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Mending, particularly visible mending, has been fashionable in recent months or even years. This month, Kate Davies has published an essay on the subject. The intriguing device in the picture to the right is a Stoppapparaten Perfekt, AKA Speedweve, which Josefin has recently managed to obtain and 'shows and tells'.
I don't plan the themes for these issues but it often seems as if certain things come to the fore each month. Two great finished projects / patterns caught my eye at around the same time which are sewn bags made from handwoven fabric which in turn is made from handspun yarn.
Finally this month there's a surprisingly substantial selection of textile-based artworks.
Read on for this month's round-up of news, views and reviews for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers.
This fascinating device is the Stoppapparaten Perfekt AKA Speedweve.
It's highly sought-after, Josefin had to pay 800 Kronor, around £65 which is ten times its original price.
She gives us a good look at the apparatus itself, the packaging and instructions. In the picture she's using spindle-spun yarn in a bright colour for a fashionable visible repair and so that we can easily see the mend.
"The time of wear and tear might make us reflect on the bigger picture of our time passing, so the time of our mending might also become time dedicated to the appreciation of our socks."
Here Kate Davies shares an essay about mending from her book Wheesht.
A combospin involves combining many different colours or fibres.
The technique Knit/Wit used here was to make lots of small nests, put them in a bag and reach for them randomly. This lot combines eight Southern Cross Fibre club shipments.
Click through to see the finished cardigan and how these colours have played out.
How long would it have taken to spin the yarn needed to weave a sail, by spindle?
Ewespecial muses on this mind-blowing question, and links to some relevant articles (It's hard to find her links because of the colour of the links/text but there are at least three in there.)
I am surprised to learn that they used wool, I would have expected a plant fibre.
This is the_peahen's Angelique (not me, a different peahen).
Blog posts where spinners explain their choices, describe their problems and solutions, and collect together all of the work-in-progress pictures have tended to give way to faster and shorter social media posts, which is a shame, so I do really appreciate posts like this one.
The shawl is Angelique, the_peahen links to the designer's site.
In case you didn't spot the link in the_peahen's post, The Sojourning Spinner has compiled a list of 31 (count 'em) common barriers to people finishing their projects satisfactorily, along with suggested solutions.
Navigating online fleece sales: tips for buyers and sellers
I hope that this year will see the return of real-life fibre festivals, but over the past year, online buying and selling has come into its own.
When buying a fleece it's very helpful to see the fleece and make some important checks. If it is necessary to sell or buy a fleece online, here are some tips.
If you like Yvonne, click the image to find her page, you can use next and previous to explore more cartoons.
Keeping this wheel spinning
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The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson
"If you have been spinning for any length of time, you have probably heard of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson or maybe own it yourself. If not, you probably should", says Sukrita Mahon
If you are a relatively new spinner then this short video is a must-watch. I'm familiar with some of these books and would say that some will be of interest and value to intermediate and experienced spinners too.
This is five book reviews in one video, presented using animation!
Gary's wheels are usually very ornate. Here I find the carved head a little bit too much but his paintings are stunning. Do click through to see the other side, which is different and just as beautiful.
This is brombeertuerkis' first gradient. The fibre is from Hilltop Cloud.
Click through and swipe to see the pretty cables. Not far back in her feed are 'in progress' shots of the spinning and knitting.
The part that she's most thrilled about is the gradient matching in the sleeves and body. She divided her fibre into five parts, three for the body and one for each sleeve.
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
Manor Garden woven scarf by Anu Bhatia
This scarf uses deflected doubleweave to group warp and weft threads to form designs on the face and back of the fabric which are very different from each other.
The pattern is in German and you'll have to negotiate (and register on) a German website in order to obtain it. Don't be put off if you don't speak the language. I think all of the buttons (add to cart, go to checkout, download your pattern) are where you'd expect them.
With thanks to my sewing friend Patricia for confirming that you should be able to make the purse after printing the pattern (and with help from this video ) without understanding the text.
This light top has an easy and delicate stitch, shallow V neck and box pleat cuff.
The pattern uses 4mm needles, you have the choice of using laceweight for a very light and airy top, or something more substantial for a thicker jumper.
Perfectly-timed for the time of year, Interweave are celebrating lace knitting.
This article recommends some lace patterns ranging from 'perfect introductions', through 'next steps' to 'hoo boy!'
They are of course paid-for patterns from Interweave's range but it is a very good selection. Rather than pick one or two, I'll link to the article and let you browse them all.
The second woven and sewn bag is a tote bag - Poolside Tote by noodlehead.
The one shown here is daviksta's, I strongly recommend that you click through as there's a collection of photos which show the Star Trek lining and the skeins of handspun yarn.
Hunter is a perfectionist and wants the perfect slouch. Secret drawstrings in this hat allow you to achieve the correct amount of slouchiness without fussing in front of a mirror.
The hat in the picture is made from two very different yarns held together and it's a great effect.
The pattern calls for 175 - 250 yards, which I assume is the combined length (ie the same yardage of each yarn if you're combining),
Sadly the voucher code will have expired by the time you read this. As is often the case, these things only last a short time, not long enough to still be current for the next HSN.
Evelin Kasikov "catalogs primary, secondary, and tertiary colours, two-dozen combinations showing how rotation affects the final pigment, and a full spectrum of rich gradients".
The result is a French-folded book containing 400 swatches of colour entirely hand-embroidered in 219,647 stitches.
I'm Shiela Dixon, I've beeing doing this for around ten years in order to promote and encourage the craft of spinning.
You can help to support this work with a regular contribution (pay what you like, no matter how small) and in return receive a longer ad-free* version (approx half the number of stories again) of HSN earlier in the month.
All that remains is for me to thank everyone who blogs, writes articles or posts pictures on the subject of spinning, knitting, crochet or weaving. This newsletter wouldn't exist without them.
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