Yak and Bamboo Staple Fibre

Yak and Bamboo Staple Fibre

I retook the photos of my Yak and Bluefaced Leicester pieces last week, but I’m only going to post about the Yak today. If I get chance I’ll post the BFL on my feltbyzed blog later in the week. I used Bamboo staple fibre with the Yak fibre, it is creamy white, soft and shiny just like bamboo top, but not being combed, it has more ‘character’. I added the fibre in different ways, some places more dense than others, and tried to keep some of the bamboo’s character.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe bamboo fibre is really shiny and the crimp catches the light.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is the part in the middle at the top, I separated and fluffed up the bamboo fibre, but laid it on quite thickly:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is the area just to the right and a bit further down. The fibres were teased a part a little, so are quite dense here too:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThese next two pictures are were I added  parts of bamboo fibre which had more curl or were crimped:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is the patch mid to lower right where the bamboo fibres were fluffed up and less dense than in other areas:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI like the way bamboo fibre can be used so densely it almost appears like a layer of fabric, or sparsely so it isn’t quite so obvious until the light catches it. I thought it really ‘matched’ well with the Yak because they both felt soft and smooth.

20 thoughts on “Yak and Bamboo Staple Fibre

  1. It’s a beautiful piece in its own right – not just as a sample! I like the two colours together and I’m wondering if it will become part of a larger piece such as you were considering a while back?

    Looking at the close-ups, it occurred to me that this might be a good way to make clouds in landscapes.

    1. Thanks, Lyn 🙂
      I still haven’t decided about that. I did wonder about maybe making larger pieces based on the smaller ones, like do a piece with 9 sections of different wools on the top layer, and the same fibres I originally used. It might make it even more interesting with different shrinkage rates.

  2. Awesome work on the fibers! Your photos capture the texture so well. Any more fiber experiments planned?

    1. Thanks, Cathy 🙂
      I have some already made and there’s a few laid out waiting for the rain to stop, or me to tidy a space. There’s a couple with kapok fibre which I haven’t tried before, so they should be good.

  3. Great textures Zed. I love bamboo it does have a lot of character. Yak is so surprisingly soft and fine. I hope you decide to make something from these lovely samples. They beg to be touched!

    1. Only what I put on the felting forum – I think the finished vessel was on that. I’ve had a bit of a break because my workroom is being altered and it’s a tip!

    1. Thanks a lot 🙂
      It’s hard to stop with the photos when I get into the close ups, so much to see 🙂

    1. Thanks, Ann 🙂
      Yeah, I like the way the character can be seen, I think it often gets lost when it isn’t the main focus.

  4. Yak is absolutely wonderful, Marilyn introduced me to it and I am in love! I had no idea bamboo was so wavy, the overall result is beautiful!

    1. Thanks, Leonor 🙂
      I got my Yak off Marilyn, it is gorgeous, I didn’t think I’d feel anything softer tan Alpaca, but it is my new favourite animal fibre 🙂

    2. Thanks Zed and Leonor! It was my pleasure to share. Knowing you enjoyed using it is appreciation enough. 😉

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