May the Sheep Safely Graze

This day old lamb's sweet face captures my 2016 Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival experience beautifully.  How does it get better than good friends, sheep, fresh air, ice cream, fiber tools and lots of fluff!

These dudes were so handsome. 

Nora and I drove up on Friday and met up with Susan, Sallie, Peggy and Burgl for dinner. 

Saturday, I enjoyed the auction.  It was crazy fun, a wise man suggested I make a list of the items I wanted after previewing the auction items.  His best suggestion was to write down my top bid for each item.  He chuckled and said "because people lose their minds out there."

He was not kidding, some of the used, much loved items sold for bids above their new retail price.  There were bargains too.  I got three items off my list, a 12 inch Mirrix loom, an Archie Brennan

style copper pipe loom and best of all nine brass tipped tapestry looms.

I promised myself that my top bid for these lovely bobbins was $50.00.  They were part of a lot with three spindles.  Unfortunately they went for $70.00.  I turned around to see who my nemesis was and it was friend and fellow Piedmont Fiber Guild member Dawn.  Turns out she wanted the spindles and had no interest in my coveted bobbins.  Purchased them from her, so happy!

 That was the highlight of Saturday.  Sunday morning was bright and although the fairgrounds were muddy it didn't impede our progress through the vendors. 

MDSW  is an opportunity for shepherds, vendors and fiber enthusiasts to come together in one place to celebrate.  Nothing captures this as well as the Sheep to Shawl competition.  The  Spin City team won first place.  They had wonderful costumes, display and of course the shawl was beautiful.

Dawn and Christina from our guild were on this Alice in Wonderland themed winning team.

Another highlight of Sunday was a talk by Judith McKenzie on the history of wool.

Inspired by Judith, Nora, Peggy and I headed to the fleece sale.  We were only going to look.  Yeah, right.

This is a six pound Romney lamb fleece that Nora and I split.  Yikes, I said I would never process another fleece.

Until next year MDSW, may the sheep safely graze.

Fiber Camp - Day Five and Six

If you have never taken a week off and stayed home, I highly recommend it.  It has been a pleasure to have no schedule and just play.  The Jacob fleece purchased at MDSW is all clean.  I have a lot of  flicking in my future.

 

 

You can see it is separated into white, dark, mixed and deep blue.

 

 

 

 

These are five more eco-dyed scarves.  The brown and bright pinkish purple are from spent day lilies.

 

 



 

This a 100% cotton T-shirt eco-dyed in a bundle with irises, marigolds and onion skins.

 

 

Lastly, banana puddin'.  Made old fashion style from the recipe on the Nilla Wafers box.  Susan this is real banana pudding!

 

Hatteras Inspired Wool

After dyeing my Hatteras Scarves, I had a pot of Coral Reef dye left on the stove.  I searched the stash and found some fiber to dye.  I have never tried to dye roving before, primarily because I worry about felting the wool.

 

The white is a blend 80/20 bfl and silk.  The darker wool is a mixed bfl.  I soaked these briefly in some warm water and vinegar.  I must get some citric acid to use instead of vinegar.  The smell of wet wool plus vinegar equals yuck!

 

In the pot, steaming but not boiling.  I tried to keep the temperature between 180 and 200 degrees.



The wool and silk laying out to dry.  Clockwise from upper left,  mixed bfl, silk, 80/20 bfl silk blend and corriedale with silk throwsters.

 

Trying out my drum carder for the first time.  Such fun, the mixed bfl was lovely to handle and not felted at all.

 

 

 

Can't wait to spin this!

 

More adventures in eco-dyeing

Thursday during lunch I collected some flowers and leaves from the yard prior to a storm.  Above you can see some iris and tansy being laid out for bundling.  The stick is a piece of driftwood from Hatteras.

Four bundles wrapped tightly and ready for the pot.  Simmered at 160 degrees for one hour and left in the water for 24 hours.  I added iron to the pot in an effort to deepen the blues and purples.

Deep purple iris silk scarf.

Close up shot



This is lavender iris blooms with tansy leaves.

Close up shot

Red roses and rose leaves.

Close up shot, this scarf is 37%wool and 63% silk, it is a little heavier than the 100% silk scarves.

Purple iris blooms with yellow onion skins.

Close up shot.