Yesterday was the official start of this crazy plan to make Silver Wheel Yarn all local and all self processed. We were suppose to have a class, but that fell through which is always a source of frustration for me.  I put that frustration to a good cause and started in on the fleeces we need to wash.  The three darker middle ones are from our favorite supplier Blue Note Alpacas.  Lefty, Maggie, and Inky are the alpacas names and you can never beat Annette’s quality.  Inky is a Suri that has Huacaya fiber; breeders hate it, I love it.  Imagine everything you like about both and mix it together.  Yeah, it’s that nice. 

The beautiful blue grey at the top was an acquisition from the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival this year.  His name is Jasper and he was a rescue.  His fiber is not as fine at most alpacas I have run across, however, that is what I like about it.  It has the micron of a good wool, but that “coolness” alpaca is known for, and how can you beat that color.  I saw it from across the room.   

And then there is the white.  It’s a suri, which I am not as excited about as a lot of people, but then again I don’t think wool is scratchy.  Her name is Luna and see is a Pulaski Co alpaca with some of the finest microns I’ve see this side of silk.  I believe this fleece is from her first sheering and I had to fight to get it.  Only problem is that its dirty, quite dirty, and that is a real issue for something this fine.  I will have a lot of work to do to get it to the quality it should be, but a little challenge never hurt anyone.

Well, I have to deal with some car trouble and a little streak of bad luck, but we all have those and most come out alright in the end.  I have a wall hanging quilt top that needs quilting, but after that it seems that there will be a lot of spinning in my future.  School starts on the 10th of next month and I’m ready to get back to driving.  Being a school bus driver is not something I would have guessed would have made me happy, but it does and who am I to question.  

Talk to you soon.  Be good and be careful.  

Our beloved cat and partner Greenbean has a “thing” for raw wool fleece.  Catnip does nothing for her, but a fresh raw fleece, oh boy!  After turning over a new box of wool and dragging some of it out she proceeded to wallow in it.  However, she did have enough dignity to stop for the camera. 

Well, friends, looks like I have a ton of work cut out for me.  The last two seasons have been great for wool which has luckily corresponded to our decision to shift to mostly using Kentucky grown fiber that we take from start to finish ourselves.

We were visited by our favorite local “crack” (aka wool) dealers yesterday; Windsor Wool Farms.  Their Border Leicester and Border Leicester crossed sheep are some of the best well rounded fleece I’ve come across.  Good body, regular crimp, right amount of lanolin, clean, clean, and clean.  Every single sheep has a name and are very loved.  I didn’t buy them out this year, so I’m sure they will have fleeces up on their website soon.  I recommend them highly.  So does Greenbean.    

I’ve always avoided doing three ply yarn for large batches, because keeping my interest for three bobbins of lace weight yarn is just too much for me.  So I finally decided to try my hand at Navaho plying and I really wished I had sooner.  It’s so easy, makes perfect three ply yarn, and you only need one bobbin!  Eventually, you daisy chain the one ply yarn and spin it together.  If you haven’t tried it, you should, the results are amazing.  If I can generate enough interest I will happily do a tutorial on UTube for it and maybe an online class.  I can’t believe this is a little known way to spin three ply.  It has made my life so much easier.  

Next week we have a meeting in Berea for a possible show and hopefully some adult classes.  Shows are about the only chance for the public to purchase our work (although feel free to ask if you see something you like, that’s how we work), but more importantly, getting fiber arts out there and getting more people to learn to do it. Shows are all part of it.  Week after we have 25 kids in Hindman Kentucky at the Appalachian Artisan Center that are looking for an introduction to fiber arts.  Kids classes are harder on me.  It’s usually the parents that really want to learn what we do, but they send their kids.  I think it should be the parents that learn and then they teach their kids, but that’s just me, and I help the AAC any way I can. 

Now, on a non-fiber note, we are finally getting our first cucumbers from the garden and I canned 15 pints of Georgia Peaches in honey and raw sugar.  The first planting of corn are getting ears (the rain made us late) and the soy beans will be ready to pick next week.  The start of the year was so hard with the three week cold snap at planting time followed by three weeks of drowning rain, but things have pulled out of it and, although, a little behind might show a good year.  As long as the thunderstorms stay gentle. 

Finally, my friends, the quilt is finished.  The picture is bad because it’s dark here, but I just couldn’t wait all night to show it off.  Practically everything is wonderful.  Totally hand quilted (which is a very big job) and made with my mother in mind.  You can tell my favorite blocks because I used my favorite cloth on them, the blue with little tan flower bundles.  The back and binding is the same medium brown muslin as the center boarders. 

Well, this week was my “finish unfinished projects” and I have two down and two more to go.  I did cheat a little and start a new spinning tonight.  Who can blame me?  A new fleece, a little washed and carded, and I was suppose to leave it untested.  I couldn’t help my self and I’m glad I didn’t, because its going to make a lovely yarns, and maybe a little something for me to wear eventually. I’ll show you sometime soon, but few people get excited about undyed unblended local wool as I do.

I had my first online class tonight with a wonderful lady in the UK.  She really caught on to spinning and I hope she will continue.  This class was taught through Weavolution and I have more scheduled.  However, I can also teach classes with Skype, so if your interested, let me know.  Teaching is what I love to do and since we only sell our products to people who specifically ask or the few art shows we do, this is how we keep the art alive and keep us in the studio.  

I’m looking forward to Friday when our good friends and business associates from Winsor Wool Farm are coming for a visit.  I will vouch for the quality of their wools, since they are my main supplier.  Yum!  Fun with friends!

If you love art as much as I do, be sure to stop in on 12 Months and 40 Paces, a battle of the artists that happen to also be great friends of mine.  It’s going to be a good fight.

Good night, it’s late, and my CJ has gone to bed before me which never happens.  Happy Fibering.    

I treated myself to 4 oz of the first place fleece of the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival this year.  I paid too much for it ($10 an oz), but sometimes you have to treat yourself with a little something nice, and nice it is. I decided I didn’t want it lost in the boxes with the other unwashed fleeces (we got 23 total this spring; both sheep and alpaca) so I pulled it out and wanted to wash it and get it ready for some drop spindle play time.   Picture 1 is a lock of the fiber I got.

I want to take this chance to take the mystery out of washing wool.  It isn’t hard; you wont felt it if you look at it wrong (I’ve never had something felt);and it isn’t a hard skill to learn on your own.  It is an awesome way to save money and make one more step yours.  So lets get started.  To view all the pics at once in the slide show click on the set of four blocks under the pictures.

First, we’ll talk about fleeces.  There are a ton of books out there, but there is nothing that can substitute for jumping in with two feet and learning.  I say to buy a good fleece from someone who has a good reputation to uphold.  Sometimes “friends” may have sheep, but that doesn’t mean they have good wool.  You have to learn what you like in a fleece.  Some like soft and delicate others like a little more body.  Just don’t ever let anyone tell you that your wrong.  From my experience try to find people that LOVE their sheep.  That way you know the sheep are well cared for and you wont have breakage issues from stressed sheep.  Every single fleece I buy comes from a named animal.  That’s my signal that they are loved.  And don’t be afraid to ask for a picture of the animal.  Not only is it fun to have, but you can asses the condition of both animal and pasture.      

Picture 2 is how I set up my wash buckets when I want to wash a small amount.  Small being enough for a large skine of yarn; 4 oz of wool for me.  Heat up two tubs of water to just before boiling; I look for the bubbles on the bottom and then turn it down to med/high.  It has to be hot so the lanolin (sheep sweat) becomes liquid and becomes part of the water.  It acts like a wax.  Both tubs should have soap in them.  On the subject of soap, don’t use normal detergent because it makes wool brittle.  However, you do not need to buy the very expensive fancy wool washing soap.  We use Ecover-Delicate Wash, it is way less expensive, made for washing wool, and better for the environment.  What’s not to love?

Picture 3. Grab a handful at a time and float it on top of the water, then gently push it under to get it wet.  This is where people go wrong and felting can happen.  You have to be gentle and not force it to get wet.  Remember that Hot Water+ Agitation= Felting.  If you don’t scrub it or poke it too much it wont felt.  Just push it down to help it get wet.  

Picture 4. Now we let it soak.  Usually, 5-8 min or until the water is quite dirty.  You can move the wool around with the spoon, but remember, no scrubbing.  Also, don’t work about the vm, or vegetable matter. If it’s a limb, you can pick it out, but don’t sweat the little stuff.  It is harder to get it out wet than if you waited until it dried.  Our goal is not to make it less dirty, that will happen naturally, our goal is to get the lanolin off.  If you see an extra dirty spot, again don’t scrub.  I will pet it with the back of my hand, rubbing with the fiber.  It works and isn’t invasive.  Don’t let the water cool down, we want to keep it at a steady “before boiling” temp.

Picture 5 is how I remove the wool.  It isn’t very high tech, but it works.  I scoop some out with my spoon, let the water drain out, and squeeze the rest.  Don’t panic, it will look felted, but lower it into the other tub of clean soapy water and, as long as you see separate strands of fiber floating gracefully independent, then your good.  You can rifer to Pic 9, if you need an example of what this looks like.

It depends on how dirty and greasy your wool is to know how many times you’ll need to wash it.  Picture 6. While this is soaking I dump out the old water (note how dirty it is vs how clean the wool in Pic 1 it’s the grease that makes it dirty).  I like to hold my spoon or a coriander under the spill to catch any fiber I might have missed.  You might want to take the extra chance to wash your hands in this water.  Believe it or not, many cosmetic lotions use lanolin and this water will make your hands soft for days.  Another thing you might run across is “2nd cuts” shown in Picture 7.  These are a result of the shearing when the cutters don’t get to the skin and the shearer goes back for a second pass.  I few is ok, a lot makes it low quality since it shortens the staple length (length of the fiber.)  You can pull these out if you see them, but don’t break them up.  You’ll want them out eventually.  Now we can admire Picture 8 and see what the final wash gives us.  (Notice how the yellow from Pic 4 is gone.)

Fill the now empty tub with clean water, heat it up while the other one soaks.  When it is good and hot I remove the wool like before and rinse.  I don’t do it all at once, I place a spoonful in the clean water as in Pic 9, make sure the soap is out, then take it to my clean sheet on the ground and spread it out like Pic 10.  Sunny day is best, if it’s humid it might take longer, but it will dry.  If there is a brisk wind I’ll lay it all out and place a very light sheet loosely on top and weigh down the corners.  At this point the wool looks like a tangled mess with little hope.  However, it fluffs as it drys and becomes beautiful.

I hope this helps give everyone the courage to start from scratch.  In the next few days, I will be picking and carding the cormo, so I will probably do a tutorial on the next stage as well.  Be sure to share with your fiends and get the word out.  Talk to you soon.

Yay!  Finally a new way to tell everyone what’s going on around here.  Since this is new, I’m expecting new people so I should tell a little more about myself, ourselves, and what we do.  It’s always hard to decide on the level of transparency with a blog.  Silver Wheel Yarn is not really a business, it is the title of our life as Fiber Artists.  Lots goes on in our lives that isn’t for sale; the good, the bad, the hope, and the frustration.  However, if I don’t paint a perfect picture of us, people may not choose us to teach them the Way of Fiber.  Not only is teaching our bread and butter (since we rarely offer our weavings or yarn for sale) but it is also what makes Silver Wheel Yarn the pavement on the road of my life.  I love teaching, especially adults, and knowing that I’m saving a dying art and giving someone the ability to create.  I reckon we’ll have to see what happens as we go along this path to see what I need to say. 

First, about us.  I’m Traci, more of an experimental anthropologist than a fiber artist.  I’m the voice of Silver Wheel Yarn.  We are not production artists, it doesn’t work for us.  We have set on this quest, not to produce and sell as many items as possible, instead we find the best materials, maybe unusual materials, and use our best ability to make something; a one of a kind item.  We use skills from every area of fiber arts to solve problems and make things the way they did when it mattered. 

I am mostly self taught, driven by the need to always learn something new.  Weaving, spinning, knitting, quilting, and some of the needle arts are only a few skills I use on a regular basis.  CJ, husband and partner, does more of the higher weaving, artful spinning, Japanese braiding, and equipment maker.  Greenbean, our feline furbaby, helps where she can.  

Everything we make looks more old school and traditional than some of the modern pieces that carry popularity today.  It reflects our personality and to make something that otherwise would be counterproductive.  We do our best to live as close as we can to the Earth and the spirits that reside in it.  Slowly we are ridding ourselves of the modern conveniences that bring negativity and encourage mindless laziness.  I believe that worship is done best with labor and community service.  That’s just us, and in no way do we look down on others for their choice of life.  We all do our best to grow closer to God in what ever way we need to.

In the future we hope to have everything we make made from the wool of Kentucky farms, prepossessed with no electricity in our own studio, custom dyed, and made into traditional items by hand.  This year we have acquired nearly 10 high quality local sheep fleeces and 13 local alpaca fleeces with natural color.  I’m hoping this will be what we need to make all the yarn we could use for the year.  Cotton we still buy, because it takes sooooo long to spin it (I’m show you how later), but we have our own way of dyeing it with Greener Shades.  

We’re always coming up with new schemes, so be sure to check back often.  Also, I would love to hear from you when ever you have a thought.  Talk to you later, I’m be putting a fleece washing tutorial on later this week.