The first section of the podcast is a review of the Katahdan breed, also called the hair sheep. Because these fleeces contain a large amount of hair like fiber, I also discuss the process known as dehairing. Carolina Homespun is one of the mills that currently has a machine to do this process, and they show it being done in this Youtube video . I mentioned previously talking about pygora, and that I would list the episode link, but right now I can not find that I actually did talk about this fib...
Dec 10, 2012•1 hr
This podcast is the five year mark for the Yarnspinnerstales podcast. In this episode I review some of it's history and also some of it's future. To celebrate this anniversary, I have started using a brand new theme song found on Music Alley by Jon Caspi and The First Gun It is called Spin..a song for children...of all ages. I also play Spinning by The Fast Sails . YST has taken a big jump into 'the future is now' and now is available on the Stitcher app for your smart phone or Ipad...
Oct 31, 2012•1 hr
Today's episode talks about putting a positive spin on that fiber stash we all own. The yarn in today's photo is some I spun from Natural Obsession . I talk about the final process of plying this yarn in the episode also. Two links for finding things I mention in the podcast. My blog is here and here is the Spinners Journa l, the book I created to help you keep track of all the process of creating your hand spun yarn. Music is from Music Alley and features Whitney Kelly with Autumn Air and at th...
Oct 05, 2012•40 min
Two more breeds' fleeces are reviewed in this podcast that were part of my Ravellenic challenges for 2012. The first is Ryeland and the second, not really a breed at all but a location, is Salish. Both wools turned out to be wonderful for spinning woolen with carded batts. Pictures of the resulting yarns are on my blog, for Ryeland and for Salish . If you are interested in the many breeds of rare sheep a good website is the OK EDU website. Cowichan Knitting is from the Vancouver Island area and ...
Sep 17, 2012•54 min
New name but old event that Ravelry has done this for years. The idea is to challenge yourself with goals to start at the beginning of the Olympics and finish with the close. I chose to join the spinning team and selected five projects to complete. I was able to finish four of them and review two of those in this podcast. Each required washing of raw fiber, processing by combing/carding and then spinning a skein to review. The first is a rare breed I have not reviewed before, California Red Shee...
Aug 16, 2012•37 min
It's the podcast for the finish line of the 2012 Tour de Fleece! A short but very satisfying recap for all of our spinning during the tour. Music is from Music Alley and is a very appropiately named The Finish Line by Steve Parsons .
Aug 07, 2012•30 min•Ep. 81
This is the third and final week of the Tour de Fleece, and I must say there's not much finished yarn in my projects, but there definately is for Digitaldurga. I also discuss the technique of splitting and spinning dyed roving called fractal spinning. Here's a link to a discussion of the technique in Knitty. Music is by the artist Will Kriski and is called Kerrys Jig, found on Music Alley ....
Aug 02, 2012•32 min•Ep. 80
I started these frequent updates on the Tour de Fleece spinning projects, and found I was so chatty in most of them that I have used up my allotted storage space. Not to worry though, for the MB archive thirty days from when they are uploaded. After Aug 1st, I will start having space open up again, and Digitaldurga and I will continue with the updates. I do apologize to the team for not crossing the finish line with them in these podcasts, but be assured I will be along shortly. Meanwhile, carry...
Jul 20, 2012•4 min
How do decide just how a fiber should be spun? I talk about this and the continuing Tour De Fleece spinning projects in this podcast. In today's music you hear the usual podcast intro and at the end the rest of the song, Spinning Wheels by Clare Dowling , found on Music Alley . A big thank you to her for sharing this song, so appropiate for the podcasts' intro music!...
Jul 18, 2012•21 min•Ep. 79
We are more then half way through the Tour de Fleece, and so it seems time to make some yarn from all those singles we have been spinning. In this podcast two types of plying are described, chain (navajo) plying and working with a plying ball. Music is by the artist Caledonix and is called Braveheart-Came Ye Oer Frae France. The music was provided by the artist on Music Alley ....
Jul 15, 2012•42 min•Ep. 78
The Tour de Fleece spinners have been spinning ten days now and are looking forward to the day of rest. This update covers the three days right before that. The music is from Music Alley and is by the group Great Big Sea (who have lots of songs on Music Alley for you to buy and support these great musicians.) Today's song is French Shore....
Jul 11, 2012•33 min•Ep. 77
This is the third installment of the daily updates for the Tour de Fleece spinning event. Be sure to check out the different threads posted on Ravelry to see my fibers and yarns as well as many others by all the great spinners. Music is from Music Alley (which seems to be working again) and is Jillian LaDage Midsummer Night....
Jul 08, 2012•1 hr•Ep. 76
Here's the second Tour de Fleece update podcast. Today Digitaldurga (ravelry name) joins me with her updates too. Mohair I talk about is from Majora Acres Natural Obsessions fiber can be found here Music is from Music Alley and is the song Feather Lullaby by Tangential Cold...
Jul 05, 2012•39 min•Ep. 75
Daily Tour de Fleece updates, that is the new experiment I am doing for this podcast. All during the Tour de France cycling event, Ravelry members, especially spinners, get out their spinning wheels, set goals for themselves, and keep those wheels spinning as much as possible. I love this event and use it to challenge myself back into spinning something everyday. This year I decided to add the goal of short podcasts about each day's spinning, combining several together into a podcast. So here we...
Jul 02, 2012•37 min•Ep. 74
Straight from the meet up at a fiber festival we have interviews of three phat fiber folks. Don't know about Phat Fiber? Listen in to learn, and then go to their website or find the Ravelry group by searching groups for phat fiber sampler box. The indie dyer in the meet up is found at NaturalObsessions fiber and is a wonderful source for non wool fibers. The fiber producer of the group is found at her Etsy shop or at Fluffington Farms blogspot site. The fiber festival I went to is the Indiana Fi...
May 26, 2012•1 hr•Ep. 73
Two sections of the post for support spindles, a book review and a discussion of my recent experience spinning angora on my three support spindles. The book Fleegle Spins Supported is available here. A YouTube video of me spinning cotton on the Royale Hare brass support spindle is found here and the spindle is available to order from her Etsy shop here . I apologize for saying on the podcast that the spindle was not readily available, I did not look up the link until after I did the recording, m...
Apr 28, 2012•56 min•Ep. 72
OK so I'm playing on words with today's podcast title. I do two sheep breed reviews, Columbia and Rambouilette. Then I talk about the explosion of spinning information going digital. Hence, digital sheep. A few links: Closing song is by Triple6RFusioN and is called First Day of Spring. You can find this and other music played on the podcast at Music Alley . My blog is here and if you are looking to buy the Spinner's Journal, click here . Spinning daily is where you will find all the good digital...
Mar 31, 2012•51 min•Ep. 71
It's actually magic, taking washed but clumped fiber, putting it through the drum carder and getting fluffy batts ready to spin. It's a spinning project I only do now and then, after accumulating those piles of fleeces and other fibers ready to blend. Then I spend several months, in an hour here and there, creating the batts. After that, the fun begins, as I get to spin them and see what those blends will look like in yarn. In today's podcast, I talk about my recent drumcarding projects, as well...
Feb 21, 2012•55 min•Ep. 70
There are four reviews in today's podcast, two rare sheep breed's fiber, a spinning DVD and my trip to Stitches East. The Oklahoma State University's website is a good place to start if you are looking for information on any animal including rare breed sheep: Breeds of sheep There are many wonderful resources for sale at the Interweave press website, books, ebooks, DVD, videos, books and magazines. Interweave press The specific DVD I review in this podcast "Spinning for Lace" by Margaret Stove i...
Jan 07, 2012•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 69
Janilee and Chris are both post graduate students at the Manchester England college. Both are spinners and weavers, but have two different concepts for their doctorial thesis. I was able to interview each and had a wonderful time talking to them. Listen in, and learn about early weavers and spinners, and the modern day archeological study of them. Interlude music in today's podcast is from Music Alley and is by the group Celtic Stone . The title is Drowsy Maggie. Looking for a link to buy my Spi...
Nov 16, 2011•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 68
A Spinner's Journal, your own place to record all of the processes of the projects that turn fiber into yarn. I am a note taker, list maker by nature, and for all the years I've been spinning, those notes are on many different pieces of paper. I found I still like to refer back to them, and decided I needed a better system for taking my notes. And if I needed it, I bet other spinners do too. So I created the Spinner's Journal and it's now finally available for sale. I've given some details about...
Nov 05, 2011•10 min
This month celebrates the fact that I have been doing this podcast for four years. If you've listened since the beginning, THANK YOU! If you just found me today, WELCOME! The best thing about podcasts is their longevity. Oh some podcasts are very linked to current events and may outdate, but information about spinning is always fresh. Someone is always just learning to spin, or dye fiber, or wash a fleece. And if they look at my archives and the titles, they will probably find a podcast to help ...
Oct 15, 2011•22 min
Fluffly, that's what woolen spinning is all about. You spin from fluffy batts, and you spin a lofty yarn. The Yarnspinnerstales Spin In Ravelry group has been practicing this spinning technique this month. I joined them and talk about my experiences spinning woolen on each of my wheels in this podcast. I also give some suggestions to help you get going with this wonderful way of spinning. I also will be posting photos of what I spun for this challenge on my blog . I was in the mood for more musi...
Oct 05, 2011•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 67
I am talking again about the new Majacraft Aura wheel and my learning process as I've spun on it. Although you may not have this specific wheel, you can listen and apply some of my ideas to any wheel that you would like to expand in your spinning skills. The second section discusses my crazy idea of putting beads in the yarn before I knit, and how I finally got that idea to work. The photo here shows that yarn on the bobbin of the Aura. The music today is a bit different than normal as I recentl...
Aug 21, 2011•50 min•Ep. 66
Today I decided to podcast to potential spinners, and entice them into the fold, so to speak. So the podcast is all about taking that first step or two. Before long you will be a spinner too. I also included a review of a very good magazine to start you on your way, Knit and Spin by Interweave Press. Music in today's podcast is from Music Alley The interlude is called Music for an unborn podcast and is by Michael van Laar The closing song is by Cat Malojian Only You. And a big thank you to Clare...
Aug 21, 2011•57 min•Ep. 65
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep is the only naturally black wool and has been prized for that quality for hundreds of years. Still being raised today, it's prized by handspinners and today's podcast talks to one of the very knowledgable breeders of this breed. Shown here in the photo with a cape made from her sheep's wonderful black wool, Oogie McGuire raises the sheep at her farm Desert Weyr . She graciously let me interview her about raising this wonderful breed of sheep....
Jul 22, 2011•51 min•Ep. 64
Spinning a lock of wool is the traditional way to get a very thin yarn. That is because you can pull a small number of fibers out of the lock, and give the drafting zone a very thin prep of fiber. In this podcast I review how each of five different breeds of sheep's locks spun and how I made my decision whether to continue to prep the fiber for spinning by lock washing. The five breeds discussed are Cormo/Border Leicester, Corriedale, Romney, Cormo and an unknown ewe lambs fleece. This is one ti...
Jun 02, 2011•49 min•Ep. 63
Two rare sheep breeds and their fleeces are reviewed in this podcast, the Black Welsh Mountain sheep, and the Clun Forest. The lovely sheep photo shown here are those Clun Forest sheep. Thanks to Ken and Oogie at Desert Weyr for their breeding of Black Welsh Mountain sheep. Oogie was an internet aquaintance and part of the rare breeds exchange I did many years ago. She provided the samples of fiber from this breed that I talk about in the podcast. The book by Deborah Robson The Fleece and Fiber ...
May 17, 2011•37 min•Ep. 62
It only happens now and then in a spinner's life, the decision to buy a spinning wheel. I had that chance last month, and am now the happy owner of a Majacraft Aura . I talk about my story of finding the wheel, and what I have learned in the few weeks of owning it. A big thank you to Clare Dowling for her Spinning Song, that I've used for the pod cast's opening for all these years. The closing music for today's podcast is by William Saunders and is called Chasing Daylight. If you'd like to join ...
May 07, 2011•54 min•Ep. 61
We spin singles all the time, but seldom use them that way. If you think about it though, if you can learn to spin singles that behave well enough to work with, how much better you plied yarns would be! That was the idea behind the spin along study in the group on Ravelry for yarnspinnerstales. So for the month of March we all tried four different study exercises with spinning singles. In the first part of this podcast I talk about my experiences as well as some of the other spinner's comments. ...
Apr 07, 2011•57 min•Ep. 60
