A little of this and a little of that

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently purchased a drumcarder. It took me forever to decide which brand and model I wanted and where to buy it but at last I settled on a Strauch Standard from fellow etsian Art Club http://www.artclub.etsy.com. I am so exceedingly pleased with my purchase. If you are contemplating taking the leap from handcards to a drumcarder, do it. Buy a Strauch. Buy it from Art Club. They give you this 2 pound box (1 pound if you buy the Petite) of mixed fibers, every kind of fiber you can imagine. I got to try some funky glittery synthetic fibers that little earthy hippie me had never dreamed of trying. I think I'm in love with Firestar. It will have to be a closet romance, of course.

Anywho, after hours of giddy batt making I was left with a pile of odds and ends that really didn't go together. So, I packed them away with all the other odds and ends of fiber left over from projects and sent to me as samples with fiber orders. The other day I got this idea to through everything I know about color and fiber out the door and just mix it all up. All of it. I shredded up rovings and teased up locks and threw it all in a paper grocery bag and kneaded it up with my fists to get it good and mixed.

I threw the fibers by fist fulls onto the drumcarder making a concerted effort not to interfere with the randomness of it. The part of me that plays by the rules kept saying "oh, look, you are ruining perfectly good fiber. You are going to feel sick about this tomorrow" and the part of me that is hooked up to the universal flow of creative energy would reply "Just sit down and shut up for a minute. Trust me. This is going to be great"

Aren't they pretty? Honestly, I think they are prettier than my intentional batts with perfectly placed texture and planned out colorways. Funny how that works, isn't it.

Also, I finally had a camera man handy when I demonstrated my spinning with a cat on my lap technique.

I know it looks cute, but it's really getting annoying. He runs up to my side and waits till I pull back for a long draw and then jumps up and settles down without waiting for me to stop. I didn't see him coming today and it scared me half to death when he landed on my lap. I try to explain to him that I really have to get some more yarn spun up for my shop, but he doesn't care. Sigh.

Well, I'm off to watch the Eagles pummel Arizona.

Peace

Flow

The knitting resurgence took this world by storm. Now the trend is to take up spinning your own yarn. It's a natural trend. It flows like the gentle spiral of twist flowing up into a lofty, airy batt of fiber.

Flow. That is the perfect word. That is why I love what I do. I love watching all those fibers, fibers once worn on a living being, lovingly petted by their human caretakers, shorn by skilled hands, painstakingly washed by my own two hands, flowing gently through my fingers.

Even when the skein is finished, it's still in motion. I hold it in my hands for only a moment, and like a divining rod, it naturally moves with the invisible currents of destiny. I know instantly, this is a gift for my friend, this is for me to wear against my skin, this needs to go out into the unknown world.

How does the sonnet go? "Eyes to be my being shall rehearse" Fingers to be my yarn shall caress. Someone I will never meet will glide their fingers over each inch of the yarn I spun. Those fingers will be guided by the same flow. Their handy work will move on to a infants feet, or a grandma's shoulders. Those feet will grow and those shoulders will raise with one final inhale. A loved ones hands will sort mementos. A treasure will be found at the local Good Will. A tattered fragment will be reborn as a felted purse.

Eventually, it will flow back to the earth, as everything does.

That is why I am in love with handspun.

Peace

New Listings

I have a few new listings on Esty. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6059496

I am so frustrated, though. My pictures for my listings are terrible. You would not believe how hard natural light is to come by in Wisconsin in December. I built a light box, but can't seem to get enough light in that either.

I guess I'll be spending some quality time with my camera manual today.


Here is me in a poncho I just finished out of "Ocelot" with the cat doing what he does best, coming between me and yarn.

And a close up of the poncho:


Peace

Eco-Friendly Yarn

So what makes a yarn eco-friendly (or earth-friendly, green, environmentally-friendly, sustainable, organic, etc.)?

Last week I posted my thoughts on animal-friendly yarn, which, in my opinion, is simple. Shepard takes good care of sheep, gives sheep needed haircuts, sells wool for a modest price to make enough money to keep the sheep. The sheep is happy, the Shepard is happy, the person who purchased the wool is happy, everyone is happy.

Unfortunately, not everything in this world is that uncomplicated. When it comes to eco-friendly yarn there is mostly varying shades of grey. But don't be discouraged, I will do my best to cut through the labels and give you the skinny on what impact different fibers and dyes have on the environment so you can make an informed decision.

First, which is better for the environment, animal fibers, plant fibers, or man made fibers?

All three have their positives and negatives. Fiber producing animals need a lot of room to roam, room that could be used as an oxygen producing forest or as a field for raising food crops for humans. Also, farm animals produce global warming/climate change emissions, 18% of dangerous emissions worldwide, according to the New York Times article "As more eat meat, a bid to cut emissions". This is commonly sited as a reason to stop eating meat, but that is a topic for another day. On the positive side, you can get pretty much any kind of animal fiber yarn, handspun or millspun, from the U.S. or Canada. There is even cottage industry silk production going on in North America. This means if you live in the U.S. or Canada, you can get animal fiber yarns that have not been tainted by the enormous amount of fossil fuel it takes to get it to you from halfway around the world.

Plant fibers have the advantage of producing oxygen but that is about it. Aside from the fact that most plant fibers are shipped in from Europe and Asia, large amount of fossil fuels are used in the production process. There are some really scary statistics about the environmental impact of pesticides and insecticides in cotton production in particular. Linen, hemp and ramie have to be intensely processed before ready for use. Of course, there are sustainable ways to grow plant fibers, they are just not as popular because they can't keep up with global demand. Domestic organic cotton production is becoming more mainstream and these fibers are generally the most eco-friendly option.

Manufactured fibers are highly processed and require large amounts of fossil fuels in their production. However, some, like SoySilk and rayon, are made from a byproduct of some other products production. I like the idea of using up every last drip of something. And then there is bamboo. Highly processed, yes, but also highly sustainable. Bamboo grows like crazy and can adapt to almost any climate. These are considered "manufactured" fibers because, unlike cotton, hemp, ramie, or linen, you can't process it at home. It can only be made industrially.

Then there is the dye process.

Dyeing has never, not even before the industrial revolution, been an eco-frienldy process. I can think of only two examples of colors that are washfast that can be produced completely environmentally benign. The process for both is labor intensive and one is kind of gross.

A lot of companies use catch phrases like "low impact dyes" or "earth friendly plant dyes" to market their products. So what does that mean? The term "low impact dyes" generally refers to fiber reactive dyes when applied to plant fibers. The reason is, when these types of dyes meet up with plant fibers they form a permanent bond. They won't crock (rub off) or rinse out in the wash. They usually don't contain heavy metals, either. They also don't require a heat source. The down side is that the process requires a lot of water. Also, there are often toxic chemicals that are used along with the dye to achieve brighter, deeper colors. That is really key. In any dye process it is usually not the dye that is harmful, it is the supplementary chemicals that are used to affect the way the dye looks on the fibers. If you see the term "low impact dyes" in context with animal fibers such as wool, it probably means the dyes used were acid dyes, which can be completely soaked up by the fibers and don't require a lot of excess chemicals in the dye process, and are heavy metal free or have low levels of heavy metals.

Plant dyes can be eco-friendly, but it really depends on the dyer. That is also a significant point. The environmental impact of the dye process often has more to do with the attitude and practices of the home dyer or industrial manufacturer than the dye itself. There are two areas of concern with plant dyes, the mordants (supplemental chemicals) used and the impact of growing, harvesting and transporting the dyestuff. Mordants that are generally considered safe are alum and iron. Most dyestuffs come from slow growing plants in tropical regions of the world. It is so important to know where the dyestuffs come from. Cutting down a rain forest sort of negates the earthy mystique of plant dyes, don't' you think?

Nature also provides a beautiful spectrum of colors. Cotton comes in shades of brown, orange, red, olive green and cream. Wild silk can be anything from bright golden yellow to copper. Sheep, Alpaca, and other animals come in loads of pretty natural colors, even lavender! We are in danger of losing natural colors because commercial production emphasises breeding cotton, sheep and silk to be as white as possible. By supporting natural colors you help ensure biodiversity for future generations.

So, in general, domestic naturally colored animal-friendly wool or organic cotton are the most eco-friendly options. Beyond that, finding suppliers with positive environmental philosophies is the way to go. I'm going to list a few of my favorites below. If you have any questions, comments, or other suppliers you'd like me to add to my list, please leave a comment. This is an important but complicated topic with lots of room for discussion.

Peace

http://www.aurorasilk.com/
http://www.nearseanaturals.com/
http://www.earthues.com/
greenershades.stillrivermill.com
http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarm.com/

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

Mid-Week Update

Like the spokes on a spinning wheel, all things come full circle.

(oh stop rolling your eyes, this is a blog about spinning, I have to find ways to tie it all together. I thought that was pretty clever.)

I have some updates on previously reported stories.

Sunday I posted a cowl on Etsy that I made with the "Straw into Gold" guanaco mix yarn. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18341380 (and now you know what I look like)

In that same post I relayed my cat's fetish for disrupting my spinning. He's not one for jumping up on laps so I would make a deal with him. "Ok, I will stop spinning and give you my full attention when you jump up here" He never did. I usually ended up putting on my lap anyway. (who's the boss?) Well, he surprised me last week by taking an opportunity while I was joining a new piece of roving to jump up. Of course I dropped the roving.


How does it go "an action rewarded will be repeated"? Hmmmm.


So now he jumps up constantly without invitation and without waiting for a proper intro. Bam! Cat on the lap.


(did I mention he's an Emril fan?)


So naturally I stop spinning and pet him. Tonight I really needed to get some work done, so after a few minutes I made the executive decision that lap time was over. I joined on a bit of fiber and started spinning. I felt his back legs tense and braced myself for his jump. But he didn't jump. He just sat there, going up and down, up and down. Soon his front paw started alternating fists. He liked it.

Oh, it gets better.

He anchored his back legs around my thigh and started reaching out as far as he could with his front paws for the drive band. He couldn't quite reach it but wouldn't give up.


So, here sits this woman spinning. There is a cat on her lap, rising and falling and reaching.

I know what you're thinking, why didn't I take a picture.....

(Um, because I was consentrating on spinning with a cat on my lap, which is not that easy, I might add)





Moving on.


I finally got pictures from my Dad of the scarfs that my Step-Mom crocheted from the grey smooth yarn and the funky red yarn I mentioned in an earlier post.

Aren't they pretty? I can't decide which one I like better. I think it's so cool to see what someone else does with my yarn.

Also, I have a few new listings on my site (scroll up and to the left) so stop in and browse.

And thank you all for your patience with my overuse of parenthesis.

(Peace)

Animal-Friendly Yarn

So what makes a yarn animal-friendly? Does it have to be made from plant or synthetic fibers? I don't think so, and this is why.

I heard someone once describe themselves as a “Cafeteria Catholic”. I had to chuckle because I knew exactly what they meant. I’m a “Cafeteria Vegan”. I’m a vegan who mostly agrees with the dogma, occasionally agrees with the tactics, and flat out disagrees with certain doctrines. The area where I disagree most strongly is in the use of wool and other animal fibers.

Most views on this fall into one extreme or the other. When told about some of the horrific factory farming practices that are used to produce our mainstream fibers, some say “look, there is a lot of human and animal suffering that happens around the world to produce the products that we use everyday. I don’t like it but there is nothing I can do about it so I try not to think about it.” I’ve also heard this response “so what, they are just animals, sheep aren’t people” (I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume that response comes from the same sentiment as the first, just hidden under a gruff exterior). Then there is the standard vegan response “we have no right to profit from animals or use products that come from animals. The only true animal-friendly fibers come from plants.”

Most people want to be good people. Most people want to do the right thing. Why do you think the organic food industry continues to thrive during an economic crisis? But the right thing is complicated. For example, only using recycled paper is doing the right thing, right? Maybe, maybe not. If all those acres of forest that are set aside for logging were suddenly useless because people weren’t buying virgin paper or wood, do you think the forests would be abandoned or another lucrative use would be found for them, like, say, luxury condos villages?

When you start to dig past the labels of “animal-friendly”, “eco-friendly”, “fair-trade” and the like it can be disheartening to learn that sometimes these things aren’t as sustainable, fair or ethical as you were excited to believe. The natural tendency is to give up and become cynical about the amount of impact you can personally have.

One of the reasons I love making yarn is that it’s one of the very few things in this world that has the potential to be pure.

Here are the facts. Domesticated fiber bearing animals have to be sheared (or plucked in the case of rabbits) or they will suffer and possibly even die from the neglect. Not properly caring for domesticated animals is inhumane. Most wild fiber bearing animals shed their coats on the open plains where they wander. Wild silk moths abandon their cocoons when they are done with them.

So, here you have all this fiber, the fiber from the shearing and the fiber naturally discarded, and you are supposed to just leave it there to rot? The shepherdess can’t support herself and her sheep from selling their fleeces? The nomadic peoples of Mongolia and Alaska and people in small villages in India can’t sell foraged fibers as a source of income? None of these people are getting rich. These are not CEOs of Fortune 500s. There will be no Enron here. This is simple.

But, does the shepherdess treat her animals well or are they bred to produce so much wool they can barely stand? Are the villagers poaching endangered animals for their fiber instead of waiting for them to shed it?

Well, that is the beauty of yarn. It’s not far removed from it’s raw state so it’s fairly easy to track down the source, especially if you buy handspun. It’s not like that “Made in Hong Kong” tee-shirt you bought at Wal-Mart yesterday. You can buy yarn from a spinner who can tell you that the wool came from her sister’s pet sheep Maxine and she dyed it in some wild goldenrod that was growing along her driveway. Spinners and dyers are proud to tell you about their process. They would love to make something special for you that suites your values. Try asking a sales associate at Wal-Mart about the origins of that shirt. Bonus points if you ask them if they would make an organic one for you that is dyed with plants.

So where in the world do you find someone who makes yarn, let alone someone who makes yarn from the fiber of animals who are well treated. Well, I can help you out there. My Etsy shop, for starters http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6059496 Also, there is HollyEqq, Miss Hawklet, and the Homestead Wool and Gift Farm. If you prefer millspun yarn for economy or consistency, Homestead now offers animal-friendly millspun yarn. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks beautiful. Also, there are loads of shops on Etsy that sell “green” and ethical fibers, just be sure to ask about their process and sources.

When it comes to yarn you can show your support for treating animal life with respect without resigning yourself to a 10 pound cotton sweater. You can buy Animal-Friendly wool yarn be and be Cafeteria Vegan just like me!

Peace