A quickie post full of fluffy fibery goodness today.
I borrowed Brooke's picker last night! This is almost a pound of my sweater fiber dyed with madder and cutch. I don't see much cutch influence. No problem, it is a dreamy color.
Here is the picker in action. That is over 3/4 of a pound of my sweater fiber dyed with lac.
A shot of the teeth on the picker. It is not meant to be a torture device, but it would work quite well in that capacity. The teeth are extremely sharp.
ETA: A picker is used to open up the locks of wool. I makes it easier to put through the drum carder or hand cards. Or you could spin directly from the picked fiber.
Roger just got us these cute baseball cups. Cuppa fibah anyone?
Love the colours Maia. I wish there was a video section to your blog because I would love to see you working with the picker. Looks like too much fun! That's the best part about starting up new projects, using all those toys!
Posted by: Charlene | July 13, 2007 at 01:16 PM
Excuse my ignorance, but what does a picker do? A little more detail than "It picks" would be nice. ;p
Posted by: LaurieM | July 13, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Whew, someone before me already admitted not knowing where this "picker" fits into the "Grand Yarn Scheme." I'm guessing before being carded, turned into batts? Oh, the pain of being a newbie.
Posted by: Petunia | July 13, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Wow, what pretty colors. And cute mugs. And serious tools!
I'm really looking forward to following along as you go from fleece to sweater here.
Posted by: Ronni | July 13, 2007 at 03:35 PM
Pickers do like medieval torture devices don't they? Yet another spinner's tool that makes regular tetnus shots an essential item!
I like the yummy colors of your fleece.
Posted by: Denise | July 13, 2007 at 03:52 PM
Yeah, thanks a lot Maia. Let em tell you a little story...First I had to have a wheel and I was alright for a little while. Then I needed carders so I could really make my own yarn. Then I just had to have another portable wheel and I was happy...for a little while. I thought a drum carder was the only way to quench my thirst for always wanting more spinning equipment. So I got myself a strauch petite a while ago and I've been happy ever since. Well, until you just had to show off that little contraption above. Like I said, Thanks a lot!
p.s. do they sell those things small enough to fit in a nyc apartment?
Posted by: Chante | July 13, 2007 at 06:03 PM
OOoooooo, fiberlicious!!
Posted by: Jamisyn | July 13, 2007 at 06:20 PM
My daughter was looking over my shoulder and thought the first fiber...the orangy one, was food! Chuckle, chuckle!
Love the baseball cups!
And not (yet) knowing a whole lot about the sheep to spinning part of things, it was really neat to find out what a picker is! Thanks.
Posted by: tempe | July 13, 2007 at 07:03 PM
Those colors really are yummy and the baseball cups are cute!
Posted by: Celia | July 14, 2007 at 06:17 AM
Beautiful colors. I'll have to follow your work with it :)
Posted by: Anni | July 14, 2007 at 09:53 AM