewes which is effective but has its drawbacks...

http://patchworkfibers.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/the-new-additions/

Threading a heddle without stripping the warp

Blogpick: Willington Weaver's tip of the month

Do you find that your threading hook damages your warp as it runs along the ply when you pull it through the heddle?

Willington Weaver has noticed that new weavers often have this problem and if you've noticed the same thing, she details here the best way to hold the warp as you hook it to avoid this problem.

http://willingtonweaver.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/tip-of-month-april.html

Combing cashmere

Blogpick: Combing cashmere


Angora goats give us cashmere fibre, it loosens naturally and can be combed out.

Although the goats enjoy losing the coat as it gets itchy at this stage, Lesley of Devon Fine Fibres says that it's a "real hands-on job". I think she's written about the process in previous years, but here she has a new blog post with a photo showing what a handful the goats are.

http://devonfinefibres.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/combing-cashmere-024ed/

Old Forge Blanket #2

Blogpick: Old Forge Blanket #2

A couple of months ago I mentioned Monika's large round Old Forge blanket. She was pleased but wanted to try it in different colours. These colours certainly look bright and warm.

This post not only features pictures of the fibre and spun yarn, but the finished and 'in progress' knitted blanket.

http://yarnloopie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/handspun-friday-handspun-yarn-for-old.html

Home grown cashmere shawl

Blogpick: Home grown cashmere shawl

Also this month Lesley from Devon Fine Fibres has finished knitting this shawl from her own cashmere, which was commercially spun as 4-ply.

She seems happy with the result and says that she now has the bug for lace knitting.

http://devonfinefibres.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/home-grown-cashmere-shawl/#

Improvised spindle

Blogpick: Improvised spindle

WoolWench Handspun Yarn posted this photo of her improvised spindle.

It's made from a bobbin, a chopstick and a flyer hook! The result is a spindle big enough to ply this beaded yarn.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=354089511295779&set=a.265096616861736.65931.260533737318024&type=1&theater

Purple peacock scarf

Blogpick: Purple peacock scarf

This woven Scarf is beautiful enough in its own right and Spinstar's comparison of knitting and weaving is a good read too.

The choice of whether to knit or weave can make a huge difference to the look of the finished fabric.

Spinstar spun this 'peacock' variegated yarn some time ago, and started to knit with it but didn't feel that it was working. But weaving the yarn and using a darker purple as the warp has given the yarn a completely different look that she really likes.

She gives us back-to-back photos so that we can compare the same yarn knitted and woven and although she hasn't been so interested in weaving, she says that she's now seeing all sorts of possibilities.

Read more...

Woven scarf

Blogpick: Obsessed briefly

In another blog post which takes us from fibre to woven scarf, yarnharlot was also unsure about knitting this gorgeous handspun yarn but loves the woven result.

Despite being an incredibly fast knitter, she's obviously most surprised here about how much quicker it is to weave.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2012/03/26/obsessed_briefly.html

Andrew herridge Warping

Blockpick: Weaving a hedgerow

Andrew Herridge is an artist who is currently working on a piece of woven artwork to celebrate the British hedgerow and encourage its conservation.

He has noticed that the hedgerow has horizontal layers and vertical elements, just like woven fabric. He has warped with a variety of yarns including nettle and jute, and hopes to work in other natural materials such as hemp and twigs.

In this video he explains his concept and shows the early stages of the work.

http://wannadoart.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/ashford-loom-weaving-a-hedgerow-part-2/

Two handspun shawls

Blogpick: Mama and mini me shawls

This is a lovely idea, matching shawls, a main and a mini.

hatdiva says that she found it "different" spinning and knitting with just white yarn and that this pattern really shows off the yarn well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatdiva/7014662991/in/photostream/

spindles

Blogpick: Woven curtain project update

I hope I'm allowed to pick one of my own blog posts.

The two beautiful spindles in this issue's banner picture are samples from the maker who currently supplies me with the beautiful polished rosewood and ebony needles and hooks that you can see at p2tog:
http://p2tog.com/polished-rosewood-ebony-needles-hooks.html .

I'm currently waiting for a big parcel parcel full of those spindles and they'll be available at handspinner.co.uk as soon as they arrive. In the mean time, I've been 'testing' the spindles, using them both to spin the merino / silk mix to weave the curtains which will finish off my current bathroom redecoration.

The loom is now warped and I've put a round-up of photographs here:

http://stitchywitches.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/loom-warped.html


Gallery

Sometimes I find pictures of lovely handspun or finished handspun projects with little or no additional information (with apologies to the owners of these pictures if you have blogged about them elsewhere, please let me know and I'll pass on the extra information in the next HSN)

BFL Handspun

BFL Handspun

I gather from the tags that this may be or contain Blueface Leicester but that is all I know.

I love the way that the look and feel of the original locks is maintained in the finished yarn.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31628665@N06/6325815013/in/pool-948535@N22/

Bling by VickeVira

Bling

It's fascinating to see a series of images from fibre to finished.

VickeVira has given us a little information about this beautiful handspun, the batt was from WoolWench and was made from six different fibres carded together.

She has plied the single with a thin sparkly thread and is obviously pleased with the result.

http://minspiration.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/bling.html?showComment=1333352779871

Top down handspun sweater

Top down handspun sweater

If you're thinking I'm only featuring this jumper because I'd love to be wearing it myself then you're right.

All we know about woollyalbatross' sweater is that it's knit top-down from her own pattern and made in 2 ply merino handspun. I love the dark red colour with hints of blue/purple.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65549236@N05/6859195572/in/photostream/

Needle-felted cat

Needle-felted cat

I originally bookmarked the handspun mitts (adjacent in spinalatte's photostream) and nearly missed this playful needle-felted puss.

Made using Shetland and alpaca by her daughter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43713413@N03/7035702203/in/photostream/

Wool Hand Spun Pot

Wool handspun pot

I like to see yarn made into objects using techniques other than knitting and weaving.

This coil pot is made from yarn hand spun and felted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42033394@N06/6875099680/in/photostream/

Doll dreadlocks

Doll dreadlocks

Another less common use for handspun art yarn is dreadlocks, here as part of a doll or 'Peoplette' called Annie.

This is the first Pumpkinhaus Peoplette and if you follow the photographs you'll also see her knitted and felted boots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmntddoll/5553942018/in/set-72157625986426263/


Fibre giveaway

A new feature in which an independent dyer offers a gift or a discount.

Last month we met Kerry of Dye Spin Knit UK, who offered a braid of her dyed fibre. Kerry has made the draw using a random number generator and is packing the prize off to Katrina. Thank you to Kerry, to Katrina and for the many other entries.

This month I have the pleasure of speaking to Marianne, who many of you will know as Picperfic through her blog, fibre club or her Etsy Shop, Fluff & Stuff.

Briefly describe yourself and what you do

I am a knitting, spinning, sewing, crafting, photographer and I'm married to Barry, another photographer. I have four gorgeous children and by the end of the year there will be 6 delicious grandchildren. My knitting needles, sewing machine and camera are kept VERY busy in my beautiful craft room that Barry recently created for me.

How long have you been spinning / dyeing?

I started spinning at the end of 2008 and know that I still have plenty to learn. Fine spinning is slowly becoming more natural now, but I still manage to make mostly aran weight once I ply it haha. I can't remember how long I've been dyeing, but I wrote a tutorial for Spiral Dyeing in 2009 http://picperfic.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/spiral-dyeing-fibre/ so I guess it wasn't too long after I started spinning

What got you started?

I kept seeing wonderfully coloured handspun yarn on Ravelry. I clicked on links which took me into the world of spinning and slowly slowly the need to learn to spin took me over.

What inspires you?

I find inspiration wherever I look, I just love colour. I find my mood can change to one of delight when I dye up my luxury fibre blends or sew up a new design. I get lost in it all...

Where / how do you sell your work?

I sell my work on Etsy http://picperfic.etsy.com/
and I blog about it here http://picperfic.wordpress.com/
I also have a group on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/groups/picperfics-fluff-n-stuff
and a Facebook Page here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Picperfics-Fluff-n-Stuff/254782261773
You can also find me on Twitter as picperfic

What aspect of your work do you enjoy most?

I love all aspects but especially working and communicating with my customers. When I have created a finished article that they love as much as I do, be it a hand sewn item or some fibre for spinning, I am filled with joy and pride, it feels good...

What makes your work or your service special?

The beauty of my work is that I get to work with designer fabrics and luxurious fibres. I am lucky to be able to choose when and what I want to do, unless I get inundated with orders, then it can get a bit mechanical. Choosing toning fabrics or colours for a sewing or dyeing session is such a treat! It is important to me that I finish all my work to a very high standard and try to think about how I would feel if I was to purchase and receive the item myself.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell folk?

I run a successful Luxury Fibre Club, the details can be found here https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=372160489464253 You can add yourself to my waiting list by clicking the link on my blog

Marianne has offered a £15 voucher which you can spend in her shop. She'll make the draw in time for the next HSN in mid-May.

To enter the draw, just 'like' her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Picperfics-Fluff-n-Stuff/254782261773 and leave a message to the effect that you've read this item in Hand Spinning News and would like to be in the draw. If you already 'like' Marianne's Facebook page, just leave a message mentioning Hand Spinning News to be added to the draw.


Spring competition

A reminder that the Spring competition is running and involves making yarn inspired by a Spring image. This year it's Spring Crocuses by Elenathewise. (Small version shown right, click for large version.)

It usually has a small number of entries (all the more reason to get involved!) but it's always so good to see such different ideas from other people on the same theme and I really do enjoy taking part myself (exempt from the prize of course).

It's a freestyle event - do whatever you like, use dyed fibre or dye it yourself, mix bought dyed or natural fibre, use animal, vegetable or synthetic, straight or funky, whatever you like. Have photos of your work ready by the end of April in time for the May Hand Spinning News.

Entries will be visible on Flickr and Hand Spinning News and I'll send the winner, as chosen by an independent yarnmistress, a £40 gift voucher to spend on or put towards anything you like at handspinner.co.uk

To enter

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/shieladixon/6829785550/in/pool-1891089@N20 to access a bigger version of the photo. Post pictures of your yarn to the group http://www.flickr.com/groups/1891089@N20/pool/with/6829785550/ Post as many photos as you like, but please only one type of yarn per spinner and please stick to pictures of your entry and the stages of making.

[UPDATE] Alison Daykin of Alison Yule Textiles and Pure Tinctoria has agreed to be our judge once again and she's kindly offered to add 50g of naturally dyed BFL to the prize. There's still time, so please have a go if you've not already.

The Flickr group pool is misbehaving a little and not always showing all of the photos. All can be seen better using this link: http://bit.ly/JJ2Gbd

If you're not at one with the ways of Flickr, please feel free to email photo(s) to me instead.

Free patterns

A selection of free patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.

Cashmere cowl

Free pattern: A smooshy cowl

This project from jordyn of the knitty professors uses yarn recycled from old cashmere sweaters (follow the links for the method, you may be surprised).

But I'm including it here anyway because I'm thinking that if you enjoy making fat and funky art yarn, then this pattern would work really well with that.

'Pattern' is perhaps overstating it a little, it's a very straightforward knit, but then again if your yarn is special then the simplicity of the pattern will really show it off well.

http://knittyprofessors.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/this-used-to-be-cashmere-sweater-or-two.html?m=1

Handspun Gallery of Helix Scarves

Last year, Spin Off magazine invited readers to make Stephenie Gaustad's Helix Scarf using their own handspun.

The marvelous variety of scarves were featured in the magazine but they've also made the gallery available as a pdf via spinningdaily.com. It contains 25 beautiful versions, with detailed notes about how each yarn was spun and patterns for some of the readers' own variations.

The original Helix Scarf pattern is given on page two.

For a crochet version scroll down to page 21.

You can download the gallery for free (you may have to register for free with spinningdaily.com if you haven't done it before).

Download the gallery

Lilah Shawl

Free pattern: Lilah Shawl

I have mentioned this pattern in passing before, when last Spring's Knittyspin came out. But it's such a lovely pattern I'm going to add it here too.

The Lilah shawl was inspired by a fallen angel. The lace shawl is shown in three quite different colourways including a handspun version and the black and white version shown here. I love the graduated effect as the white changes to black.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss11/KSPATTlilah.php

One row handspun scarf

Free pattern: One row handspun scarf

Stephanie Pearl McPhee aka Yarn Harlot writes here about the way that she split and spun this batt, before giving us a very simple but effective pattern.

It's one row, in fact, which means that it's easy to memorise if you need a 'no brainer' to take on the bus, but may get a little tedious by the end, "Repeat the row until you can stand it no longer, your scarf is long enough or you run out of yarn, whatever comes first." she says.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/10/12/one_row_handspun_scarf.html



Events 2012

Wonderwool Wales

28 & 29 April 2012, Royal Welsh Showground

A little bit later than last year. Promoting wool and natural fibre production and its use.

Exhibitors and Trade Stands covering all aspects of felting, knitting, weaving, spinning, crochet and textile art with raw materials, equipment, books and finished products for sale. Competitions and a range of workshops tba.

A list of accommodation And camping in the surrounding area is available on the Wonderwool website.

www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk

Woolfest

Friday 22 and Saturday 23 June, Cockermouth, Cumbria

A celebration of natural fibres, especially all aspects of wool, wool products and wool crafts.

From fleecy animals and rare breeds, through fleece, tops, craft equipment and materials, to finished clothing, accessories and unique hand-crafted woollen goods.

Also workshops and masterclasses.

www.woolfest.co.uk

Fibre East

14 & 15 July 2012, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire

It's great to see that the Fibre East festival will be held again in 2012 following the success of the first one last year. It gives those in the Eastern, Midlands and Southern Regions an opportunity to join in an event which aims to encourage and promote natural fibres.

Fibre-East has its own Ravelry group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fibre-east-2011 and Twitter stream: http://twitter.com/FibreEast (tweets for the 2012 event yet to appear)

http://www.fibre-east.co.uk/ (New website under construction)

Wool Week

15 - 21 October 2012, multiple activities throughout Britain

Run by the campaign for wool with patron HRH The Prince of Wales.

Planning is under way for a highlight attraction which shows wool in the modern home - launching for UK Wool Week. It will show wool as a stylish, beautiful and performance fibre, and will inform visitors of the benefits of using the product in interiors.

http://www.fibrefest.co.uk/


Courses and tuition

Please let me know if you are or you know a tutor with a calendar of events.

Spinning and weaving holidays

If the listing below does not display properly, please view it on the web at http://handspinner.co.uk/links.html

with Skylark holidays and Alison Daykin.


As usual, if you know anything spinning-related, please let me know.

Happy spinning and don't be a stranger!

Shiela

http://handspinner.co.uk

shiela@handspinner.co.uk

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