picture

picture

Saturday 8 January 2011

new year - new projects

but first I have to finish some old ones. this is the end result of the fluffy embroidery with madeira lana:
I will back and frame it with some patchwork fabric, so that it can be washed properly if necessary. I bought the aida fabric a few years back for the stash - not visible in the photo, but there is some glitter on the upper side, just right for a "starry night" feeling. I found the pattern in a cross stitch mag from the uk some time back and was waiting for an occasion to make it. I'll add the name under "sleep tight", but didn't want to spoil the surprise in case the recipient reads the blog....
a short while ago I received a package from germany, where these locks were used as packaging material. my Louet was standing empty at the time and eventually I just couldn't resist the locks and started spinning them as they were. but it was hard on the hands, because the tips stuck together and there were a few double cuts as well. so I put them to the side....






...until today. I combed them with my dog comb -to get rid of some dirt, the short bits and some VM that stuck to the fibres.










this is the end result: a box of fluffy fibres, which I will spin later tonight. I don't know the breed, but the locks are of medium length and have a nice crimp - and rainbow colours. fluffed up like this it looks like a large amount, but it won't take much time to spin it into a yarn. I plan to navajo ply it - but maybe I'll ply it with a single colour after all - to end up with a bit more yarn to play with. I have no idea what to use it for (yet), but I am sure I'll find a project once I know how much yardage I have.

8 comments:

Helen said...

mmm! that pile of fluffy fibre looks very tempting. amazing to think it was packing!

Nina said...

That is totally brilliant packing material! What fun it will be to spin those pretty coloured locks. I wish more packages were done up using woolly locks as packing material! Love the sleepy goodnight bunny. It will be a treasured keepsake1

Delighted Hands said...

Love the idea of getting a bonus of fiber on an order. You have transformed the locks into gorgeous clouds of fiber! The colors are very inviting-do you think we might be color starved with winter upon us?! The cross stitch is beautifully done, great piece!

Leigh said...

Ooo, that box of combed fibers looks so inviting! Spinning with that much color variety is really a lot of fun. and I think it will make beautiful yarn.

Janet said...

Bettina - it's now mid-January and as you said earlier at the time of the Solstice, the days don't really start getting longer until about now. And today it really did give me a feeling that there might be a stretch in the days yet. There was still light in the sky at 5 o'clock.

Woolly Bits said...

Helen, yes, I try to send packing like that in my packets, too - only to spinners of course. now I know that it's english leicester.

Nina - it's spun up by now and plied. I'll show the pix later... I hope the bunny will look good, I found a starry fabric for the back, but I need something to finish the border.

Cindy - it wasn't exactly an order (never get those with such nice packing materials:)) the parcel was sent by a friend, who spins herself! and yes, could well be that all that grey and black and white makes us yearn for colours!

Leigh - the yarn is ready, 240 m, 94 g, because I plied it with yarn I had in stash. now to find a suitable project....

Janet - right now we have a storm and a lot of rain, no brightness in sight today:)) but I think it'll get better very soon....

Anonymous said...

Hallo Bettina,
du hast wieder sehr schöne Sachen gemacht.
Die Bürsten (weiter unten) kenne ich gar nicht. Für was werden diese verwendet?
Gruß
Juliana
- zurück von der 2. OP -

Guzzisue said...

Pretty fluffy bits :-) I too have many lace books that I still have to make a single pattern from but I can look forward to doing it some day !