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Showing posts from October, 2020
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  From Bunny to Finished Yarn Angora Fiber Fractal Technique Meet Luna!  A few years ago, my sister was smitten by this little lady at a craft festival in upstate NY and became her forever home. Twice a year Luna sheds her coat, and I am the lucky recipient of the fluff she doesn't need anymore!  Luna is an English Angora Bunny, and her fluff is incredibly fine, light, and warm.   Because her fluff is so fine, it can be difficult to work with.  I like to blend the Angora with other fibers for durability, comfortability when wearing it, and to make it easier for me to work with.  Also, Angora fiber doesn't take dye as well as other protein fibers, so blending it with colored wool is a quick and easy way to alter the color of the Angora.     If you're new to working with Angora, or if you need some tips on blending, check out my Angora Blending Technique here:     How to Blend Angora with Wool Using a Drum Carder I was inspired to try blending Angora fiber with different kind
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The Art of the Companion Ply  Study #1 Have you ever gotten an absolutely breathtaking 4oz braid of hand dyed fiber, and thought "Wow. How can I possibly use this?"     4oz of fiber by itself will only make between 150-200 yards of yarn depending on how it's spun up.   When I plan a color way, I usually aim for between 8 and 9oz of fiber to start with to make sure that I have enough yarn to make a full project. So when I get that 4oz of beautiful hand dyed fiber, the inevitable question ends up being, "What can I pair this gorgeous fiber with to elevate these colors?"  Add too many new colors or accent the wrong colors, and your yarn can look muddy.  Ignore the accent colors or add too few new colors, and your yarn can look like its missing something.  It's a fine line between finding the right companion fibers and colors to showcase the beauty of a Hand Dyed piece of fiber without overshadowing it.    I recently purchased this gorgeous piece of Finn wool Ha