Momma's got new toys!

Boys aren't the only ones who like toys!  Fiber addicts like me enjoy them as well.  I've been saving and saving my pennies and yesterday my wonderful new piece of equipment arrived on my doorstep in a giant box.  I purchased a Brother drumcarder!   Now, non-fiber addicts will be asking the all important question, "What is a drumcarder, and what on earth does it do?"  A drumcarder is a lovely contraption composed of two wheels, a drive band, hand crank, and wire brush that is similar to a  doggy bush.  This fabulous invention takes clean wooly fleece and brushes it so that it is all lined up in the same direction in a fluffy batt that can be used for spinning, felting, or quilting.  I'm going to spin my test batt, but my ultimate plan is to use the batts for wet felting things like table runners.  Take a look at my baby:

This is my first pass of Jacob wool from a fleece I purchased raw and washed myself.  This fleece had a big variation in length and fiber type and this collection of fleece is the mixed colors I was left with after seperating the fleece by color and type.  It contains long and short fibers, as well as some kemp (stiff hairy fibers) and second cuts.  This is all okay with me because I am spinning this into a rough bulky to use for a crocheted basket.  :)

Here is the finished batt after three passes.  I have been combing and spinning this fiber, so I'll be interested in seeing the difference in spinning from a batt.

This carding adventure was by no means my only fiber play this weekend!  I finished a pair of fingerless gloves using overdyed merino sock yarn (on the left).

I also tea dyed my first substantially sized handspun skein of yarn.  This is commercially prepared domestic roving from R.H. Lindsay Co. in Boston.  Spun on a spindle and two-plied on a spindle:

I

I brewed some very dark tea,

added vinegar and couple of nails containing iron and left the wool in for hours and hours and hours. 

This is the finished yarn.  I'm fairly happy with the golden brown color and am planning to make a pair of fingerless gloves.  I'm really loving those.

So, all in all, a very productive fibery weekend was had by me!  And, before all this I finished my latest needle felted creation, which is looking for a happy home:

Have a great week and may you find time for your passions!