Maia Spins

Black Sheep Gathering Report

My first time at Black Sheep Gathering and I like it!  Cute animals, fabulous fiber, good vendors, and the opportunity to meet other fiber fiends make for a very good time.

Our booth was in a great location in the center building.  I love meeting the people that come to our booth, the other vendors, and just being in a crowd of fiber crazed people.  More pictures of our booth on the Tactile blog.

I had enough time to browse and make a couple of purchases.

A Forrester Granny spindle (Goncalvo Aves whorl, Maple shaft, 25.2 grams) and a sampler pack of rare breed fibers all from The Bellweather.  Clockwise from the top left: white Dorset, charcoal Hog Island, cream Ryeland, and two color Jacob rovings.  I am spinning it for sport weight self-striping 2-ply sock yarn.  I'll probably use the same method I used for Roger's hat.

Yummy gray Romney locks (about 8 ounces) from Iron Water Ranch.  I have no idea what I'll make from them.  They called to me and I couldn't say no.  It might be fun to knit them as locks into something.  I'll let that idea perk for a bit.

I bought a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Lincoln (click on the link, these sheep are so cool looking) fleece at the wool show.  It is almost 7 pounds (in the grease) of lustrous, long wool goodness. The farmers (growers?  shepherds?) are Black Pines Sheep from Colorado.  A sweater from this wool, spun from the locks, is what I'm dreaming of.   

The locks are easily 6 inches long unstretched.   Did I mention how gorgeous this fleece is?  Love it!

Silk-Yak lace weight yarn (that the picture doesn't do justice) from Pack River Yaks.  Not sure what pattern I'll knit, but there is 1500 yards to play with; plenty for a shawl. 

Are you starting to think that I have slipped into an abyss of grayness? 

Nope!  I got a Bosworth midi (can't find the tag, I think walnut whorl and about 39 grams) at Carolina Homespun and had to take it for a test drive.  Some Tactile Merino-Bamboo roving called to me.  The color has great depth.  The merino took the cochineal (pink) but the bamboo didn't.  When it was dipped in indigo, the merino became purple and the bamboo became blue.  The effect is very nice.  I am spinning it fine for a 2-ply lace weight yarn.

Next time I'll post some pictures of the sheep and goats at Black Sheep.

More from Colorado

Colorado is rich with fibery goodness!  On our last full day I got to visit Schacht Spindle Company in Boulder.  Besides being wonderful and friendly people, they make high quality spinning wheels and weaving looms.  I am happily owned by a Matchless double-treadle.  Since Tactile is a dealer, I thought it would be fun to take a tour of their facility.

Pictures kept small since there will be a lot in this post.  Click on any picture for a larger version.
A tall stack of wheels waiting to be sanded.

Partially built Matchless wheels.

Every spinning wheel is built by one of these two people. 

Hand cards waiting to be finished and have the carding cloth attached.

Gotta love a workshop with velvet Elvis painting!

I have a few more Schacht pictures on my Flickr.

We had a great time.  My inner nerd loves to see how things are made.  A big Thank you to Jane for showing Roger and I around.

Our next stop was Jefferson Ranch at the south end of Denver.  Jane has paco-vicuñas.  If you aren't familiar with these animals and their fiber, you should be.  Vicuñas are related to alpacas (and llamas).  They are endangered and not easily domesticated.  Paco-vicuñas (or P-V for short) are alpaca crosses that have many of the qualities of the vicuña while gaining a domesticated temperament and longer fiber length from the alpaca genes.  The fiber is very fine (can be 12-14 microns! which puts it in the same range as cashmere). 

The animals look very similar to alpaca, but with big soulful eyes.  Isn't she beautiful?

A P-V momma and her baby.

They are very curious animals and very tolerant of people walking among them.  In this picture you can get a better idea of their color range: white to fawn to chocolate brown.  All are beautiful.

Look at this fleece on one of her boys!  It is sooo soft, like a warm cloud.

Who can resist a cute baby? 

They have great personalities too.  Jane says they are smarter than dogs.  I believe her.  It is enough to make me move to the country and start a fiber farm. 

I took a lot of pictures.  More on my Fickr.

Lest you think it has all been about fiber, let me assure you that we sampled the local beverages.  I can strongly recommend the Milk Stout (on the nitrogen tap) from Left Hand Brewery.  Well crafted beers all around.  We sampled 6 (a sampler, not pints, we aren't total lushes) beers and didn't find a dud.

We can also recommend Redstone Meadery.  They make mead also known as honey wine.  These are also very well crafted.  The traditional is light, crisp, and very clean on the palate.  My personal favorite was the juniper.  I expected it to be like gin, but it was much more subtle with a bit of spiciness.

Finally, the best coffee in town is from Vic's.  Our favorite location was the one in Prospect.  Prospect is interesting too.  It is a housing development based on New Urbanist ideas.  The basic premise of New Urbanism is to integrate housing, retail, and a job base within the community.  Services and sometimes light rail are within walking distance and housing density is greatest near the town centers.  It makes for a very pleasant community.

Next stop is Austin, Texas!  Yee haw!!!

Join A Guild, Get A Wheel

I joined Spindles & Flyers and came home with a hand-built Rick Reeves Frame Wheel!
It is so pretty!
I am in love!
The details are magnificent.
Built-in whorl storage.
The medullary rays of quarter-sawn oak.

It is in great shape.  I also got a lazy kate and four extra bobbins.  It could use a general cleaning and dusting.  And the treadle connection could stand to be updated.
I doubt the wheel came with shoe lace technology.

Time to put a new drive band on it and take it for a spin (I admit it; the pun is intended).

What I don't know about this wheel is when it was built.  The woman I bought it from ordered it directly from Rick Reeves (I think).  If it is signed, I don't know where to find the signature. 

It was an impulse buy.  It didn't help that Renee, Kathleen, and Sara were all egging me on to buy it.  (Such enablers!  Truth be told, I think it was to save them from buying it.)  I have no regrets though, just questions.  Anyone out there have any thoughts on the wheel?