Winter is Here ! But yes, we’re in Florida

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We’ve had a cold snap, in the 40s over night. For those of you in the northern parts, thought I’d let you see how my tomatoes are coming this morning.

Am I mean?

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Louet Drum Carder

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I am so excited. My new drum carder arrived! It’s a Louet Roving Carder Junior It is amazing! It’s built to produce 4″ batts but in every way the machine that it’s larger cousins are. I’ve been generously given llama fiber to process. It is processing like a dream. See the batt below. I am carding to spin and will be knitting a stole/lap robe for the owner of the llama ranch. The batts produced by this carder contain a lot of fiber. You’ll see updates on this blog as the project proceeds.

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FOR SALE

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Thank you for looking and for buying. Everything sold.

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FOR SALE

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The SpinOlution Mach 1 Spinning Wheel is SOLD. Two days left on the Clemes & Clemes Drum Carder. The “reserve price” has been met on the carder, so it will be sold. If you are looking for a drum carder, click here for details.

The Louet Kombo 70 (70cm/28 inch) table loom with stand is still for sale. The reserve has not been met. The replacement value around $1000 and the auction right now is at $ 76. Click here to go to auction.

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Another Beaded Scarf

Posted by Tropical Twister under Articles , Hand Spun Yarn , Rigid Heddle Projects , Scarves , Spinning , Spinning with Beads 
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Lee is home! My husband’s two week ordeal in the hospital is over. After having every orafice probed and every body fluid cultured, the outcome … it was not a stroke, not a heart attack, not a bacterial infection, they eliminated for days … the seven doctors from seven disciplines could come up with no explanation other than a really nasty “bug”, a virus. Whatever it was, I don’t want it. He’s home, glad to be home, tired but “OK”. Thank God for his mercy.

The warp is a mix of that Wool/Soy blend that had been on sale at Michael’s for $1.50 a skein. I used the beaded yarn with a five inch border of unbeaded yarn. (All my scarves are beginning to look alike. I need to mix it up my next project.) I set up the warp at Fiber Space, and wove at the hospital. The beads all but disappeared in the multi-colored warp. The beads were opaque. In future, I would use opaque beads only against a single colored background. The glintening beads I used on the Koala Scarf worked well, even on the multicolored scarf as they captured and reflected the light.

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Fiber Space

Posted by Tropical Twister under Articles , FIBER SPACE , Knitting , Knitting Projects , Projects , Techniques , Weaving 
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We met earlier today …such fun. We missed regulars Gail, Vicki, and Elizabeth but were delighted by new faces; we’re growing. There is always room for more. Our next Fiber Space is Saturday, December 20 from 9 to noon. Take a break from Christmas preparations and plan to take some time for yourself.

We had rugs, and frogs, and Christmas trees, and shawls, and scarves, and …

(Click on photos for larger image.)

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Fiber Space

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Fiber Space will meet this coming Saturday, November 22, 2008 from 9 to noon at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, 6510 3rd Ave. W., Bradenton FL 34209 (941) 792-3141. There is no cost/fee/charge. All are welcome. Bring your own portable project. Come when you can and stay as long as you are able. We’ll be meeting in the parlor; there’ll be signs to show you the way.

Every month a group of fiber enthusiasts gather to spin, knit, weave, quilt, bead …
We bring our own equipment and supplies. It’s such great fun to see what other’s are doing, get help when needed and to share our skills. Hope you will join us.

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CLICK HERE FOR MAP

 

FOR SALE

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USED Mach 1 SpinOlution Spinning Wheel & Lazy Kate seen in this blog FOR SALE. Click Here to Go to eBay.

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FOR SALE

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Clemes & Clemes Drum Carder and Louet Kombo K70 Loom (as featured on this blog) for sale on eBay.

Click on words below to go to eBay. Click on photos for larger image.

Drum Carder

Louet Kombo K70 Loom

 

Weave ‘n Stixs

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I used a hand held Dremel to carve out niche and put a hole in the end of the Weave ‘n Stixs. I “pointed” the ends with a pencil sharpener. Thread the sticks with heavy thread or light string. With thread, you need to thread and have two full lengths of thread. With string, you can tie off near the hole in the stick. Thread each of four sticks. Then tie the tails of all four sticks in a knot. Next, weave felting wool (be sure not to use synthetics or yarn where wool content is so low, it won’t felt) yarn around the “stixs”/sticks. As the sticks fill up, gentle push then off onto the strings. It goes very fast. After the yarn fills the length of the strings, tie a knot, capturing all the stings, at the stick end and cut off the sticks. Next, I boiled the full length to felt the wool yarn. I’ve also used the washer and dryer to accomplish the same. After the length is dry, you have a belt or the handle of a felted purse.

(Click on photos below for larger images.)

This is a great project for kids. You don’t need to know how to knit or weave and it is very fast. If you don’t want to mess with making sticks and you think it would be a fun project, I will be listing the Weave ‘n Stixs on Etsy. I sell the Weave ‘n Stick 4 for $5.

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http://Seabreezespinners.com/

 

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