For all the time I’ve been knitting and designing, I’ve been intrigued by the sheep to garment process.  I’m not quite at the point of raising sheep in our turn of the century church-home (though I have asked for llama and been rebuked), but I have been venturing into the world of spinning.

To be able to handle the raw fibre, dye it to any color I want, spin it into any texture I’d like (or honestly, am able to manage at this point), then knit it into any garment I decide…well…it’s the ultimate process for me.  

I now have a deeper understanding of how the dyes work similarly to watercolor but completely dependent on the fibre and the process.  Spinning each ply and controlling the length of each color run or simply blindly grabbing the next nest of fleece from the basket and flying blind is indescribable.  Choosing two different plies and spinning them together into a single strand, watching in wonder as they nestle around each other in ways I could have never guessed.  It’s an art, a craft, and a touch of magic all wrapped up in one.

I’m still on borrowed time with Lorie’s spinning wheel – the Ashford Joy.  And it is a joy.  Unfortunately, I’m also almost out of fleece.

A few weeks ago at the Black Swamp Fibre Festival I purchased a pound of BFL (Blue Faced Leicester), 3 shades of Acid Dye, and went home with the determination to make something.  I dug out the pound of Mohair I had purchased last fall (not knowing what I was going to do with it at the time) and had a 6 hour dye fest. 

This weekend I spun.  I used the techniques learned at the Fifth Stitch Retreat (thank you again Arlene) to pre-draft my fibre and started spinning my heart out.

The pile of nested pre-drafted fibres on the coffee table (and all around me) inspired me to paint.  I’ll be working on a new painting showing the beautiful progression of colors in the next week or so.  For me, one craft always inspires another until a downhill avalanche begins.

I’ve now started knitting.  As I get through the knitting process, I’ll keep you updated.  Hopefully, the knitting will be finished tonight as the yarn is chunky, the needles are big and I’m all jazzed up about the dress I want to make to go with it.

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