I WON a BLUE RIBBON 1ST PRIZE for my ART YARN & MORE.

Dear ones, I went over the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds for the VERMONT Sheep and Wool festival and guess what??? For the first time in my life I entered a spinning contest.I renamed both skeins so have to post the New Names here when I get the skeins home. I forgot to put them up for sale! I entered the Novelty yarn category i where i won My First ever lovely blue ribbon!! The skein that won First plae in the Novelty division is made from Dorset wool & Bombyx Silk & Angelina Fiber. I have carded what you see by hand about 6 times, and you can See how it started out here when I was preparing the fiber.
I will be winning a wonderful felted sliced bracelet as a PRIZE! ( I had a peek! will post pics later)
I won third place in the same division for another skein, a 2 ply Art Yarn. One ply is mettalic hologram fiber, and the other ply is made from Dorset/Suffolk Vermont wool that I get from my friend Lynne of Rest Harrow Farm in Vermont. See the whole skein here, and enjoy.

BTW I make artistic well spinning traveling hand DROP spindles ( small enough to spin in a car...) I love to spin fiber ( right now Llama Cloud is my favorite of the week, I picked up ONE ounce at the fest!) I spin and ply by hand spindle as my ashford wheel is need of surgery. I will SOON be getting my dream spinner electric wheel from Teri, Honey package will be going out soon! Waiting for funds to send it!! WATCH A WONDERFUL VIDEO ON THE SILENT ELECTRIC DREAM SPINNER. There is some really nice celtic music in background too.

See a few photos of spindles on my etsy store , Hopefully I will be able to open by end of September! I just went through a procedure for the Trigeminal Neuralgia and am recuperating.
I am also on Ravelry under halalsilks.

Universal Electronic Dream Spinner ~ MY NEW WHEEL!!

MY DREAM SPINNING WHEEL IS COMING SOON!!
WAIT FOR VIDEO TO LOAD PLEASE.

Teri creates these Amazing QUIET Electric Spinning wheels ~~ "Universal Electronic Dream Spinners" ~~. I have looked for an electric spinning wheel for years and finally found THE DREAM SPINNER. She does a lot of custom work, She herself is a "DREAM " to work with, CONTACT TERI and tell her GRACE Sent you!


One thing I will love when I receive MY wheel is that I can create ANY size art yarn!! The Orifice Posts are multi-sized to fit anything from a std. 1/4" diam. brass orifice tube up to a 7/8" diameter orifice tube ( If you have a huge BABE "BULKY" Flyer. )It fits ANY standard name brand spinning wheel flyers & bobbins.
I have a problem with my hip and if I spin on my ashford too long I really ache. As I am getting shots for my hip, repetitious actions are not good for me. I looked for a very long time for a quiet classy electric wheel and It was a serendipitous web surf that led me to Teri. I can't wait, Teri is adapting my wheel to fit my ashford bobbins too.
IN THE NEXT VIDEO, WATCH TERI CREATE SUPER THIN LACE WEIGHT PLY WITH HER SLING BLADE HAND SPINDLES... You can even use these in a limited space like as a passenger in a car or a plane.

"SLING BLADE HAND SPINDLE" by TERI

Please wait for this video to load and enjoy the background harp music and see this wonderful Sling Blade spindle. All her work is done meticulously.She invented this particular method to make spinning fine guaged yarn comfortably in small spaces such as planes and automobiles!
TELL TERI THAT GRACE SENT YOU ! CLICK TO ENQUIRE.

Saturday Spin In

First, I have been Offline, my dear baby computer, a mere 3 years old has to have a completely new hard drive, so have been OFFLINE for over a week~! Many tears were shed. I learned I am not supposed to DEPEND on the computer like an adjunct brain! So this is why I missed last Saturday's Spin In Dear Cindy and gang! Below is my spindle experiment for your perusal for this Saturday! I am on by remote access or would post MORE pics!

I also wanted to know if anyone can tell me how to NOT overtwist when spinning a short fiber. I am preferring hand spindling by far! However i do like plying better by wheel. How about You?
If you can't comment because of an issue on my blog, please email me, because I never ever get comments and would love to hear your opinion on my spinning!

My Spindle Experiment

I created these spindles from cd's. The left is on a 1/4" dowel with mini cd's ( If you know where i can get MORE of these Mini CD's please comment!) It is the most used spindle i own and spins forever! The right one is about a 1/2" dowel I hand painted and used 2, yes 2 heavy reg cd's. Get this.....

I think I broke a rule or something. The spindle on right is WAY heavier,, but I spun THINNER as you can see by the double up ply. How can That be?? Hmmm, I Heard you have to always go LIGHT in spindle weight to go THIN.. hmm, not for me. By the way my cd spindles have the LONGEST SPINS I have ever experienced with a hand spindle~ am thinking of possibly getting into making them to sell. Do you think there would be interest? How much could I ask?
Thanks for looking, come back NEXT SAT too!

SATURDAY SPIN IN!

Hi dear ones! I have had quite the spinning week!! I am fighting a sinus infection so was really in a hard week, so I spun up a storm! This is my ROSE AGATE coming off the hand made kniddy knoddy I made to my yarn winder after setting the twist on this single . Then I changed my mind and unwound it to make a hank again... Nothing like not making up your mind!!
MORE PICS of ROSE AGATE at my online web album ( FIBERS OF GRACE)

SATURDAY SPIN IN Part 2~

A self challenge in Teal... for the Saturday Spin in..
How many different LOOKS can I get with the exact same Ply of teal and ....

1. KOOL AID DYED PURPLE/MAUVE & TEAL named Rosalie

Top to Bottom: 1. Rosalie 2. Rosy Teal is a 4 ply reinforcing yarn for sock knitting with 2 componet threads in pink poly, a very thin nylon bluish teal, mauve dyed with Kool Aid ( I think it was tropical punch) and Teal
3 Ocean Teal is a 3 ply of the same bluish teal component thread, the teal wool and natural dorset wool.

Lastly is 4. Amethyst Sea is 3 ply of the teal, the bluish teal and straight plum hand dyed dorset wool.
Let me know what you think of this experiment... One more post!

SURGERY ON MY ASHFORD SPINNING WHEEL :(

My baby Traditional Ashford Wheel had surgery!!!I am trying to hide the scars on my dear wheel with ribbons that I tie my spinning tools on.

Utter Sadness!! My baby had it's maiden uprights operated on. I was plying and my wheel fell apart! I was so worried, because I can't afford a wheel. This one is about 15 or so years old. It is an ashford traditional. And the fact that we are rural and there are NO dealers here.. well Rob had to do the operation and I had to trust the Lord. Rob got wisdom. He put screw eyes in the sides of the uprights and then put a bolt through with a nut below to hold the upright in place
On the front bolt He made it easy to remove so i can take the bobbin off. A lot of work and He shortened my knob so it is more upright than it used to be... used to lean outward.

Here you can see the way I have to tension the wheel. In her travels to another owner she lost her tension assembly completely. We are so poor.. and This is what Rob did to try to fix it... he took 2 screw hooks, string and rubber bands, blue for spinning a single, yellow to ply! I am sunk if I break one! However, the wheel runs the Best It has ever run, Rob tightened everything. Now i have to go and give this beloved wheel some TLC!
Let's see if my spinning improves!

Saturday Spin In!

So sorry this is late getting posted today, having a lot of Trigeminal Neuralgia Attacks.

I am spinning a great deal to manage the pain so have a great deal to show you so Please START HERE.

And here is my NEWEST baby..
I got this wondeful spindle from My parents who gave me birthday money.
Catherine invented this supported spindle, it's called the SPINDOLYN.

Click Here for a couple of spinning related short clip videos for you!

Click Here for a pic of What I have spun this week

SATURDAY SPIN IN ~ " RECONSTRUCTION" ART YARN

Saturday Spin In!


This is my first entry for the Saturday Spin In Group.
My art yarn called " RECONSTRUCTION" I just took
this off of my hand spindle, the cd one you see below in an earlier post.
After I did a final rinse and vinegar/ salt soak to set color
and then rinsed, the Blue in the dye that was latent emerged
to dye the silk in this yarn LIGHT BLUE!!
I like it a lot better, what a happy accident!

"RECONSTRUCTION" Art Yarn, Ready to label and sell...
55 yards of Dorset/Merino Wool ,Silk & Angelina fiber Blend
but first, I will have to post it at the Yarn Museum!
Would like to see your comments! See my photo album here to see more spinning fun!

CLOSE UP OF MY OWN SPINDLE

I was grateful to receive 2 mini cd's from a collage friend, I made this wonderful ugly hand spindle. The only pretty part of it is the rainbow light that emenates from the cd Oh, AND the SILK Of course!
I can do some production style spinning on in if I use easy to spin fiber ! I have very carefully sanded the shaft to silky smoothness. I then rounded the end of the shaft,i n case it hits the floorm so it will continue to spin. I also have an screw eye at the top which i have opened to a crook. This is black silk from a Silk Mawata, or single cocoon opened up into a hankie which I pull into a thin roving and spin to a lace weight.

I SPUN A WRIST DISTAFF!

I made the wrist distaff from about 20 + single ply of hand spun lace weight wool.The fleece was dyed in kool aid and food coloring and randomly spun up.I decorated the tassel with beads to keep the wrist distaff hanging down straight.Don't make it too heavy, because the roving will add weight.
First, wrap roving around your tassel then slip on the bracelet. Thread your roving through the bracelet and up and over your hand and then start spinning!
There may be other ways but this is what I do.I also made the cd hand spindle too, and this one spins forever!

MIDST OF GLORY ART YARN JOURNEY

1. First, the clean wool ( merino?) on upper left corner is dyed, then carded together by hand . I use a hand spindle to spin the fibers, then roll it into a ball to ply ( upper right)


2.Here you can see the single ply ball on a bed of the original wool.

3. NOW to add the component ply, in this case, varigated crochet thread ( cotton)

4. These are plyed together on my trusty yet slow ashford traditional wheel.

5. The Plied yarn is then placed on a knitty knoddy i created where it is gently
tied off to not tangle.


6. It is then rinsed, washed , dye fastness is checked, .

and it is yet rinsed again.

7. It is then weighted to set the twist of the yarn firmly.

Damp yarn, already a bit fluffed...

Completed ART YARN, Compare this to the single ply to see how plumped up it is!

"MIDST OF GLORY" ART YARN labeled & SOLD.

HAND SPINNING SILK FIBER

I thought you might like to see some close ups of spinning silk by hand! I can't believe I can spin anything this thin! I never believed when others said that Hand Spindles are like potato chips, you can't just have one! I have now made 4, and given away 2 of those. Will post pics of them soon! This one you see was purchased on Ebay.

I AM SPINNING SILK!

Dear ones, I have now moved from just painting on silk to creating the actual silk thread! Here you can see the cocoon way on the right, on the left top is an opened cocoon called a Mawata of Bombyx Silk. You can see how i have drafted out the roving on the bottom left proceeding to the lovely hand spindle. The silk on the straw is thread i have already spun up! I won't be weaving silk scarves but I am enjoying this a lot, it helps to manage pain to concentrate.