Happy New Year if it's not too late to say that now. Yvonne's friend Kath has a cunning resolution and I think I'm getting used to writing 2019 now.
In this issue you may find some new things to try this year; carded cloud prep, willowing, spinning in the grease and paper spinning to name a few.
Read on for all of this and the rest of this month's cunning curated collection of inspirational information and entertainment for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the full issue for January 2018 2019.
Photo right: Spinal Twist by Rebecca Marsh. The cover photo is Wool Spinning by David Wilmot, Wimbledon, UK CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
After a very busy time sending out copies of her calendar, Fran decided to pack for a trip to visit Midwinterwol.
The wool on display came from some familiar breeds of sheep and some less so. The event wasn't on the scale of Wonderwool Wales but featured fibre, yarn, livestock, demonstrations. Fran's photos are a good record of her trip and review of the festival.
wooltribulations.blogspot.com...midwinterwol-dutch-festival-of-fibre.html
Did you know that hemp is pest-resistant, easy to grow organically and produces a very good yield of fibre per hectare compared with many other crops?
This is a very dry story about NZ Yarn and Hemp New Zealand teaming up, but there are some interesting details here about wool and hemp. It sounds as if the use of traditional fibres is gaining some ground.
www.newshub.co.nz...wool-yarn-company-partners-with-hemp-producer.html
I'm sure that you will have recently spotted PETA's "Leave wool behind" campaign, or synthetic clothes marketed as 'shearless fleece'.
Animal rights group PETA have been using videos of sheep being mistreated, which we know is a sad exception rather than the rule.
This Wall Street Journal article aims to redress the balance with comments from producers and enthusiasts.
www.wsj.com...wool-lovers-battle-animal-rights-crowd-over-sheep-shearing...
This is Canadian artist Gesina Laird-Buchanan with her Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and her life-size wool sculpture of his late father. The piece took her a year to make.
She took the sculpture to an event where her PM was due to appear. She didn't know whether she'd be able to see him but he was very happy to go out of his way to meet the artist and see her work.
It's a lovely story and the sculpture is very lifelike. I assume the head and hands are needle-felted.
www.thewhig.com...artist-brings-sculpture-with-her-to-meet-prime-minister
Many ancient traditions survive in Bolivia, which has an estimated 3.1 million llamas and alpacas.
But the pull of a modern way of life and climate change threaten the population of animals and traditional lifestyle.
This is a very readable article.
Louise Cooper of the Ilkeston Advertiser obviously decided to go for the high pun count in her story about sheep wandering out onto the A38. (Note - filed under 'Crime' on the Advertiser website.)
It's surprising to hear that it was felt necessary to call in the armed response unit. I guess someone thought the officers were experts in their field. And they soon had the fugitives back behind baaa-s.
www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk...armed-officers-help-remove-sheep-from-road...
It's a new year for the KnitBritish Wool Exploration. It encourages you to try 100% wool yarn from various breeds.
For 2019 six breeds are planned, including Castlemilk Moorit and Norfolk Horn. Louise will collate everyone's notes on the swatching and observing after wash and wear tests.
More details are at the link below.
Have you thought about the first person to try spinning sheep's wool? It may have been someone who previously spun plant fibres to make cord and fabric.
Fran has been musing on this subject and how the sheep's fleece has developed since then with our help.
wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/12/on-origin-of-sheep-fleeces-by-means-of.html
Skill Builder Spinalong is a discussion-based project by Three Waters Farm.
Knittingsarah is taking the lead with 'Consistency' which is this month's skill. For some spinners it's the ultimate goal, for others, not.
In this post she preps some fibre for fractal spinning and links to the discussion on Ravelry in which many questions are posed and answered.
Hazel Tindall grew up in Shetland at a time when knitters needed to knit quickly and accurately in order to earn an income.
in 2004, she was unimpressed to find that the then fastest knitter managed roughly 180 stitches in 3 minutes.
She has since taken part in various competitions and has reached 262 stitches in 3 minutes under competition conditions.
This article is a fascinating story and has Hazel's tips for fast knitting.
The end of the year seems to be a time for parties and lists.
Laura Fry has put together this list of online resources for weavers; magazines, video courses etc.
If Breaking-Bad-style-dyeing lights your bunsen burner, then you'll love the video by Linda Login showing her making Saxon Blue, which is an indigo process. Small amounts of the resulting concentrate give "a beautiful dark, colourfast teal" without the oxidation process.
Kate Larson's Year in Review links to Linda's video, which is well worth a watch. She also links to some other favourite posts from the past year.
www.interweave.com/article/spinning/year-in-review-saxon-blue
Have you visited a show and thought about the planning involved for a vendor? Suzie has written a diary which covers almost a year leading up to setting up her table at London's Yarnporium show.
It feels slightly voyeuristic watching a man get dressed but this video is a fascinating and poignant study of how a WW1 soldier was attired.
His undergarments were cotton, his trousers and tunic were khaki wool (khaki meaning 'colour of soil'). He also wore hand-knitted garments made by family and volunteers. These became known as 'comforts', "receiving them in the post was like touching home".
www.popularmechanics.com/military/a25703571/world-war-i-uniforms
Carded Cloud is fibre which has been carded but not turned into a roving. You can spin it by just grabbing a handful and drafting it. There's a little more information and some pictures in this article which is part of an article originally in Spin Off magazine.
www.interweave.com/article/spinning/cloud-prep-peek-into-the-carding-mill
Josefin Waltin lists her most viewed blog post of 2018 as this one in which she uses two willow sticks to open the locks and remove vegetable matter (VM).
It contains a video showing her having fun whipping the fleece into shape, and she gives lots of information about the history of the technique.
These beautiful olive greens were obtained using Velvet Pax mushrooms and a little iron.
Riihivilla uses this mushroom a lot. In this post she gives some information about using the dye and there is a link to a more instructional post.
Another month, another animation using needle-felted characters.
This one by by Eva Cvijanovic is delightful, it has a fairty-tale story, rhyming couplets and specially-written music and sound effects.
This stop-motion film features two amigurumi friends and a heart-wrenching story of self-sacrifice.
With thanks to Knithacker for sharing.
I know that some people enjoy 'knitting surgery'. It can be fiddly and certainly isn't a mindless activity but it's very satisfying when you get a good result.
Ella has found that traditional Shetland yoke jumpers often have a high neck which doesn't suit her, so she's begun replacing the neck with a lower one.
She has taken pictures and written notes for this one, which is all the more complicated because it includes a steek and button band.
ellagordon.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/lowering-the-neck-of-a-vintage-yoke
Along similar lines is Ann Kingston's article about her repairs to her husband's Lopapeysa zipped hoodie. I'm also rather taken by the idea of someone asking for repairs as a Christmas present.
This involved a knitted / grafted patch, some duplicate stitches and "a combination of duplicate stitch and whatever else worked"
This article is a thinly-disguised ad for Interweave's video course, Weaving with Linen, but the short trailer showing Tom Knisely pummelling the heck out of some flax is well worth a watch.
If the thought of spinning these primitive fibres lights your fire then there's a link at the bottom of this page to a free e-Book on the topic.
www.interweave.com/article/spinning/filming-flax-and-a-free-ebook-on-spinning-it
If you're like Kate you will have stashed some fancy paper over Christmas. Why don't you try spinning it? It's an almost-disappeared traditional Japanese craft.
Here are Kate's tips.
www.interweave.com...how-to-spin-paper-for-wrapping-packages
"Should I spin in the grease?" is a very good question. It's a matter of personal preference but to help you decide, here is Fiber Sprite's list of pros and cons.
www.fibersprite.com/blog/should-i-spin-in-the-grease-13-pros-and-cons
I've always thought of cellulose fibres as being the result of a chemical process.
But Australian company have made a jumper from coconut waste using an 18-day fermentation process. This means that no trees were cut down and little water or energy were used.
This seagrass isn't being spun, but pressed into a board using eco-friendly resins.
A company called Phee are using their board to make various products where plastic would have been used, including this phone case.
Carl Terrey will soon be unable to continue breeding a special Tasmanian breed. The 'Elliotdale' has very coarse wool but grows it very quickly, perfect for the carpet market.
Mr Terrey is trying to find buyers for his sheep but there are only 200 left. if the breed is lost, it would be difficult to resurrect. So he has had semen taken and frozen, so that if there's demand in the future for fleece with these qualities, the breed could be restarted.
www.abc.net.au...bid-to-keep-rare-elliottdale-sheep-breed-alive...
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, particularly to the one or two people who've written to tell me that they've enjoyed them.
I've set them up with 35 - 50 pieces- just the right number for a coffee-break challenge and you gradually reveal the cartoon.
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 ?
This review is a little less independent because thetwistedyarn took part in the marketing video that you can see within her post.
These blocking mats are available in the UK. They are pricier than the repurposed kids' toy mats that most of us use, but they are better designed for the job in hand. This article has a link to the UK Amazon store where you can buy them post-free.
If KnitIQ are reading this, then I'd suggest supplying them with a set of blocking wires.
thetwistedyarn.com/2018/12/17/may-i-show-you-my-blocking-mats
Thank you to Colours of Northern Ireland for this review of her Brother electric drum carder.
She's had it for more than a year and found its strengths and its foibles. She bought it from America, they configured it for the UK 240V supply and with the import tax it was less than buying within the UK. It's a production machine, somewhere between our smaller hand-cranked machines and the ones you see in mills. It's a truly independent review, she has no interest in marketing them.
The video contains a thorough review with a demonstration. It's an enjoyable watch even if you're not thinking about buying a drum carder. There are some pictures and a summary on the page.
coloursofnorthernireland.blogspot.com...electric-brother-drum-carder-review.html
Sometimes just a picture is enough
This sexy spindle shot with some notes was posted by Instagram user friggjarrockr.
It shows a spindle collection used to spin a Jacob braid, as you'd guess from the varied greys.
This is Janelle's Sockhead Slouch in handspun Montadale, which is a free pattern from Kelly McClure, although Janelle says that you don't really need a pattern, "you do rib for a while and then stockinette for a while and then decrease briefly and you're done".
This pattern is Harvest by tincanknits. Joyuna says that it's "lovely and straightforward, and there's something very satisfying about how little finishing there is to do at the end"
We've seen the yarn before - remember the 750g wound into a single ball? There's a link at the top of this post which gives the details of the 'combospinning', aka "spinning by embracing chaos".
blog.joyuna.com/2018/12/finished-combospin-harvest-cardigan.html
AsKatKnits' Rock the Lobster demonstrates that you don't need to spin a cardigan-quantity of handspun yarn, you can just use your own yarn for the contrast.
The pattern is Rock the Lobster by yellowcosmo. The FO appeared in a montage of AsKatKnits' finished projects of 2018.
Sarah Schira's gnome patterns have been very popular and ThreadHead Joanne's is made in "all left over handspun yarn".
This beautiful tencel scarf isn't handspun yarn but is woven from a hand painted warp. There's a 'before' picture of the warp at the top of this blog post.
It's an eight-shaft point twill reversible draft.
weeverwoman.blogspot.com...summer-brights-during-winter-dark.html
There are a few pictures here taken by the local paper at Log Cabin Fibre Arts' St Distaff's Day meeting.
www.cdapress.com...log_cabin_fiber_arts_celebrates_st_distaffs_day
These are some of Jennifer Skinner's dreadlocks hair extensions which she makes from her Icelandic and East Friesian sheep. There's lots of information and plenty of pictures in this news story.
Thank to Tatsdent for sharing her Rautini in the Hand Spinning News 'Show us your Handspun Yarn' board.
She spun 929.5m of BFL / silk from HilltopCloud and used it all. "Lovely pattern and love the finished shawl", she says.
The pattern is Rautini by Susanna IC
This Blooming Brioche shawl looks so cosy, I'd call it a wrap. It looks great in rmaliase's handspun yarn.
The pattern was originally released as a knit-a-long but is now available to buy.
The title of this pattern refers to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and the pattern is inspired by the graphics in the opening titles of the film.
It's a simple pattern by Kristen Hanley Cardozo, one colour per row. It has slouch and beret variations.
panxadiax's beret is made in her handspun yarn, targee fibre dyed by Created by Elsie B.
This is a lovely shot of Josefin support-spindling outdoors in a most suitable spinning-wheel jumper.
This is another very cosy-looking shawl. DynamiteTrujillo used various handspun yarns, some known fibres and some unknown. There's a picture of the skeins of yarn and the finished project and a link to the pattern on her Ravelry project page.
This is milancorinne's friend modelling a handspun jumper that she liked so much that she bought it!
Beth made this jumper without a pattern. Some or all of the fibre was from Southern Cross Fibre.
Besides being fast to knit, bulky handspun yarn makes a cosy hat
tbatz11 obtained this stunning result using image transfers of Ukrainian Petrykivka folk art.
There are a few pictures here of the Spinolution wheel and bobbins.
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
You'll hardly need a pattern for a garter-stitch scarf, but this will certainly serve as inspiration for a very cosy handspun scarf in thick-and-thin semi-solid or variegated yarn.
www.darngoodyarn.com...blue-ridge-blanket-scarf-knitting-pattern
Congratulations to Rebecca of Needle and Spindle for seeing her pattern published in the spinning section of the winter Knitty.com, aka KnittySpin.
Sadly nothing to do with the tongue-in-cheek rock band Spinal Tap, the design is named after the yoga poses.
Its double-layer construction makes it warm. It's specifically designed with handspun yarn in mind, fibre and spinning suggestions are in the pattern.
This wedding shawl is a stunning heirloom to make for a friend or family member, or even yourself as many have done, and the pattern is free.
The baa-ble hat has been a ridiculously popular pattern, and perfect for showing off handspun yarn in real wool from a real sheep using small amounts in dyed and natural shades.
The mug cosy may be a perfect pattern for trying stranded colourwork and steeking skills with a great-looking and functional item at the end.
This is a ribbed tunic / sweater dress with some cable details. It's made in pieces and seamed.
It needs a solid or semi-solid yarn (DK/11 wpi) so that the cables aren't obscured. The pattern suggests a 50/50 alpaca / silk blend.
My only dilemma is whether to spin the yarn or buy millspun so that I can cast on right away!
Valentine's day will be here just before the next HSN is published.
At first, this article appeared to be the annual "boyfriend sweater curse" warning. But it's not, it's a serious list of some surprisingly nice jumpers.
Perhaps I'm not in the best place to judge though. Laura Hulslander acknowledges that it's impossible to make sweeping generalisations but has some sensible advice for choosing a pattern for a guy.
This looks like a winding device using familiar spinning-wheel bobbins. The yarn contains metal fibres and this is in fact a recording device, working in the same way as a reel-to-reel or cassette recorder.
It's one of a number of fascinating art projects which repurpose traditional techniques for more up-to-date applications and explores the idea that electronics may have arisen from textiles. The collection also includes a working 8-bit computer made from embroidery and glass beads, and without traditional electronic components.
www.dezeen.com...ebru-kurbak-embroidered-computer-stitching-worlds-istanbul
artist Michele Beevors is reproducing skeletons of animals, some at risk of extinction, in New Zealand wool.
This very cute piece is a koala.
www.stuff.co.nz...meet-the-artist-knitting-a-lifesize-giraffe-skeleton
Sunday 20 January 2019 10am-4pm, Marriott Hotel, Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey
VIP Guest for the 2019 show is LOUISE TILBROOK, knitwear designer and author of Everyday Knitter blog.
45 exhibitors, a selection of crochet, knitting, spinning and other craft workshops at a variety of levels.
Friday 22 - Sunday 24 February 2019, Farnham Maltings, Hampshire
In its 11th year, the event will host a marketplace of over 70 quality exhibitors selling yarn & fibre accessories and feature a programme of bookable workshops, talks & demonstrations led by UK & International experts.
craft.farnhammaltings.com/portfolio/unravel-festival-knitting
21 - 23 March 2019, Edinburgh Corn Exchange
(Classes and Fringe events 20 - 24 March)
A celebration of all things related to yarn, wool, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving and felting. A fantastic market place with around 100 selected vendors, great workshops and a host of other attractions
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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 do keep a blog, or if you read a particularly interesting blog or website and you're not sure whether I already know about it, please write and tell me about it.
It's always good to hear from readers for any reason (or no reason!)
Happy spinning!
Shiela Dixon - Editor / curator
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