Susanne, and Fibernetters:
Yes, everything has gone up,especially since the gas prices in the U.S.
went up since the last hurricane (Katrina?). And if you think about
spinning wheels, some of the less expensive ones are Babe and Columbine,
but also on eBay where they're selling old Russian, Ukraine and other
European spinning wheels (and these have real history to them and even have
the old accessories like distaffs, etc.) for inexpensive prices, but even
those have gone up because of the gas prices. Just look at the grocery
stores and look at the prices of produce... One pomegranate is over $5 for
one in Walla Walla if it's a big one, but mainly their tiny and cost
$3...that's too bad because I love pomegranates not only to eat, but to use
as dyes (both the juice and the peels). We have to look harder to find the
good deals we need, and if that means by old magazines or second hand,
well-used wheels, then that's how we will have to do business.
I haven't heard of it, but if you've seen Spanish Moss hanging on the trees
in the South, you can see how they might use it. If it's a Friar who's
talking about this, they could have used the Spanish Moss as a form of
"hair shirt" to help them feel more holy, so they'd want it pretty course.
If women are spinning or weaving it, they probably had to process the heck
out of it to make it soft enough to make clothing. Look at how much work
you have to do to get Nettle, Hemp, or Flax to be wearable. I read
something about it, but nothing about processing the moss.
I love knitting with my handspun as well, but I have friends and relatives
who are allergic to wool (even what I've hand-processed and I'm not sure
why, but they get hives from it--seems to run in their family), so I only
send them items made from acrylic...but I do enjoy knitting/crocheting with
my handspun so much better. It is fake--it's plastic yarn. Rayon yarn is
not fake but has been created with wood pulp. "Plastic" yarn (nylon, Orlon,
Acrylic, Olefin, etc.), feels just like making something with carpet
fibers. I know the beautiful fibers that are created with different
synthetic fibers (glitz, the Mod Dea yarns, the holographic yarns) are nice
to work with because it brings a different look and feel to the natural
fibers themselves, but sometimes the feel of them is not worth it.
I belong to the Ashford Club also. I have an Ashford Traditional wheel with
a Woollee Winder on it. I just love that my wheel all the more because of
the Woollee Winder--it just winds up the yarn without having to move the
yarn from hook to hook. Best investment I ever made, except for my Strauch
Fricke drum carder...
Now, what I want to get a Patrick Green Picker... If anyone has a used one
they want to sell for a good price (I'm trying to get my fiber business
going and am still rather broke), please contact me at email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] If I can get one for around $150, I'd appreciate it
and I can trade part of the cost for some hand processed wool
(Icelandic--gray, white, brown, ivory, charcoal; Finn--bay black, white;
Finn/Icelandic cross--black or white; Shetland/Lincoln cross--charcoal
gray; or Alpaca--white, rose gray, dark brown, cinnamon) for part or all of
the cost. They are lovely fleeces and hand scour, hand pick, and card the
natural colors. You can dye or use them as they are and do what you want.
If you want raw fiber to trade for the picker, I can do that also. Just a
thought.
Jet Tenley: Fiber Artist & Instructor
Celtic Crossroads Alpacas, Finnsheep & Icelandic sheep
1887 W. Highway 12
Walla Walla, WA 99362-8529
Phone: 509.522.0348
Cell: 509.240.2231
URL: http://www.celticxroads.com (parked at the moment)
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yahoo email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spinning_diva/
& http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlueMountain-FiberCircle/
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