Welcome to an egg-stravaganza of seasonal topics and spinning inspiration that includes daffodil dyeing, the history of hairshirts and an easter-egg-like pellet of... well I'll let you read the grim details about that.
Edinburgh Yarn Festival was once again very successful. The event is growing in popularity. Looking ahead, Shetland Wool Week have announced this year's patron and the 'official pattern' for the event. That's a great story.
Some interesting sheep breeds have come up in the stories this month; Cotswold, Romeldale and Gotland.
A huge thank you to Tony and Joanne who came up with the answer to our reader question last month.
Read on for this month's cunning curated collection of inspirational information and entertainment for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the full issue for April 2019.
Photo right: Julie's Journey marled mania Leggins. The cover photo is Highclere Castle, Highclere, UK by George Hiles on Unsplash
EYF is becoming a high-profile international event. It's featured in the mainstream news, even if the headline writer needs a talking-to.
Suzie of It's a Stitch Up has notes and lots of pictures of the event with yarn and spinning both represented.
itsastitchup.co.uk/blog/our-edinburgh-yarn-festival-2019-roundup
I'm not such a fan of audio and video casts as much as text and images, but do let me know if you'd like more links to podcasts and videos.
The Fruity Knitting Podcast episode 74 has a montage of footage form the festival which gives a good flavour of the event if you've never been.
It also has some entertaining and interesting interviews with four EYF vendors; Countess Ablaze, Pink Hazel, Toft UK and Moel View Yarn.
Shetland Wool Week have announced that local hero Oliver Henry is to be the event's patron this year. The official knitting pattern for 2019 is to be The Oliver Henry Roadside Beanie, designed by Ella Gordon. It features two common roadside sights in Shetland - sheep and fishing boats - both of which have played an important role in his life.
You can download the free pattern and find out more about the festival via the link below. It's scheduled to take place between 28 Sep and 6 Oct 2019.
The National Wool Museum (the nation being Australia) commissioned Nicole Marie to take a series of photographs for International Women's Day in a study of Australian women on the land.
There are a number of photographs on Nicole Marie's website. There are some lovely portraits, which also feature sheep, wool or clippers. At the bottom of the page is a link to Nicole's Instagram feed, and if you scroll down a little way there are some more pictures from the same series.
The exhibition was unveiled at the Geelong National Wool Museum on Mar 8, I've been unable to establish whether it's still open to visitors.
Cotswold wool is long and lustrous. It's not a breed we tend to see among the fibres for handspinning. But it's still hard to believe that farmer Holly Browder of Long Island USA was considering throwing away a basement full of wool.
The wool was saved when a local knitter pointed out a challenge called "Shave 'Em to Save 'Em" which encouraged fibre artists to seek out rare breed wool directly from the farm. The Browders signed up and within weeks the wool was sold.
Romeldale is an American breed that has fine, soft wool. The sheep are hardy and have good all-round characteristics. It's hard to see why they are a rare breed.
The breed's name refers to the Romney rams and Rambouillet ewes which were crossed to create it around 1915.
This story features the Benson family who have a flock of 60 and market the fleeces for spinning.
www.kmaland.com/ag/titonka-family-raises-rare-breed-of-sheep...html
Here are "50 shades of madder". The dye is so complex that many variations can be achieved but the complexity also makes it a little unpredictable.
This is a good discussion of the red-hued root.
riihivilla.blogspot.com/2019/03/some-colors-from-madder-krappivareja.html
A cautionary tale from Fran. If you're spinning various natural shades of fibre into the same yarn, beware of the different grades of fibre behaving differently in your fingers. Fran found that the coarser fibres "tended to run more thickly through my fingers and once three plied, that effect had been trebled", leading to long weight changes.
wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/03/spinning-shetland-wool-tops.html
Are you a 'process spinner'? Is the process more important to you than the finished project?
Josefin Walton also ponders the therapeutic value of spinning through the release of oxytocin.
Thanks to FiberSprite Pamela for sharing a link to this year's HCA Red List, which is the Heritage Crafts Association's list of crafts which are extinct or endangered.
There are some small-business wheel makers in the UK, such as Rod of Innerliethen Spinning Wheels whose picture I've used here, who may be surprised to find that 'Spinning Wheel Making' has made the 'Critically endangered' category for the first time in 2019, . The definition of critically endangered is "those at serious risk of no longer being practised in the UK".
"I could not get quite 30 wait of flax so I was obliged to spin cotton and that takes a great while to make a little cloth. I hant hardly made a sheet since I can remember."
This is only a short clip from Hannah Hayden's Journal (there's a little more in the article) but it is a fascinating insight into the life of a North American trade weaver.
www.interweave.com/article/weaving/north-american-handweaving
Lent is a period before Easter during which Christians make a fast. Nowadays that includes challenges such as abstinence from social media.
Christina Garton takes a look at the hairshirt, a garment made from coarse animal hair and worn for deliberate discomfort.
Melissa Mall is left-handed and there's a ~10% chance that you are too.
She relates the story of how her mother taught her to crochet. I would have thought that simply mirroring the teacher's movements would work, but apparently not.
Try not to think about why someone would have a mirrored headboard and read the rest of the story here.
spinning two matching skeins of a 3-ply gradient with two colourways sounds like quite a challenge but here it is.
Sarah details her method of obtaining two skeins of the gradient yarn. "I think this is going to have to be toe-up socks so I can see the full grandness of what this yarn will be", she says.
Josefin wrote an article for Spin-Off magazine which sparked the idea of a series of studies of Scandinavian breeds.
Gotland is lustrous and "freakishly" long. Josefin's study is thorough, she talks about the sheep, the fleece, preparation and spinning.
This humble-looking ball of yarn has quite a story.
The flax was allotment-grown. Alice Fox grew and processed it, and spun the yarn. Says Alice, "A lengthy process but that makes the final product all the more satisfying and valuable".
More pictures are on her Instagram feed, also see her blog for articles about growing the flax.
These soggy shapes were daffodil flowers. They produce a pretty yellow dye.
Sue has dyed some handspun Shetland yarn, the details and results are in her blog post.
castonandcastoff.blogspot.com/2019/04/daffodils-natural-dyeing.html
Merino wool is once again gaining a foothold after the "ravages of man-made fibres".
This is a well-worthwhile 30-minute video showing the history of the Merino breed and the wool industry in the UK, and the global industry today.
It's fascinating for spinners and weavers to see the industrial process. I was astonished by the thorough combing, the fine spinning and the speed of the looms.
With thanks to ewespecial for sharing the video. I'm linking to her page which has the video embedded.
ewespecial.blogspot.com/2019/03/woven-in-time-great-history-of-merino.html
Rather than spinning from the end of combed top and getting a smooth, dense yarn, there are ways to get more 'loft' or air in the yarn.
As with her other 'Back to basics' tutorials, Amy has included a video as well as text, so you can use whichever you prefer.
As a bonus, she has also published Weaving with Handspun this month.
"The best compliment is no compliment at all."
If you're knitting a seamed garment then these tips from Faina Goberstein will help you to avoid bulky or puckered edges.
www.interweave.com/article/knitting/finishing-a-knitted-garment
Many tools can be made from PVC pipe, from niddy noddies to spinning wheels.
It's easy too. The hardest part of making this tapestry loom is to place and fit the pegs. "The loom really did come together in seconds after the pegs were placed"
Do you have to look up the instructions for Kitchener Stitch each time you do it? Or keep a piece of paper tucked inside your needle case with those directions written on it? No more for me.
The toes of these socks were made with the help of some colourful royal undewear. Ewespecial explains in her post.
If you've been spinning for any length of time, you'll know very well that twisting the fibres locks them together and that's how we make yarn.
Josefin has gone into this subject in some depth. Maybe you'll find this way too much information, or maybe you'll enjoy soaking it up. After all, this knowledge unlocks the ability to adjust what you're doing according to the fibre and the yarn you want to make, rather than simply repeating the same motions.
The page also has some videos showing different drafting techniques.
Slippers are a great project to make with handspun yarn. You can use Sock Stop on the bottoms or buy sew-on soles.
April shows a neat stitch for sewing on these suede sole / heel combos.
www.withwool.com/blog/2019/4/10/how-to-sew-soles-onto-knitted-slippers
In this episode Amy discusses crocheting with handspun. There are some considerations if you're using handspun yarn; does your method of crochet add or remove twist? She also has comments on finding the right hook size, with a link to a handy chart.
boogieblather.wordpress.com/2019/03/26/crocheting-with-handspun
This is not an easter egg but a microscopic image of a pellet of coiled hagfish slime thread. There's a video on the page showing one being unwound like a silk cocoon. it's 100th the width of a human hair.
When the hagfish releases these into water it produces a slime that works like underwater spider-webs, disabling an enemy.
Scientists are working on ways to create yarn from this fibre, although I gather that there's very little progress on that front so far.
This page is nonetheless very interesting if a little disgusting in places.
With thanks to the Interweave blog for sharing.
www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/hagfish-slime/581002
No prizes for the correct answer. Not ever. Nevermore.
If you like Yvonne, click the image to find her page, you can use next and previous to explore more cartoons, and join the mailing list for a regular digest email.
Thank you very much if you've had a go at any of these on your computer or tablet.
I've set them up with 35 - 50 pieces- just the right number for a coffee-break challenge and you gradually reveal the cartoon.
But if you fancy more of a challenge (or less) you can customise the number of pieces before you start.
Are you a teacher, pattern designer, dyer, equipment manufacturer or supplier?
Would you like to reach the readership of thousands of hand spinners and at the same time help to support Hand Spinning News ?
Alanna Wilcox has taken a very long journey with her latest project. She wanted to develop a system to reliably match any specific colour using dyes.
Her conversation with Felicia Lo includes many points of interest about colour and dyeing and she talks in depth about her project.
Sometimes just a picture is enough
Our handspun hero this month is Skeinydipping who has been travelling Scotland and showing off these stunning Stephen West leggings.
She started knitting them in the Outer Hebrides and used only wool which has been either grown, spun or dyed in the places she has driven through.
The pattern is Marled Leggings. It suggests using two yarns held double with 5mm needles
simsalahandmade's Chauncey Sweater is an example of how you can use a smaller quantity of handspun yarn within a larger project.
The handspun in the yoke has an attractive gradient to it and looks beautiful against the commercial yarn that she has chosen for the main colour.
The pattern is Chauncey by Isabell Kraemer
iriegemini's Handspun Lacymmetry has "come through an antique flax wheel, madder dye bath, and knitting"
The blocking pictures are surprising, the unusual trianglular shape is more hole than yarn.
Pattern is Lacymmetry by Naomi Parkhurst
theknitknack.wordpress.com/2019/03/25/handspun-hello-big-finishes
This jumper has an 'inside out' look but that's deliberate. In fact the seams are faux.
Pamela's Weekender is made from handspun yarn and she talks about the way she spun the yarn to help prevent pilling and to prevent it from becoming too hot.
This very interesting piece combines two crafts. Benjamin has used a punch needle, but rather than starting with monk's cloth , which is a plain-woven cotton fabric, he used cotton on a zoom loom (beware of too much tension when you start - the cotton won't 'give' and gets tighter as you weave).
He then used a punch needle to add wool. The cotton is finished in hot water afterwards to tighten the wool loops.
schachtspindle.com/weaving-cloth-on-the-zoom-loom-for-punch-needle
At first glance I thought that this was a wheel with a very large distaff, but it's actually a lamp stand.
It does appear to be functional. (The wheel, not the lamp which I'm sure is functional.) Owner the_spinningshed says that the wheel turns but that you couldn't spin yarn on it.
Pam had 74 yards of this 3-ply handspun yarn and these cuffs worked out perfectly.
They look very attractive and the buttons seem just right.
https://www.instagram.com/pamblasko_pamsmixedmediaart/p/BvALJrZlB2g/
This month's sexy spindle shot is a Woodland Wand. I strongly recommend a look at the Woodland Handcrafts website. You'll probably only find pictures on their Sold Items page. It appears that obtaining one of their spindles is a lottery (they literally run a lottery).
Link below goes to northwoodsfox's inspirational picture of her spindle and bowl set.
By coincidence here's another very nice picture of spindles which I believe are from the same maker.
carryomhw says that she has 'torn through her batt' in no time.
This is siljadevine's own pattern and she's used handspun BFL/silk.
This is a woven wall hanging in a raincloud design in handspun art yarn.
Fran's adventures in entrelac continue with this tablet cover. She made hers from four skeins of handspun Shetland. It's felted and lined.
She has provided the pattern on this page too.
wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/04/an-entrelac-tablet-cover.html
This is an original pattern and hand dyed and spun yarn. I love the artyarn 'dreads'.
rootedfibres says, "I just cast on 80 stitches in the round and worked a 2x2 rib for a few rounds then purled 2 rows (reverse stockinette) and then knit until I got ready to reduce, I worked 1 reduce round 1 stockinette round for the top."
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
Washcloths are usually made from a cotton yarn. They're quick to knit and make good gifts. This pattern has a waffle pattern which looks good on both sides and will be slightly 'scrubby'.
www.withwool.com/blog/2016/12/14/free-pattern-waffle-time-washcloth
This pattern calls for tee-shirt yarn, which is fun to make (there's a link in the pattern). It also uses a large hook (Size Q is around 15mm) so it'll be quick to make.
Heidi says that it's an easy pattern and perfect for Summer.
Some have made this bag using a regular yarn. Very chunky, 5-6 WPI seems to work. You could use a single colour or make it colourful.
This is doksi1's Aeolian shawl which she recently spun and knitted using HilltopCloud silk/mohair.
The pattern is very popular, free from Knitty. The suggested yarn is laceweight but the pattern contains three sizes / versions.
The name is a reference to the Harry Potter books, the green and silver colours being chosen to match one of the Hogwarts houses. Designer Lotta Groeger says "other Hogwarts Houses can follow the same design; just choose the right colors".
You could simply regard them as pretty Spring colours.
The featured shawl was made from a merino silk roving in green, spun by spindle, with a commercial yarn for the silver. The pattern appears for free in the current Knitty.
This cushion cover uses small amounts of a number of different colours.
The pattern suggests a fluffy Sirdar yarn for the 3D effect with the sheep , but you can get creative with that, and with the background colours and adornments.
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sheep-on-the-hillside-pillow
Another finished project using HilltopCloud BFL/silk is Teatime Creations' Isola Shawl. It has a beautiful gradient.
The pattern is Isola. The suggested yarn is 800-900 yards of fingering 4-ply weight (14WPI).
Lindsey Thomas often gives her needle-felted animals wide eyes, giving them a bemused, wistful or simple expression.
They're adorable and sometimes very funny.
I find this picture a little bit unsettling.
The model is wearing an impressive knitted jumper, which artist Liisa Hietanen has faithfully reproduced in crochet, along with the rest of the model's clothes, the model herself, and her dog.
13 - 14 April 2019, Grammar School, Leeds
The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!
27 - 28 April 2019, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells
the 13th Annual Wonderwool Wales Festival. It's your chance to enjoy a fantastic range of Welsh and British artisan products and an opportunity to meet the wonderful people who made them. A great family day out with hands-on woolschool workshops and events showcasing the best in Welsh and British wool and natural fibres.
A list of accommodation and camping in the surrounding area is available on the Wonderwool website.
11 and 12 May 2019, Grand Octagon room, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton
The organisers of Bakewell Wool Gathering are pleased to announce the launch of a new sister event - Buxton Wool Gathering - in May this year.
Over 50 exhibitors will be attending. Whether you're into spinning, felting, weaving, or knitting, there's something for you.
In celebration of our launch, we're offering five pairs of free day tickets to readers of Hand Spinning News. All you need to do is email admin@buxtonwool.co.uk before 1st May 2019 with name and contact details. Winners will be chosen at random and advised by email.
Saturday 1 June 2019
This popular event includes a market offering a range of goods from local traders, workshops and activities, demonstrations of special techniques, tips from professional speakers, a Q&A with our Knitting Gurus, and children's crafting activities.
www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/armleymills/leeds-wool-festival
14 & 15 June 2019, City North Hotel, 20 minutes north of Dublin Airport
Ireland's Festival of Yarn
Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 June 2019, Weavers' Workshop, Dilham, Norfolk
Sheep-shearing demos, crochet, knitting, spinning, weaving, felting- demos and "have a go", alpacas and donkeys to feed and pet.
Fri 28 and Sat 29 June 2019, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Woolfest was founded to provide a showcase and a celebration of the best of wool and wool crafts.
The event is all about creativity and design with beautiful quality, amazing colours and skilled craftsmanship.
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July 2019, Uffculme Centre, Birmingham
27 - 28 July 2019, Redbourne Community College, Flitwick Road, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NU
An annual event created to celebrate all things natural fibre and handmade, with a focus on the Best of British: supporting the finest quality British wool, made from the fleeces of British sheep, reared by British farmers.
2 - 4 August 2019, Newcastle upon Tyne
Wool and Wellbeing festival for the North East.
3 August 2019, Whitehead's town centre from 10am - 5pm
Whitehead in Co. Antrim will once again play host to Yarnfolk Wool Festival for the 3rd year.
Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August 2019, York Auction Centre, Murton Lane, Murton, York, YO19 5GF
Supporting the Campaign for Wool.
Exciting treasures to discover; wool from fleece to finished items and other items you will need to spin, weave, knit, crochet, hand dye, cross stitch, embroider or make felt.
Saturday 31 August and 1 September 2019, Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire
The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!
7 & 8 September 2019, 10am to 4pm St John's Hall, Penzance
7 and 8 September 2019. Dewars Centre, Glover St, Perth
Bringing together independent dyers, farmers, knitters, spinners, felters and weavers. In 2018 nominated for the best yarn festival in the UK. Vendors' gallery marketplace, over 70 vendors, keynote event, social events and classes run over the weekend.
28 and 29 September 2019, Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire
Stunning exhibitions, skill demonstrations and a full programme of textile workshops create a visual feast and make Yarndale a real must-visit for yarn lovers.
28 September - 6 October 2019
A busy week dedicated to celebrating Shetland wool and textile heritage.
Includes classes, talks, drop-ins, art. See website for the full events listing.
Saturday October 5 2019, Queen's Hall and Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
A celebration of all things woolly. From beautifully hand crafted items, clothing and footwear to knitting wool, fleece and all the equipment needed to make at home. Demonstrations run throughout the day with stall holders sharing their skills and knowledge with visitors plus wool skill workshops such as felting.
Saturday 5 and 6 Oct, 2019, Masham Town Hall
Craft market and fleece stalls, specialising in British wool to compliment the sheep-related events that fill the square of Masham over the weekend.
Bakewell Agricultural Centre Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2019
A wool festival dedicated to the best of yarn, knitting, and crochet, in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales.
There will be exhibitors, demonstrations of fibre crafts and a fleece stand selling plenty of local fleece.
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 2019, Kendal Leisure Centre
Kendal Wool Gathering mixes demonstrations, fun activities and displays, all connected to the cloth on which the town's wealth was built.
A large number of exhibitors will be bringing a huge variety of goods including yarns, dyes, crafts, art, accessories, tools, felting, crochet, patterns, carpets, looms, spinning wheels and more. Outside there will be livestock, where you can meet a variety of sheep and Llamas, whilst learning about the important Lake District sheep farming industry.
Nottingham Conference Centre Goldsmith Street Entrance, Nottingham. NG1 4BU
Sunday 17 November.
Scotland is more usually associated with tartan and tweed, but linen and flax are an important part of its history
This touring exhibition aims to combine stories from the past with new works from contemporary designers.
The towns in Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands that the tour visits have their own stories and this gives the opportunity to include local designers and stories.
A final word of thanks to everyone who blogs, writes articles or posts pictures on the subject of spinning, knitting, crochet or weaving. This newsletter wouldn't exist without people writing interesting and useful things.
If you enjoy Hand Spinning News, please don't keep it to yourself. Obviously the link to the full version is a benefit for paying subscribers, but please do share a link to hand-spinning-news.com by email or on social media with anyone who may be interested.
It's always good to hear from readers for any reason (or no reason!)
Happy spinning!
Shiela Dixon - Editor / curator
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