Lots of useful hints and ideas are posted in your newsletters and here
are a few that may not have appeared in past columns. When working with
fine fibers in the high desert, static electricity can be a problem.
Randee Frommer from the Central Oregon Spinners & Weavers was
having a bad “hair” day while working with kid mohair. Not wanting to
add oil, she put several dryer sheets in the storage bag with the fiber
and let it sit for several days to tame the tendency to fly away. Donna
Jo Copeland, a member of the Bloomington Spinners and Weavers Guild
(Indiana) who raises English Angora rabbits, found that drumcarding
this fiber too quickly causes the same problem. She cards wool or other
fibers first, then the angora. A 50/50 blend is her favorite
combination, but even a small amount of angora (5 %) to a balance of
wool can produce softness and bloom. Langley Weavers & Spinners
Guild (Canada) member Diana Twiss shared how jurors assess the quality
of items submitted for their annual sale. If the item is a pair of
mittens, are they the same size? If it’s a hat, will it fit on a head?
If a sweater, do the buttons line up with the holes and are the sleeves
the same length? Will a head fit through a pullover? Are there
noticeable errors in the design or patterning? The goal is to ensure
that items have a finished, high-quality look to them, not perfection.
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