Mar-Apr 2010 ITW Spin Along - 'Just Figs'

And here we are, just days away from the May-Jun of the Spin Along shipping and I never even showed you a hint of what the Mar-Apr round looked like! How can you ever forgive me?

'Just Figs' handspun yarn in two ply

I will not make a promise I cannot keep, but: I will try really, really hard to stay on top of things around here…

See you at 10:00am EST!!

As you may recall the project started with my contribution called The Dyer then moved along to The Spinner and now has made it’s way to The Crocheter! Witness the transformation from beautifully spun yarn to an adorable hat in the talented hands of Cal Patch of Hodge Podge Farm…

Fiber Sale dates: 3/15 – 3/19
International orders ship: 3/22/2010
US orders ship: 3/25/2010
SAL winner randomly chosen from shared images on: 5/10

Colourway Note: The image for this month was chosen from this Ravelry entry with a specific request to focus on the colours within the figs only and exclude the background and plate. So, of course, I honored the winners request! See you tonight!!

Three friends; three artists; three shop owners; all working with the same material in three unique ways. The idea was simple – follow four ounces of fiber on its path from one artist to another and share the details of its transformation along the way.

You all know me, so let me introduce you to the others:

The spinner: Jill Draper Makes Stuff

The crocheter: Hodge Podge Farm

As The dyer I am simply the creator of the spinner’s palette. I am pretty easy to spot in a crowd; just look for the the blue fingernails and dye stained shirt. I work with a small collection of powdered dye pigments to create an ever-growing collection of  dye recipes. Once mixed the concentrated dye-stock is cataloged and stored for future use.

Sold by the pound, I often  purchase large bales also called “bumps” of commercially combed top. When considering which fiber to choose for the Follow the fiber project; the choice was simple – Merino! It is perhaps one of the most popular fibers; soft and delightfully squishy it is perfectly suited for the intended spinner and final project.

There are countless dyeing techniques and each is as unique as the product it yields. Thoughtful of the type of wool as well as the spinning techniques that could  be used I choose to use a crock-pot to introduce the heat necessary to set the dye.

The tools for dye application can be as complex or simple as you wish, here, dye is applied with a recycled water bottle:

Once the fiber is dyed and cooled it is rinsed to remove any residual dye and neutralize the acidic solution used in the dyeing process. Careful attention to the handling of the wool is required to prevent any undesirable felting at this stage.

Thoroughly rinsed the fiber is set to dry for a few days…

After days on the drying racks the fiber is weighted and bundled into “chains” using a finger crochet technique. The chaining creates a braid that enables The spinner to visualize how the colours pair with one another. Once chained the fiber is photographed using both natural lighting and daylight bulbs to ensure that the image accurately represents the colours used.

And with a little assistance from Photoshop – the final result:

Once bagged and tagged the fiber has reached the end of it’s journey in the ITW studio.  The palette is complete and ready to be delivered to the talented hands of  The spinner.

To Follow the fiber – head over to Jill Draper Blogs

With only one day left to vote for your favorite inspiration image I figured this to be the best time to share what this whole ITW-SAL idea has blossomed into…

So, tomorrow night, just after 10:00pm I will announce the winners. Yes, there is an ‘S’ on the end of that word. There will be a total of three winners chosen. The first place image will be the source of inspiration for the first spin along, the second place image will be the source of the next spin along, and yes, you guessed it, the third image will be the source of the third spin along! Let’s look at our new 2010 SAL schedule.

Jan-Feb Spin along Dates:
Sale dates: 1/18 – 1/22
International orders ship: 1/25
US orders ship: 1/28

Jan-Feb SAL winner randomly chosen on 3/22

Mar-Apr Spin along Dates:
Sale dates:  3/15 – 3/19
International orders ship:  3/22
US orders ship:  3/25

Mar-Apr SAL winner randomly chosen on 5/17

May-Jun Spin along Dates:
Sale dates:  5/10 – 5/14
International orders ship:  5/17
US orders ship:  5/20

May-Jun SAL winner randomly chosen on 7/12

So then, what happens after all of that? We start a new round! A new contest is opened in June for the second half of the year!! But, let’s not talk about those dates yet…

Rather then make excuses I will introduce you to one of my newest colourways – one of many I hope to share in the upcoming weeks and winter months.

Without further ado I introduce to you ‘Intrepidity‘

Next on the infamous To-Do list – Carding!!

Show/Festival: NYS Sheep & Wool Festival

Dates: 10/17 & 10/18

Directions: HERE

Booth Location: 39 A, B with the Ulster County Handspinners

Oh, hint of what I have been up to this past week…