The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: Bionic on June 04, 2013, 07:01:03 pm
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The spinning club that I go to every week is in the unusual position of having too much money :) . We are having a trip out and also someone to give us some weaving and felting tuition but will still have too much money.
A suggestion has been made that we buy a couple of really nice fleece that we can divide up between us so that we all get the chance of working with it.
Anyone have a suggestion of what fleece we should get?
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Well, it depends on several things...
How many of there are you? If there are lots, you'll be wanting some big fleeces, rather than a couple of teeny Ouessants!
What do you want to do with the fleece? I mean... I know you want to spin it, but were you planning on dyeing it yourselves too? (Which would probably rule out most of the naturally darker fleeces) And would you be knitting with the yarn you produce? Or weaving with it? I'd recommend different fleeces, depending on what you're planning to make! Herdwicks would be no good if you wanted to knit socks with the resulting yarn. But if you're planning on weaving rugs from it, then it would be spot on.
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If you could get hold of them, Scottish Milk sheep produce good, all-round white fleeces with a long staple and they are huge. I have no idea where you would find any though.
Another idea for using up surplus money is an outing to somewhere relevant.
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How about a spinning wheel to be available for any new members to learn on? :spin:
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We would probably all want to do different things with the fleece. Not everyone at the group spins, although most do. Then some weave and some knit/crochet and some peg loom. I think we would like fleece that doesn't have a dark natural colour so that people can choose to dye it if they wish.
We have a dyeing day coming up and the club already have their own dyes for everyone to use. There is already a club spinning wheel and a drum carder too. There was a club weaving loom but they have given that to me ;D
As for days out we have a trip to a wollen mill arranged for Thursday this week with the coach paid for by the club and we still have money left over.
The money we have is from the weekly subs. We only pay £1 if we go each week, so its not expensive, and that is to cover the cost of the room we use. At £6 for 2 hours we always have plenty of money left over. There is a subscription to Yarn maker magazine too that comes out of the money but the rest soon mounts up. We could lower the subs but everyone seems to think that its reasonable to pay the £1.
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I think £1 is very reasonable. My spinning group charges £3 a time or £19 for the year and that's for monthly meetings from 11am to 4pm.
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I have just had my girls shorn today - Gotland x Shetland in light to dark greys ;D They are fab for felting which is all I have tried with them but I have been told they would also be great for spinning.
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They sound like a good cross. Are you going to try spinning them?
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I am trying to decide whether to have a try myself or send them away as I do so many other crafts I'm not sure I can take on another one ;D I will be selling some though as I have far too many.
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Ooh How much? And where are you?
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I'm Aberdeenshire so postage may be a bit steep.
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Gotland's lovely, so silky and pretty. And felts while it's sitting waiting for you to finish spinning a bobbin-full - ask me how I know!
Shetland, of course, is lovely. Spins nicely, will felt if you try to do it, but not so much when you don't want it to. Lovely to knit with, including lace, can be woven with too.
You can get white Shetland, which would take dyes easily but actually, one of the pale greys or browns might give a more interesting, sophisticated look, something a bit different?
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I'm Aberdeenshire so postage may be a bit steep.
I knew there'd be a snag. that's just a bit too far from Shropshire for me to collect.
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MGM :wave: , My neighbour is going to Oswestry today and again next Friday. If you would like some Shetland fleece I could ask him to drop it off for you - or collect from Oswestry. PM me if interested. ;D Apologies for the hijack Bionic.
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Apologies for the hijack Bionic.
No problem
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My OH has said there is no more room for fleeces until I've spun the ones I've got - about 14 at the last count. As they are stored in the loft and I can't get up there to move them, I am at his mercy. Next year, however, I will need more. :D :D
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Hi MGM I just wondered which spinning group you are with, I am in South Shropshire and try to go to the Montgomery meetings but seewartbles fleeces if the group are interested :)
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Hi Blacksheep, I'm with the Wrekin spinners which meets the third Saturday of the month. Montgomery os quite a way for you, isn't it?
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Hi MGM Thanks for the reply, I am near Clun and Knighton, up in the hills, everywhere seems to be quite a distance from here! I was just wondering if there where any more informal local spinning groups that meet on a day other than a Saturday. Telford is further than Montgomery unfortunately but it might be nice to attend another group occasionally.
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We actually meet in Leighton but that won't be much nearer. You'd always be made welcome. Of course you could always bring your wheel here and we could have our own very exclusive spinning group.