I am so excited! In the last two weeks I've bought a small herd of registered shetland sheep (4 bred ewe-lambs & 1 ram-lamb), a spinning wheel, and a knitting loom. Been reading bout cleaning, carding, spinning, felting. Getting so excited!!!
We're moving to wisconsin and a new-to-us farm on Oct 12th. The wheel and the loom are promises to myself that life is going change and I'm going to have time. The sheep are almost being given to us by a farmer who is suffering from final stages of heart disease. The pieces are just falling together and I am so excited!!!
I've only tried spinning once (and loved it), but my next door neighbor spins and weaves. She's setting up her loom again in the next week weeks so that she can teach me and some others what to do. I'm so excited.
I've also been looking at the little weavette looms to try, too.
I'd love to read about your journey as you learn this great art!
Oh, and Joyce spins, at least.
Jeni
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Mama to Alex, Miriam and Noah; Wife to Chris.
Alex (Weatherman), Miriam (Fancy Nancy) and Noah (Good Knight), October 31, 2008
Missing Hazel Irene, born still on April 18, 2008. A Broken Hallelujah
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I spin on a drop spindle (lust after a wheel...) but I do have a fair amount of experience with wool cleaning, carding, dying, and felting. (my divinely crafty blog link will show a small bit of what I do with wool). We have Dorset and Lleyn sheep on the farm where dh did his apprenticeship and where the orchard he runs now are. He has dealt with pretty much the whole gamut of concerns from fly strike (nasty!) to lambing. I get my pick of the fleece each year from the farm which is awesome! Shetland is a great all around wool breed so you should be able to get some nice things out of it.
Funny..I'm going to an alpaca farm today to learn more about spinning..I really want a drop spindle so I can start spinning!!
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Meg
Mama to Alexis, 22; Jacob, 19; and Elijah 11/20/02 and Sophia Jane, 11/20/04
Elijah allows me to dress him nicely and take a picture!
I mostly spindle-spin, as my antique family hierloom wheel is WAY out of true and thus the drive band is incessently slipping off, causing much frustration. I too lust after a new wheel, but my trusty spindles will have to do for now.
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Amy- Mom to dd (6-6-98) and ds (10-30-01)
I have never tried spinning, but I just ordered some wool that I am going to wash and card by hand and try spinning a bit of it. It sounds like fun and I am excited about it. My DH has carded and spun wool before but being the city girl that I am I had never even thought of doing this. I'm very excited to try it.
Malissa
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Mom to Ameena 7/30/05 & Lilly 1/18/07.
it's probably going to take me till at least the new year to start to focus on learning... but I'm so excited!
Meanwhile, I'm collecting my huge white dog's fur for a lady who spins with dog hair. Any one ever consider that? Supposed to be even warmer than sheep wool!
Fun to find women here who work wool. Looking forward to pestering you all with questions
I love spinning. I usually use my Ashford Traveler at home and spindles when I'm out. Before kids I never went anywhere without a drop spindle so I could take it out and spin if I had to wait in line for anything. These days I can't do that so much, but I have been spinning while I wait to pick Louisa up at school if Morganna's asleep. I weave occasionally, but not very often. I really should, since I've got a few looms. I mostly knit my handspun. I spin my dog's hair sometimes. It doesn't have the elasticity of wool (but of course it can be blended), but is incredibly warm. Louisa's been after me to knit her a hat with a blend of pink wool, white dog hair, and a bit of pink mylar. I really need to get going on that. I used to have Jersey Woolly rabbits for spinning fiber, too. I'm planning on getting 1 or 2 again soon. I grew flax once, and retted it, but that's as far as I got in the process. I think I'll grow some more next year and then process it with the other. Sheep are a possibility as well, but I don't know when.
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Thea
wife to Chris since 8-7-99
mom to Louisa May 9-30-2002
and Morganna Rose 6-17-06
I'm a spinner as well. Both drop spindle and wheel. I have a Kromski wheel that I adore and a bunch of different drop spindles. I just bought DH a gorgeous drop spindle of his own to teach him, too. I'm very excited about it!!
I'm so excited.
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