How to Wash Fleece

With our shearing all done for the Alpacas, Goats and Sheep, washing the fibre is the next step.  Just a quick aside as the fleece is being sheared from the animal it is skirted, sorted and picked quickly.  Of course some things still manage to find their way deep into the fleece and will get pulled out later.  If you have animals you shear and don't know how to start the process of using the fibre you have, here is where to start!

10  Easy Steps to Washing Fibre

What you need to remember about washing fleece is consistency in temperature and NOT to over manipulate the fleece...other than that it is a very simple process.

Here is what you need! The fibre, a netted bag, soap, we use a sodium lauryl sulfate(Orvus Wa paste is great), a sink or tub of some sort and though not needed a spin dryer works wonders and really speeds up the drying process!

Netted bag and Orvus Soap

sinks

Unwashed Alpaca Fleece

Step 1:  Fill sink with warm water....use enough water to cover bag of fibre.  If you are washing WOOL, and this applies to WOOL only...you use HOT water...you do this to get the lanolin out of the wool.  Make note of the temperature of your water for all fibre.  You want it to stay as close to this temperature as possible each time you fill the sink.

Step 2: Add a handful of soap to the filling sink.

Orvus soap...note it will turn clear when heated

Step 3: Add fibre; which is in netted bag.  Let bag soak for 15-20 minutes...tops...you must monitor the temperature of the water!!! Do not let the water get really cool.

unwashed fleece in netted bag

Step 4:  Drain water and repeat as necessary...you want the water to be relatively clean

another washing is needed

Fleece in soap and water

Step 5: When the water is clean enough fill the sink with only water to rinse the fibre.



Step 6: Drain the sink and hold the bag up to let water pour out... DO NOT RING OUT THE ACCESS WATER BY HAND!!!!!!  That would be a MANIPULATION!





Step 7: While still in netted bag put fleece in spin dryer for about 1 minute....if you do not have a drier you must let the fibre drip.....but only until water stops dripping


Spin dyer...fleece in bag

Step 8: Remove fibre from bag

wet compacted fleece

Step 9: Pull fibre apart.....this is IMPORTANT...if you do not, the fibre will not dry properly and may also "wet felt" during the drying period

pulled apart wet fleece

Step 10:  Place the fibre on a airy drying area



Remember....consistent water temperature.....do not handle the fibre too much ....and pull fibre apart after spun or dripped dried and before drying process.  You will see how the fibre "gains" size when you pull it apart and after it has dried from being washed compared to prewashed size.

Washed Alpaca Fleece, note the difference between washed and unwashed

Knitting Machines: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Knitting Machine...Part 1

I love my knitting machine, I hate my knitting machine, I realize this every time I go to use it.

The Good:  I can knit a pair of mitts in less than 2 hours, a shawl in about the same amount of time and use beautiful lace stitches.

The Bad:  When getting into rhythm half a dozen stitches fall off and you create a loop at both ends.

The Ugly:  Creating a garment too big or too small or trying to ensure that the scarf made with Alpaca and/or Mohair doesn’t have totally curled edges.

There are three kinds of machines:   1. Fine or Standard has needles 4.5mm apart  2. Mid- Gauge has 6.5mm needles 3. Chunky or Bulky has 9mm needles.  These names refer to the weight of yarn that you can knit with them.

Double Bed Singer Bulky

Single Bed Brother Bulky

There are single bed machines which knit flat pieces and double bed machines also called main bed and ribber which will knit tubular pieces.  There are also manual, punch card and electronic machines. You can get Intarsia carriages for some models and Lace carriages for some.

The most common names under which knitting machines are sold are Passap (no longer in business), Singer, Brother (the easiest to get parts for) Bond, SilverReed (still producing a limited number of models)

People seem to think if you use a knitting machine it’s not as personal as hand knitting.  Knitting with a machine does not mean you are only moving a carriage across a bed over and over again without any thought.  One of the main reasons people stopped using the knitting machine is due to the precision required to actually produce a garment.  There is much hands on work required besides moving the carriage, you must cast on your stitches, track your rows, decrease or increase stitches by hand.  Then there is the planning of the piece, making a swatch, choosing a pattern, the yarn and then working to produce a good looking, well finished piece that fits the recipient. This is just as much of a personal journey as any hand knitting piece I have made.

Machine knitting has a place in the fibre spectrum and I seem to surprise myself with its endless possibilities every time I sit down to use one (I have 4) of my machines!

Solar Dyeing...Let the Summer Heat Do the Work!

Looking for an interesting way to dye yarn?   This is an easy "Do It Yourself" way to dye using the heat of the sun.  Each skein will be unique, the colours will vary in each batch, and the colour will sometimes be solid or more variegated, this is not a precise colour method of dyeing.

First here is what you need:
black plastic garbage bags
large mason jars (also gallon freezer ziploc bags will work but it’s not quite as easy to fill)
citric acid or white vinegar
acid dyes
protein fibre(wool, locks, silk)

Mason Jars

large measuring cup for pouring water into jars
plastic spoon or measuring spoon for dye
wooden skewers


Once you have everything ready....start with filling a couple large dye pots with water and a few tablespoons of citric acid then bring to a boil.  Measure out your fibre, usually 2-4 oz bundles is a good size(to fit in a mason jar) and soak these bundles in water.

Dyes

Next add dye to your  mason jars and then add your 2-4 oz. bundle of either wool or locks...again amount will depend on the thickness of the fibre you are using, i.e. you could put more silk in a jar than wool.  Adjust your dye to the "bulk" of your fibre.

Dyes with Jars

Once the jar is filled with fibre pour the boiling water into the jars.  Using a measuring cup adds in your accuracy of getting the liquid into the jars.  Fill the jar about a 3/4 of the way (it will depend on how much fibre you have in the jar...so a bit more or less).  Once that has been done...push the bundle down using a skewer, if there is room at the top add more of your citric acid solution.

Yarn Solar Dyeing

Mason Jars filled with Yarn Solar Dyeing

Now put the lids on the jars and put the jars outside to set, do this when the sun is strongest!.  Put the jars in an area that gets the most direct sunlight.  If I need to “force” some extra heat, put a black plastic bag under the jars or if it isn't as hot as it was predicted that day you can put the jars IN a black plastic bag, and tie the top.. this will create some extra heat.
For Solar Dyeing to work you must reach at least 185 degrees F.  for at least 30 minutes...longer is better (3-4 hours). During this time the dye is adhering to the protein in the fibre.
When the dyes are set, the water-which was at first the color of your dye- will be clear, and your fiber will be dyed. Remember this technique creates a variance in colour in each skein and jar.    A way to create a tye dye look is to put your dry fibre in first then add the dye colour then more fibre more dye colour and repeat and at the end add your citric water.  The water will then filter down.

Solar Dyed Yarns

Solar Dyed Yarns Drying 

I was really pleased with how my yarns turned out!  The colours are great and it was quite simple!  I hope you find the instructions and pictures easy to follow.  I found the original article on Jazzturtle's How to Do it.

Felting, Fibre, Turkeys and Eggs

Another rainy day on the farm!  Which is good and bad....good for the gardens...bad for haying!

Rovings for spinning or felting

Today is just an update day....we have been shearing, shearing and shearing...and are almost done.  We did something a little different this time,  I kept some Alpaca fibre separate for those of you that enjoy felting.  It is something that I am quite enjoying.  You can felt in many different ways, such as Nuno felting...adding layers of fibre such as merino to silk to create a wearable items, i.e. a scarf, Needle felting, where you can create free standing objects ..animals are very common..."statues" you would almost say, Wet felting where you take wool and create sheets of felt and Resist felting where you use cardboard or plastic to create a form.  So as you see fibre doesn't just have to be made into a yarn for knitting and crocheting but it can be used in it's raw state as well to create other items.  I have both yarns and fibres.  We have Alpaca, Llama, Mohair, Merino, Wool, and Cashgora here for sale plus a few other specialty bits and pieces.

Turkeys from 2013

In other news the baby turkeys have arrived and we have more coming this week.  And although it is only June we do start to take orders for Thanksgiving as much as we don't want to rush the seasons, if you want a turkey you need to book early.  Last year we couldn't meet the demand!  Something else I want to mention and for those of you who have been here you know our turkeys when old enough get to be outside in a secure area in the sun and locked away at night.  It's a good turkey life!

We also have farm fresh eggs!  Nothing compares to farm fresh eggs!  The colour is brighter and the taste richer...enhanced.

We still have kids for sale...the boys have been wethered now.  We have a Nigora, Jake who is all black, and two Pygora/Nigerian Dwarf crosses, Louie and Jerry as well as Mick our Olde English Babydoll.

As always the store is open Thursday thru Sunday 10-5 pm or by appointment.

And don't forget if you are interested in booking a farm tour...give me a call at 705-778-2070

Group Farm Tour Available

Over the past months I have shown you a number of our animals, fibre processes and our product.  I hope you have enjoyed the pictures.....but have you ever thought about getting a group together and meeting the animals and seeing how the process is done first hand?

Store 2014

We can accommodates a fair size group ..you can participate too if you like,  doing things such as carting fibre.  Remember it is a farm, the animals are not pets per say...HOWEVER.. there are some animals here, sheep, goats. alpacas, llamas and even chickens...who would just love to say HI!  And if you have a camera.....some....Lucy, Patrick...are camera hogs!

Goats

We would provide you with a range of beverages, water, tea, coffee, and a scenic spot for you to eat any lunch or snacks you have brought.  The cost is $ 20.00 per person.

Chickens

After you have toured the farm, met the animals and seen how yarn is made you can check out the store and see if anything strikes your fancy.....and you could even buy a dozen farm fresh eggs!  And YES they do taste better!

Alpaca

Any questions just give us a call at 705-778-2070.  The store is open to the public Thursday thru Sunday 10 am - 5 pm, or by appointment.

Have a great week and now...for me it's haying time!

Olde English Babydoll Southdown

Alpaca Socks and their Benefits

It's Friday and it's a beautiful day in Havelock!

Today's news...our socks have arrived!  Our shelves are full.  We have a selection of Alpaca socks in regular length in a variety of shades, neutral and coloured.   We have a "Relaxed Fit" sock meaning there is not a fitted cuff...so if you need a sock that doesn't fit closely for comfort or for circulation reasons the Relaxed Fit is for you!

Neutral Alpaca Socks

Coloured Alpaca Socks

There are Thermal socks in two lengths, one we call a "slipper" sock, it sits above the ankle and the other is a sport sock.  These socks are absolutely terrific in boots or work shoes or to wear to bed for you with cold feet!

Thermal Slipper and Sport length

And finally we have our Mohair socks.  Theses are limited in number so you need to buy soon!  They also come in colours and neutrals.

Mohair

What is the benefit of an Alpaca sock?  The sock provides warmth when needed but because the fibre is breathable it also provides coolness!  This is due to the air pockets found in the Alpaca fibre, dry, cool and warm all at the same time, ideal for keeping your feet comfortable!  Alpaca beats both wool and cotton for keeping feet at their best!  Alpaca socks are durable meaning they are a good investment. And finally the feel of Alpaca is smooth, a luxury that is affordable, practical and durable...all in all you just can't beat a good pair of Alpaca socks!

Come see us at the store in Havelock!  We are open Thursday thru Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.  If that time doesn't work for you give me a call!  As always the store has fibre to suit your knitting, felting or spinning needs.  Oh and yes we have eggs!

Have a great weekend and DROP IN!

ANTIQUE SKEIN(Wool) WINDERS for SALE

June is finally here!  We have had lovely weather and things are proceeding nicely at Elmlea Farm.  Gardens in, animals sheared....babies growing and of course the store is filled with yarns, batts, rovings and more!

Today I am featuring 2 Antique Wool Winders for sale.  You use this item as it suggests to wind wool into a skein!  AS you will see from the pictures they are antiques.  I am asking $ 80.00 a piece.

 

In other news I have two male goats for sale, bucklings, Jake born in March out of Jill a Nigerian Dwarf and Omar an Angora.  Jake is a very shiny, very black boy who is quite funny, He loves to jump and play and generally just have a great time.  He is $ 150.00  

Jake

Jake a Nigora Bucklings

The other buckling is Jerry.  Jerry's mother is Lucy a Pygora cross and his father was Jack a Nigerian Dwarf, like Jill.  Jerry's fibre has a lovely crimp to it and he also appears to be taking after the pygmy side and staying smaller.  You can see his size from the picture of him standing on our Olde English Babydoll Southdown, Liz.  Poor Liz not only her own baby Mick is on her but a goat too!  Jerry has a sweet nature and would be a easier keeper.  He is very use to being handled and would make a great companion, breeding, weeding and or fibre goat!  He is truly multi-functional!  He is 
$ 300.00.  

Jerry on Liz our poor Sheep

Handsome Jerry

Jerry's Fibre

If you are interested in any of the above please give me a call at 705-778-2070.

Drop by the store Thursday thru Sunday...10 am to 5 pm.  Or you can call me to set up an appointment.