[fibernet] Re: What's new?
How nice to know that Bill's work will be continued by his apprentice! Thanks for the info and congratulations on the planned new additions! Julie This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary, privileged and/or private information. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity designated above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately, and delete the message and any attachments. Any disclosure, reproduction, distribution or other use of this message or any attachments by an individual or entity other than the intended recipient is prohibited. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[fibernet] Re: What's new?
Fibernetters, What's new in Fiber - I have been corresponding with Myles J, the man who apprenticed with the wheelwright Bill Wyatt until Bill's death last spring. Given my original spot on Bill's waiting list (signed up 2 years ago), I may be getting a Wyatt-Jakubowski Pegasus wheel (http://tinyurl.com/yjxrkel) this year! (However, it's OK if it doesn't come until next year, or maybe the year after that - see below.) I could pinch myself a million times. If it's everything I remember from MDSW 2004, this could mark the end of my wheel collecting ways. What's new in Life - I am expecting TWINS this summer! We have a 1-yr-7-mo daughter already, but we are absolutely stoked to be expanding our family. I am out of the first trimester, finally, so we are optimistic for a good outcome and healthy children. I met someone last night who delivered twins that weighed more than 7 lbs each, so that is my new goal!!! June
Re: [fibernet] Re: What's new?
June, The Pegasus is really beautiful - congrats! ...met someone last night who delivered twins that weighed more than 7 lbs each, so that is my new goal!! ...and sending out good thoughts towards your meeting that goal. Gwen S. -- reply to: gwe...@xmission.com
[fibernet] Re: What's new?
Ron, The winter weather in UK and Europe has been in the news here in the US. How much snow and cold do you have in Sweden? (Just looked at weather underground, and discovered a wx map for Sweden. http://www.wunderground.com/global/SN.html ( Is the coast of Norway really around +40F? ) The Northeast has been very cold, but that does happen here. We're supposed to be used to it HA. The people in the South are really freezing, much colder than usual there. Chores take forever on these days. Frozen water buckets to empty in the a.m. Eggs to collect often so they don't freeze. Extra grain for the lambs, which are outside with big bale feeders full of baleage. Don't want to give the impression we do all of this ourselves. We were farming full time for quite awhile before we hired 'real' help, instead of limping along with various high school or college kids after school or on weekends. But it's still tough in this cold, especially with nearly all the sheep outside 24 hrs a day. Now we're heading for a warm up, which will be welcome. Maybe the ewes due to lamb can go out on a neighbor's field with portable fence. Meanwhile, it's time to bring in the dozen or so pregnant ones, for mid-February lambing. I used only one ram for that group, Dickens, a recessive-colored Romney. A good test to find out if we have some girls with recessive color genes. If not, we'll have recessive color carriers. Mary in eastern NY
Re: [fibernet] Re: What's new?
On Jan 12, 2010, at 1:17 PM, Mary Bob Pratt -- Elihu Farm wrote: Ron, The winter weather in UK and Europe has been in the news here in the US. How much snow and cold do you have in Sweden? (Just looked at weather underground, and discovered a wx map for Sweden. http://www.wunderground.com/global/SN.html ( Is the coast of Norway really around +40F? ) Yep, it's true. The Gulf Stream goes by. Not so in Sweden where the temps are unusually cold with below zero F temps. The Northeast has been very cold, but that does happen here. We're supposed to be used to it HA. The people in the South are really freezing, much colder than usual there. I check temps in MN to make me feel warmer here. Chores take forever on these days. Frozen water buckets to empty in the a.m. Eggs to collect often so they don't freeze. Extra grain for the lambs, which are outside with big bale feeders full of baleage. Don't want to give the impression we do all of this ourselves. We were farming full time for quite awhile before we hired 'real' help, instead of limping along with various high school or college kids after school or on weekends. But it's still tough in this cold, especially with nearly all the sheep outside 24 hrs a day. We always lamed starting April Fool's Day. The ewes were out all Winter with no problems. Shearing was in late March, then they had access to an open barn free choice. Now we're heading for a warm up, which will be welcome. Maybe the ewes due to lamb can go out on a neighbor's field with portable fence. Meanwhile, it's time to bring in the dozen or so pregnant ones, for mid-February lambing. I used only one ram for that group, Dickens, a recessive-colored Romney. A good test to find out if we have some girls with recessive color genes. If not, we'll have recessive color carriers. Mary in eastern NY\\ Have fun! Ron rbpar...@swipnet.se
[fibernet] Re: what's new
Thanks to Holly and Jekka with their thoughts on my plying question. Holly wrote: In your particular situation, the only real advantage to chain-plying is to get knitting before you're finished spinning and plying :) And practicing a new skill probably counts, too. Yeah, well, let's not talk about getting to any knitting. I'm going to be working on reknitting that cotton XL sweater for a while. sigh And I have done chain-plying before, so it's not that I'm totally learning the new skill.just thought it might be easier.but. Jekka wrote: The other question on chain-plying the llama is how it behaves at the bends. I have found that some fibers are more malleable and chain-ply with barely perceptable bumps (merino, for example), but that more wiry fibers can be very stubborn and not want to bend that radically. I'd be a little concerned that the llama might be one of the stubborn ones. This is exactly what I've been wondering about. Of course, I could try it . and at the same time, I've got a funny feeling it could be one of those things that might get worse over time. I think you're both reinforcing my suspicion that Navajo/chain plying would be a Mistake. Bah! :-) Grace [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[fibernet] Re: What's New
What's new with me? Not much, fiberwise, although I enjoy reading about it. Still mostly lurking on this list, but delighted to see it active again. Fiver Still ice-skating and doing a lot of volunteer activity for my skating club, which hams a number of national contenders and at least two Olympic contenders this year -- quite a change from years past for us. Not since the glory days of Kitty and Peter Carruthers . . . Freelance writing markets seem to be drying up more all the time. Had a bout with skin cancer this fall. Not life-threatening or anxiety-provoking ,nothing like the breast cancer I had 14 years ago. Still, inconvenient and a pain both literally and metaphorically. Fiber? Well I have a crochet afghan underway that has been dormant for several months. I love the design and it would be great for my annual charity auction. But it's made of teeny little granny squares, and I fear I'll never have the patience to sew them all together. I'm thinking of trying to redraw the design so I can work it out in straight crochet rows, which would be much quicker and sounds much easier. And I might actually finish it. So one of these days ... Best wishes to all, Jane Jane Reid mjr...@dca.net
Re: [fibernet] Re: what's new
The other question on chain-plying the llama is how it behaves at the bends. I have found that some fibers are more malleable and chain-ply with barely perceptable bumps (merino, for example), but that more wiry fibers can be very stubborn and not want to bend that radically. I'd be a little concerned that the llama might be one of the stubborn ones. I love chain plying, but I also find that I am not always the most consistent spinner from one end of a bobbin to the other, so plying with separate singles gives me a little more chance to even things out (of course, sometimes all the fat bits pile up too). Jekka -- Jessica Sewell Assistant Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies American and New England Studies Program Boston University 226 Bay State Road Boston MA 02215 tel. 617-353-9913 Office: Room 207 Art History Department Boston University CAS 302 725 Commonwealth Avenue Boston MA 02215 tel. 617-353-1464 fax 617-353-3243 Office: CAS 215B jesew...@bu.edu [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [fibernet] Re: What's New
Jane, when I do granny squares, I don't sew them together (though a whip stitch matching stitch for stitch is pretty fast), I crochet them. I use either slip stitch or single crochet while holding the two squares right sides together. When I get the first two of the row done, then I do the next two without breaking off the yarn - like chain piecing quilt squares, if you're familiar with that process. Eventually I have all the rows crocheted together, then I crochet along the columns, criss-crossing the previous seams whatever way seems to work best for that particular project. Hope that makes it seem less daunting to tackle :) I admit to loving granny squares and I'm glad they're back in fashion, at least for a little while! Holly
Re: [fibernet] Re: What's New
But it's made of teeny little granny squares, and I fear I'll never have the patience to sew them all together. Wonder if it might not be possible to crochet them together? With something similar to the three-needle (knit) bind-off? Gwen S. -- reply to: gwe...@xmission.com
[fibernet] RE: What's New
Still doing my thing at Fire Ant Ranch, although the flock has been gone almost two years now. LOVING the new place and I actually have the space to use that felting machine I got, although I have yet to produce a saddle pad which was why I bought it in the first place! Doing about as much dyeing as ever and probably more fluffy batts and about the same number of shows, although the locations have shifted somewhat. More knitting these days and back to designing surprisingly - what I started with! Still horsin' around with the dressage and cat shows (HHP) have entered the picture as well :) Ron, I found the remains of that ancient Fibernet T-shirt you gifted me for some suggestion I made about the list and computers so long ago - Fibernet was my very first list! Suzanne Correira, www.fireantranch.com, Georgetown, TX Fiber, Yarn, Fashions, Spinning Equipment and Tools. Fiber Workshops Taught Workshop Venues Organized.
[fibernet] RE: : What's new?
Sorry, I'm behind with the thread/list. I just popped back home to clear the computer of mail, collect a few supplies food/other so I found that 'fibernet' has awoken! Happy New Year Everyone. I am currently not at home, although I am not far away, a short 20mins bus trip back to the nearest bus terminal to home. I am housesitting a rag weavers house/studio which is down off the road about but not on the beach. I can see the other end of the beach from my deck of the hillside. It does have broadband and stuff like that but it is still 'off the beaten track' the path up to the road zigzags up etc So although I could do some weaving there, I probably won't - I am supposed to be unwinding completely and relaxing/reading//dreaming. OH, watching TV etc. At home, I have been spinning a lot. I got out antique wheel #1 it's the Akehurst on this website. There are only 4 of them and I own one! http://www.nzspinningwheels.info/saxony.html Anyway, I hadn't spun on it for a while so I spent some time giving it some TLC but it had a couple of problems. To cut a long story short, the part that needed some TLC is away at a friends workshop. So I promptly had to get out my Hamilton (the one of the same page is a pals down south of here) and it has been purring along creating wonderful thread. No weaving, I don't have much time, even though it is my Summer holidays from Uni - at Home I am finishing the major sort up started last Summer and sorting/sifting out my belongings etc. But I plan to tackle some yarn dyeing when I return in late Jan. Apoligies is this is difficult to read, I left my 'computer glasses' down at the other house, and I have had to remeove my regular glasses to see the screen properly J Cathy in NZ, where the sun doth sun brightly and I am attempting to get a bit of a sun tan over the next 12 days left off my interesting Summer holiday J I may not see your replies for a few more days (unless I look on the website) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[fibernet] Re: what's new
What a great question to get the list sparked off again! Thanks, Ron. And happy New Year to all. I've been REknitting a cotton sweater that's (ahem!) a Christmas present for my best friend - who happens to be 6'3, and although not overweight, that's still a lot of knitting. REknitting because the first version (sigh) ran out of yarn, and also had a bit of gauge creep. Blech. Oh, well, so it goes. I'm also wondering, and had been thinking about posting a question to Fibernet when Ron's what's new post came through, about the virtues of Navajo plying over regular three-ply? I'm spinning some lovely llama in a gorgeous dark chocolate colour. Actually, I should say I'm standing by and admiring it whilst it spins itself! I'm aiming for a sport-weight three-ply yarn for a lace shoulder-shawl sort of thing. Of course, I don't know how much yardage I'll have of singles, and so I'm wondering if it might be easiest - and actually kind of fun, too, since the little bit I've played with Navajo plying was lots of fun - to just Navajo-ply rather than trying to get three sets of singles to come out the same length! Any thoughts on pros or cons for this? words of advice from more experienced folk? Thanks! Grace [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [fibernet] Re: what's new
Grace writes: about the virtues of Navajo plying over regular three-ply? Advantages as I see them: Can ply with just one bobbin or ball of yarn ready. Closely related, lets you do a 3-ply from a relatively small amount of fiber. Don't have to worry about having bits of singles left on two bobbins. Can play with color, if the singles are multi-colored. Fun to chain-ply, once you get the hang of it. Disadvantages: In the beginning, it's very easy to overply until your hands and feet get thoroughly coordinated (helps to put your drive band on a *larger* whorl for a slower flyer, rather than a faster whorl as usual for plying, until you're really comfortable). If the yarn is true-worsted, you'll potentially be slicking fibers up and out of the twist, making the yarn a little less smooth and shiny. The little bumps where the yarn reverses direction add texture (yes, can be either a pro or a con, depending on how much texture you want). Tension may be a little uneven until you get the hang of things - but then, so can traditional three-ply. In your particular situation, the only real advantage to chain-plying is to get knitting before you're finished spinning and plying :) And practicing a new skill probably counts, too. I love chocolate-colored fibers! I have some very nice moorit Shetland roving from the one year we had wool good enough to send to Stonehedge for carding. I think there's only 9 or 10 ounces. I need to think of a really good project for it... Holly
[fibernet] Re: What's new?
Trying to stay warm in eastern NY. We finally had to put all our sheep on feed. There's still hay aftermath grazing under about 8 inches of fluffy snow. If the wind blows enough away, we may be able to graze some more. Lambs to market tomorrow, and maybe more next week, depending on what they weigh. We now are farmers market vendors with lamb, eggs, stewing chickens (retired layers), and this year holiday goose. Mary