Smelly, Greasy Hair into Gold - Part Deux

Ok, I got a little sidetracked this week but I am finally back with the rest of my process.

Now, where were we....oh, yes, coming out of the dye pot.

So, after the fiber has taken as much dye as I want it to, I let it cool, rinse it out, put it in a mesh laundry bag and send it through the spin cycle on the washing machine to extract as much water as possible. Then I fluff it up (if it has gotten matted in the process) and lay it out to dry on some racks I have set up in the laundry room.

When the fibers are dry I run them through my drumcarder, which, if you are not familiar, is a piece of equipment with two drums that have a surface kind of like a dog brush that move in opposite directions. The fibers are teased and straightened out as they pass between the drums and the combed out fibers then collect on the larger of the drums. See my post "The Day After" for a picture of my drumcarder. When I remove the fibers from the drumcarder they are all stuck together in one big, fluffy mass. That mass is what I spin from.


To spin the fibers into yarn, I use a spinning wheel. You can also use a spindle (basically a dowel with a weight on one end), which is much more economical, but also much more time intensive.

The basic premise of all spinning wheels is the feet peddle to move a wheel, the wheel has a band around it that also goes around a smaller wheel (depending on the design, the smaller wheel is either attached to the "flyer" or the "bobbin"), the big wheel turns the small wheel, and the small wheel turns the spindle. So, you see, a spinning wheel is really just a supped up spindle. The real time saver is that a wheel will suck the spun yarn onto a bobbin whereas when you use a spindle you have to stop and wind the yarn on yourself. The way is sucks the yarn on is pretty cool. A flyer is a "U" shaped contraption that the bobbin (think spool of thread) sits in. The yarn is being twisted at the bottom of the "U" and threaded up the side and onto the bobbin. When you hold the yarn taught, the bobbin and flyer move as one. When you release the yarn, either the flyer stops and the bobbin keeps spinning or vice versa depending on which one is attached to the small wheel. This winds the newly spun yarn onto the bobbin. The actual twisting of fiber into yarn happens between your hands and the bottom of the U, which is spinning around. You release fibers from the mass by gently pulling them out (drafting) as you peddle (treadle) and allowing twist to enter them. The whole process feels a lot like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at first, but it becomes second nature after a while.

When I'm done spinning, I unwind the bobbin by wrapping in around a tool that is two yards in circumference. When I'm done I have a big circle of yarn. I measure yardage by counting each strand and doubling the number.

Then I finish my yarn. I developed my finishing technique through trial and error. I'm not saying it's unique, people have come up with simultaneous original ideas for making yarn since the beginning of time, just that it wasn't taught to me. I intentionally full (or felt) the yarn. I fill a bucket with soap and hot water, plunge and swish the yarn around in it, remove the yarn, fill the bucket with cold water, plunge and swish, remove the yarn, fill the bucket with hot water and a quarter cup of white vinegar, plunge and swish, remove the yarn and rinse a final time in cold water. Then I put the yarn in a mesh bag and throw it in the washing machine on the spin cycle. When it comes out it is a tangled mess. I take hold of one end and slap it against my knee to shake out the tangles. I thread my arms through it and snap it open a few times. Then I drape it over my drying racks.

All that rough housing assures me of a few things. First, the yarn will be as fuzzy as it's going to get. Second, any residual VM, lanolin, dirt, oil, and dye will be removed. And finally, it's going to be durable.

This process isn't appropriate for weaving yarns or for yarns you intend to use in a project that will be felted (fulled) because it won't shrink as much as you need it to.

When the skein is dry it is ready to roll into a ball and use as desired.

So, that is how you make yarn, or at least, that is how I make yarn.

Peace