Busy Days....

L-R Koi, Emerald Green, Alloy, Poppy Red, Gray Jade, African Violet, Vivacious, Manhattan Blue, Carafe

                                                                    originally uploaded by ontheroundfiberart.

Hello! *Waves*

The kids are in bed, the kitchen is clean, the goat is milked, and I'm banned from spinning while my hands take a break. So naturally, I was playing around on the internets when it occurred to me that I haven't blogged all week!

Honestly, I don't know where this week went- it all sort of mushed together and and drifted on by. 'Tis the season, right? T-ball starts up, the lawn needs mowing, gardens need to be tended too, and craft shows are coming so it's work, work, work as much as possible! Needless to say, I didn't get much computer time in....

Despite how fast the time went, I have a lot of beautiful work to show for it! I spun 12 amazing skeins of handspun yarn (hence my hurt hands) and have dyed over 20 lbs of wool!

Truthfully, I LOVE this time of year. I love all the green and the longer days, and the fresh air! I feel motivated and inspired. It feels good to have work, to have color everywhere, and fun things ahead!

I hope you're staying busy, and enjoying it!

p,s, The yarn in the photo will be listed next week! Stay tuned for more information about shop update details.

How To Prep A Batt for Spinning

Love the look of batts but don't have the slightest idea how to work with them? Allow me to show you how to prep a fibery fun batt for spinning!

This is how your batt will arrive.



First you want to open up your batt and lay it out flat.



Then you want to gently pull your batt into strip's. Leave the end of the strip connected to the whole and alternate ends so that you end up with a zig-zag.



Next you are going to draft out your batt into one long piece- like roving. When you are drafting out the wool you are going to want keep your hands about 6 inches apart. It will require some strength- but be sure to keep control so you don't just rip the wool apart.



It's best to draft out the wool several times to get it the thickness you want rather than try and draft it out very thin all at once. When your batt is drafted to your desired thickness, roll it up into a ball.



Now you are ready to spin!

In The Process: Dyeing Wool

Today I am in the process of dyeing merino wool.







With the help of Nemo, of course.