Tag: Lincoln Long Wool

Fibery Goodness Module Two Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Two Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

My Module Two Yarn was a bit slow in completion.  I had a month of super heavy snow on almost a daily basis, sub zero temperatures and wind chills up to -25F, and doing all the chores on my own because Charlie was offshore.  I didn’t spin at all during that time he was gone.  Our Module Three Yarn came out around Valentine’s day and I had only a little of the spinning for Module Two completed.

Module 2 Classic Cable Yarn

 

 

I chose to spin a Classic Cable Yarn.  I had never spun a Cable yarn before so this was brand new territory for me.  I used the same fiber that I did for Module One.  15.5 Micron Merino commercially prepared in a combed top. Pure white with no added blings or extra fibers and natural with no dyes.  I will be spinning each module of this same fiber and prep so my focus is on the various yarn structures in the 7 yarns required for the course.

Module 2 Yarn close up

 

 

A Classic Cable yarn is constructed of 4 singles spun evenly.  I chose to spin the four singles to the Right.  I took 2 of the singles and plied them to the left to make a 2 ply yarn.  After that I took that 2 ply yarn and ran it through and plied it a second time to the left so that it was double over plied.  I took the remaining two singles and plied them to the left twice in the same manner.  This left me with 2 2 ply yarns over spun to the left.

Module 2 Yarn

 

I got to use my brand new Country Spinner 2 for the first time to cable those 2 2 ply yarns back together going to the right.  It was fun watching them POP into that cable as I spun along.  I set the twist by washing in a warm water with a bit of liquid soap and swished them around a little to felt them just a touch into their chain structure well.  They are soft and squishy and oh so much fun.

Hand Painted and Dyed Yarns for the Store

Posted on by Melisa

 

All 57 hand painted skeins drying in garden

I have over 60 new skeins of yarn for the online store. I did a massive dye project and hand painted 57  200 yd skeins in less than 24 hours.  They were at the Salida Fiber Festival and are now going into the Alba Shop to get ready for the Holiday Shopping.

Here is a shot of them all hanging on the line to dry in my garden.

Most are in colorways of about 6 skeins, with each skein being 200 yds.  One 200 yd skein will make a lacy scarf and 2 skeins making a lovely shawl.

Purple Mint 60/40 merino mohair

I have 21 skeins of 100% pure Angora Rabbit lace weight 2 ply yarn.  This yarn is a stunning 28 wpi!  Such a delicate fine 2 ply lace yarn.

 

 

Pure Angora Rabbit Yarn in Pastel

I have 36 skeins of a blend of 60% merino and 40% mohair.  This yarn is dyed in about 8 different color ways.  This fiber was grown here on Alba Ranch in the Colorado Mountains.  It came from 2 white merino sheep, White Mama and Crazy 208.  The 3 white angora goats were Michelle (grandma), Lucy (mom), and Sami (wethered grandson).

I also have a six skeins of Baby Woo Boo.  This yarn is 35% baby alpaca, 30% merino, 30% bamboo and 5% nylon binder.  It is a wonderful soft, stretchy boucle with lots of bounce and is still very lightweight.

WooBoo Green

I hand painted all these skeins myself and love the colorways.  I am just starting to photograph them and will be uploading them to the shop here shortly over the next week.

Red Fall 60/40 merino mohair

I have taken over 100 photographs of the yarns and all the Lincoln Long Wool Locks.  Now they are all edited and I will be uploading them in the shop as I get them done.

I have decided to include a few photos of the yarns just to tease you.  Keep an eye out here as they come your way.

First Ever Salida Fiber Art Festival

Posted on by Melisa

The first ever Salida Fiber Art Festival is next weekend.  September 8 and 9, 2012.  I have to have all my things ready to put in the booth on Friday, September 7.  My sister is coming in to Colorado Springs tomorrow night and it will be her first time in Colorado.  She is also bringing her daughter, Isadora, who is 5 months old and flying for the first time.  First time for both in extreme altitude, first time for these two city girls to be out in the backwoods of the mountains, so very many firsts in the next week or two!!!

I decided to specialize in Lincoln Long Wool Locks in small quantities for spinners and felters and hand painted and hand dyed yarns this year.  Our guild has a double fiber booth so many members are putting things in the booth for sale.  I may consider doing a booth on my own in the future but I would have to buy the tent, sand bags, set up the tables and be there for the entire fiber festival which at this time I just can not manage with my health.  There is no reason I can’t participate in my guild’s booth because if all the members did their own booth, our Guild booth would be rather empty.

Hand Painted Lincoln Long Wool

I have hand painted Lincoln Locks, solar dyed Lincoln locks, natural colored or white lightly washed Lincoln Locks, and some of the white Lincoln locks raw.  There will be much to choose from. The dyeing of the Lincoln Long Wool Locks is already done.

Solar Dyed Lincoln Long Wool

I have 36 200 yd skeins of 60/40 Merino/Mohair 2 ply lace weight yarn.  This fiber was grown here on Alba Ranch and I had the mill blend the two fibers into this yarn.  Merino wool came from  White Mama and the other crazy white merino.  And the Mohair came from Michelle, Lucy, and Sammi.  That is a grandmother, mother and wether Angora Goat Family.

Sammi, Angora Goat

I also have 21 200 yd skeins of 2 ply spider lace weight (28 WPI) skeins of pure Angora Rabbit yarn as well.  All 57 of these skeins I am hand painting today.

I have those skeins plus 6 other skeins already dyed to make 63 skeins of yarn.  I will have 40-50 individual bags of Lincoln Long wool locks.  I have to tag and price every single one by Friday.  I think my sister will be pressed into hard labor to help finish these!!  haha

Any of the yarns and locks that I do not sell in the Fiber Festival, I will upload to the Alba Ranch Shop Online as I haven’t added any new products recently.  I have been too busy creating to do computer work.  I am off now to the dye pot or I will never finish today.  Blog writing is NOT getting any dyeing done!!

1940’s Spin-A-Long Fashion Decade Challenge

Posted on by Melisa

Lime Sparkle, hand spun art yarn plyed with 2 ply spider thin angora to make a lovely 3 ply with loads of texture.

Art Yarn Spin-a-Long: Decade of Fashion Challenge 1940’s Glitz and Glamor!

Lime Sparkle

I bought both art batts from Neauveau Fiber Arts.  I spun them up into a textured single and plyed it with a 2 ply spider thin Angora yarn in Baby blue.

Acqua Glitz

 

I have a second Challenge yarn as well for 1940’s and this one is called Acqua Glitz. 

Both are for sale in the Alba Ranch Shop. 

You can use this wonderful art yarns in knitting, crochet and weaving.  Have you ever worked with Handspun?  it has so much character, texture and charm.  I love working with a hand spun yarn over a commerical yarn almost always.