I have dozens of ideas for blog subjects running around inside my head, and I was having a tough time deciding which one first……Finally the obvious answer surfaced to the top….START AT THE BEGINNING!  So I will be starting at the beginning, with both my story and the process of making yarn.

The first step to making yarn is to grow the fiber.  Living in city pretty much rules out raising sheep, but I did have 2 angora bunnies for a while. Let’s just say that not all bunnies are smart enough to be litter box trained…..and leave it at that…lol.  In the beginning I did buy fleece, lots and lots of fleece!  I did the washing then hand carded pound after pound of fleece until I bought  my Duncan Drum Carder.  It finally came to a point where I didn’t have the time to process the fiber and still have enough time to spin, so I  made the decision to purchase my fiber ready to dye.

These days I bring home big bags of fiber any where from 10-22 pounds at a time.  The first thing I have to do is weigh out the fiber and roll it into my  famous Cinnamon Rolls.  This is what the Dinning/Dyeing room table looks like on fiber delivery day

By the end of the work session there are full tubs and boxes of rolled fiber all over the house, tucked into any available  nook or cranny.

It’s a few hours of work and a wonderful workout for the arms.  I may be sore by the end of the day,  but I know I will never have to worry about flabby arms waving in the wind!

I love to just look at the fiber…..rolled up so pretty,  see what I mean?

The nicest part is having all the fiber ready to roll,  that way when the inspiration for a new colorway  erupts in my head I can get right to work painting  fiber.

My  love affair with fiber started with my first spinning lesson 18 years ago.  Before I ever got the first few inches of twisted fiber onto the wheel my fingers were addicted to the wonderful feel of fluffy fiber.  Many miles of yarn later I still love the feel of fiber flowing through my finger tips and rarely miss a day of spinning.

Next time around we will take a look at the dyeing process and what inspires my colorways.

Until then, Spin Happy,

Cheryl  <^..^>