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Carding Batts

Carding Batts

Comments 12 comments

This last weekend I did some carding. I was making Monet batts.

First my daughter and I pulled apart small bits of wool and mixed it up.

mixing colours

Then onto the table and spread out ready for a trip through the carder.

ready to card

This is after the first pass through the carder. I split the batt into layers and put it through again.

first time through

This after the second pass through

second time through

I made 3 mixed colour merino batts

Batts3

 

I recarded some over dyed brown and white Romney wool I had .

Batts2 batts1

 

And one mixed colour Romney batt

mixed batt

They are fun to do and great for felting or spinning textured yarn. I was thinking I didn’t do anything for Felt United Day, October 4, but I guess I did. Did you do anything?

Carding Some Wool

Carding Some Wool

Comments 18 comments

I dye most of my own wool. The problem is that I tend to felt my roving a bit when I am rinsing. That means I have to recard it. I had some not very pretty pink that I got bought cheap because it was a little felted. I recarded it with some other colours.

pink precarding

This is the wool combination I will put through the carder. the carder is big. There isn’t that much wool only about 150 grams, so I only use part of the carder.

pink into the carder

This is the first run through.

pink out of the carder 1

After I take it off the drum I split the batt and flipped each section to run them through again.

pink out of the carder 2 pink finished

This is the second time through and the final ball of wool.

This is all the wool I did.

carded wool

There are a couple more blended wools in there too. Now I have to make them into something.

 

 

Felt fingerless Mitts Experiment

Felt fingerless Mitts Experiment

Comments 16 comments

I am still making fingerless mitts for the fall shows. I have a wool batt that was made from the leftover bits or browns and natural wools. It looks like bark to me.

brown/gray/black/white batt
brown/gray/black/white batt

Then I thought I want the mitts to have more texture. So I got out my pile of trimmings.

left overs to roll 2

I gave them a roll

left overs to roll 3

I added them to the mitts in the hopes of making it look more bark like.

wood look cuff wood look cuff 2

I put the scraps under the last layer.

It worked out but I think fatter inserts might be better.

wood look cuff 3

It is not that exciting.  I may have to add something to it, I am not sure what. Maybe some twigs sticking up or a knot hole.

I have some other ideas to try out. I will share them with you as they happen. Theses are a great size for trying things out. If they work you have a salable item and if not you learn something and haven’t lost a lot. I am not good at making things that are just samples, I want it to be useful, crazy I know.

Felt bird houses are coming along and a fun demo.

Felt bird houses are coming along and a fun demo.

Comments 12 comments

Slowly the bird houses are coming along. They are now decorated, wet down.

birdhouse 1 birdhouse 2 birdhouse 3 birdhouse 4 birdhouse 5 birdhouse 6

They have been rubbed and rolled and stuffed into the tops of pantyhose. They are ready to full. With some luck that will be tomorrows job.

Two days this week I was at the Ottawa Valley Farm Show. I was demonstrating spinning with a few friends. I took some mixed batts I made buy collecting my odd bits together and running them through the carder. They have lots of colour and neps.

spinning batts

On day one I spun up 2 very bulky singles and one medium weight single in pinks.

wheel spun spools

Today I plied the 2 bulkies together. My wheel is not designed for such bulky yarn but with perseverance  and a few choice words under my breath I got it plied.

bulky being plied bulky plied

After that I was tired of pink so I switched to my drop spindle and the blue green batt.

sinndle spun blue spoindle spinning

I am afraid I don’t have anymore pictures that turned out. We were right in front of a big picture window that was a very nice spot but not good for taking pictures as you can see from the picture of me spinning.

I think I’ve done really well with working and playing with fiber this week. I hope I can keep it up.

 

 

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