tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post7756087833364874386..comments2024-03-08T16:13:12.521-05:00Comments on Journal of Ravenseyrie: Horse Hair Yarn - Spinning RudolfLynne Gerardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-13474035363090816312018-08-27T11:01:00.230-04:002018-08-27T11:01:00.230-04:00Gretchen wrote: “I am trying to find guidance on ...Gretchen wrote: “I am trying to find guidance on spinning thistle down can you help me?”<br /><br />Hello Gretchen,<br />I will share with you what I did. There may be better means but this was how my experiment went for me and I was happy with the results.<br /><br />I blended the thistle down with unwashed sheep wool (Suffolk fleece that had been given to me) using my hand carders.<br />I found by using “grease wool”, i.e. unwashed fleece, the thistle down blended better and did not fly away as much, making it easier to spin. I washed my yarn several times after spinning it into a two ply yarn. Then I let it dry while hanging on my kitty-noddy.<br />I used roughly a ratio of one third thistle down two two thirds wool. First I loaded some of the wool onto one carder and carded it nice and even with the other carder until all the fibres were aligned. They I pressed into one carder the thistle down spreading it over the carder as evenly as possible before using the other carder and made as many passes with them over each other as needed to make a nicely blended rolag. Then it was time to spin! I didn’t worry about whatever wee seeds might still be clinging as they would fall out during spinning and washing and whatever was left gave a nice nubby character to the yarn.<br /><br />I have done the same process with the mildweed silk, using more of a 50/50 blend between the silk and the wool. Very pretty and a lot like real silk.<br /><br />Hope this helps!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />LynneLynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-22057625978007547952018-08-24T16:48:56.383-04:002018-08-24T16:48:56.383-04:00I am trying to find guidance on spinning thistle d...I am trying to find guidance on spinning thistle down can you help me?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763856293014738559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-38011812884928676862018-03-16T00:00:32.122-04:002018-03-16T00:00:32.122-04:00Lynne, thank you so much for all the information a...Lynne, thank you so much for all the information and for responding so quickly! Much appreciated!Quilter Wannabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13922385315659936417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-42111599268010613862018-03-15T10:58:46.792-04:002018-03-15T10:58:46.792-04:00Hello Sheri Castorena!
Here is a tutorial on washi...Hello Sheri Castorena!<br />Here is a tutorial on washing hand spun yarn: http://www.knitnatural.com/blog/setting-the-twist-tutorial<br />I don't do mine exactly as that, and since I am spinning dirty fibre from the horses winter coats, I have to do three to four washings before the final rinse (in which I add a few drops of lavender oil to deter bugs.<br /><br />The horse hair is a very short fibre and will not hold together on its own, so it is necessary to spin with a longer stable fibre. I like blending it with wool best, but have tried hemp as well, which is a tougher job as one has to continually wet ones fingers while spinning to keep the hemp fibre and the horse fibre blended together. <br /><br />I'm thinking that your cotton would work too, but as with the hemp, you would have to wet your fingers as you spin. <br /><br />If you have never spun before I would suggest some longer sheep wool fibre with lots of lanolin in it.<br /><br />Hope this helps answer your queries. Have fun!Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-35947961891291942132018-03-14T23:34:47.536-04:002018-03-14T23:34:47.536-04:00The horsehair bag is beautiful! I've never spu...The horsehair bag is beautiful! I've never spun yarn myself, but I'd like to give it try with my horse's hair. You mentioned washing the yarn after it was spun. Could you provide some details as to how it's done? Also, can the yarn be made with horsehair only or is the wool necessary for strength? I've grown some cotton in the past and still have some. What are your thoughts regarding including cotton fiber rather than wool? Quilter Wannabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13922385315659936417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-87893198851282023152017-01-09T09:21:07.354-05:002017-01-09T09:21:07.354-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Bloggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287821785570247118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-88058283831875043262016-04-22T13:37:42.899-04:002016-04-22T13:37:42.899-04:00Eva, thanks for the link, I don't recall stumb...Eva, thanks for the link, I don't recall stumbling upon that one when I was first learning how to spin. I am surprised more people are not experimenting with spinning the shed winter hair from horses. I know one day, Eva, when you aren't working full time you will get your drop spindle out and become familiar with it. You've got lots of hair to save up until then!<br /><br />June, I bet you would enjoy learning to spin and making special things from your horses' hair. Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-67935350313057667802016-04-20T21:37:36.981-04:002016-04-20T21:37:36.981-04:00How wonderful!How wonderful!Junehttp://www.chloetheponywhowouldnt.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-85571046546676867832016-03-03T13:37:31.661-05:002016-03-03T13:37:31.661-05:00Fantastic bag, i love the different colors and mix...Fantastic bag, i love the different colors and mixing. I continue to enjoy my Munckin neck warmer (made out of cat hair), and i have started collecting Shadow hair. He is shedding like crazy with those 70's temeratures. With Shadow being distinctly tri-colored in the winter, i am trying to separate the soft white belly fluff from the top brown hair, they are very different in texture. <br /><br />i found another interesting blog about horse hair spinning.<br />https://slipstreamfiberarts.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/spinning-horsehair/<br /><br />Would love to learn this myself. evahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352450297889697710noreply@blogger.com