May 24, 2012

Spinning - fibery goodness stash enhancement

Over the weekend I attended the Snake River Fiber Fair 2012 in Idaho Falls. My main goal was to stock up on fiber for spinning. The fair had vendors from the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest. There were hand dyers and ranchers selling fleeces. I had never been to a fiber fair before so I wasn't entirely sure of what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, especially with the friendliness of the fiber guild staff and vendors. I am definitely planning on going next year and maybe even take a few classes.

So here is what I bought:

1 oz. of undyed, natural Cormo top from Bennyhill fibers out of Montana. It is amazingly soft. I just wanted to test out a new fiber and I will probably practicing dying it as well. The vendor recommended dying the spun yarn rather than the roving.


8 oz of hand dyed corriedale from The Fiber Addict out of Donnelly, Idaho. The fiber prep on this is amazing and so much better than the fiber I purchased a few months ago. It was so pretty that I had to start spinning it right away. It will take me a long time to spin 8 oz of fiber, but it is such fun to watch the colors blend. I will probably buy from this vendor again.

It was really fun to meet Carolyn Greenwood from Greenwood Fiberworks. She is incredibly nice and enthusiastic about fiber. This braid was definitely the splurge of the day. 4 oz of merino/bamboo/silk. It is gorgeous. I haven't decided how to spin this up yet, but for now it's enough just to feel it's softness.


Finally, I purchased a new spindle from Irish Rose Rabbitry. She has beautiful spindles with stone whirls. I wanted a lighter weight spindle so I could spin finer yarn. The shaft is a beautiful hand carved glossy black. The spindle is a bit fast for me, but I love it. The prices on her spindles were really great. Only $10 for this gem.
The vendor also sales angora fiber.


I was able to test drive the Schacht Lady Bug and Sidekick spinning wheels. I definitely had a preference for the Lady Bug. I really need to try out a single versus a double treadle. One vendor says I picked up the treadling really fast (from all those years of sewing?).  I know that I need a lot more practice. There are many more things you have to pay attention to with a spinning wheel. The transition from spindling to spinning wheel was hard because I had a harder time controlling the spin and winding on at the same time, which are two different actions with spindling. In any event, it was fun to try. Is a wheel in my future? Maybe. But for now, I really do love spindling.

2 comments:

  1. What a great price for your new spindle! It's beautiful. I like the roving colors also. Looking forward to seeing it again once it's spun.

    I tried spinning one time and of course couldn't do it. I'm not sure I'd ever have the coordination to be successful at it, but it seems like such a relaxing activity.

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  2. Hey Esther, glad you made it to the fiber fair. We had unexpected company so i didnt make it. Maybe next year. I totally LOVE my Ladybug. I know you will love one too! Hope to see you soon!
    Mary nate

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