[AlpacaTalk] Fiber Arts
<<And Janice, you're so funny, apprentice with me! I learned how to weave
in college and I can draft patterns like nobody's business, and I can
sew very well, though I'm not a "production" seamstress, that's for
sure! But as for the spinning and felting... I'm just learning, myself!
And I have learned that I am not so crazy about preparing the fleece.
SO tedious! But I have so many things that I want to do, that I'm going
to have to force myself since I don't have the ready funds to send my
fleece off to the mill for processing, even into batts or rovings! And
felting in the bathtub really sucks. :)
Heather>>
Well I am totally intimidated by weaving! Have a wonderful loom given
to me years and years ago. Have never tackled. Used to sew, but
haven't in years. Used to crochet - ditto. Never learned to knit.
Always wanted to quilt - never found time, yet. Have recently been
trying (and trying is the key word here - with a 2yo there is no time to
read - grown up books anyway) to read a book about felting and am
getting very interested as it looks easier and more rewarding than
spinning. Bought a Ashford spinning wheel several years ago with
visions of spinning in front of the fire. HA! Our winters are too
short and I do most of my outside work in the winter when the overgrown
brush is knocked down and I can see what I am doing and the nasty
moisquitoes, etc are taking a break. So my images of peacefully
spinning in front of the fire must be from a previous lifetime! A
lifetime that did not include constantly demanding little ones - the
little buggers, how dare they! And Heidi, I am also always yelling to
close the door "I see dollars flying out the door" is what I say/yell.
But as for just getting started with the spinning and felting.....
under the impression you were far along. If not, then I admire your go
get em attitude. I can't find it now but I recall you signing off
recently with a very optimistic and upbeat sig line about making money
on your creations. Love that attitude! I know some time not too long
ago someone posted here that had several decades of fiber art experience
under her belt. I was thinking that was you.
We don't talk fiber much here and perhaps that is a good thing as then
the list might be too busy. But I would love to get discussions going
with others in the fiber/felting/
area. I am sure there must already be a yahoo group devoted this. But
do we have a few folks here that would be interested in this as an
offshoot of this list? Or have a list they can recommend? Just what I
need - another list to keep up with - not! Maybe we could do it here
and those not interested could use their delete button?
An acquaintance of mine says she does felting in the car (while her
husband drives). I can't picture that, at least from what I am reading,
it seems a big messy project. But I am thinking I could use all that
not good enough for spinning fiber I collected all those years I had
someone shearing that didn't know what they were doing - from a fiber
standpoint. I collected it all anyway thinking a stuffed doggy pillow
at the very least for old dog bones would be nice and soft and warm.
I know absolutely nothing about how to prepare a fleece; in fact mine is
not a "fleece", it is fiber stuffed in a bag. I just have mine stuffed
in pillow cases and haven't a clue as to what the next/first step is.
It is not cleaned or anything. I am worried about moths and mildew.
Maybe someone here could inform those of us totally ignorant as to what
to do and how to get started. Now that I type this I do believe I have
a vague memory this *was* discussed here earlier this year?
As an aside, I really need to get going on learning this. Our local
area museum is planning to morph into a living history museum over the
next several yuears. They are located in a historically significant old
homestead on the river and they want to recreate the original homestead.
I have always wanted a job at one of these places and covet the job
here. I want to be the herb gardener with the dye plants and be the
spinner and keeper of animals. There are no spinners around here, tho
there is a large guild in Atlanta (about an hour or so away). Here we
have many weavers. If I can become proficient before they get this
going I should be able to get the job. That is my "retirement" plan. I
have been told by spinners in Atlanta that alpaca is not a good fiber to
learn with; that it is one of the more difficult fibers to work with???
Warmly, Janice in GA
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posted by Chaddo at 9:54 AM
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