1 Colour + 1 Colour = Beautiful

I thought there were just two options when it came to fibre colouration: dye it or leave it natural. It never even occured to me that just like I mix my paints, I could mix my fibres and BLEND to create new colours. Did you know this? Am I the only that missed this memo?

When Wendy Bateman, Grand Empress of All Things Textile, starting demonstrating blending fibres on hand carders in Haliburton, I was spellbound. Two or more colours went on the carders and with just a few swipes magic was created. A whole new tone, shade, hue or value emerged.

Of course I tried to hide my delight and play it cool.
Just kidding. I practically started vibrating in my seat with pure excitement.

I love the depth of colour that fibre blending creates. The space and shadow between the variety of fibres allows for a richness of colour different from single dyes. So. Glorious.

Here's the trick with blending. Here's a few tricks I learned when it comes to blending.

1. CARD IT GOOD. My first few attempts with blending resulted in some streaky, bloby yarn because I hadn't adequately carded the fibres together. It's worth it pull apart the rolags and change direction when loading the carders. And then take a few extra passes when you think you're done.

2. PULL OUT THE SHORT CUTS AND PILLS. I hate that stuff. All those little bits make for miscoloured slubs in your yarn. Pull it out while the fibre is still on the carders.

3. CLEAN OUT YOUR CARDERS. As someone who can be a tad over-enthusiastic to get started at a new project (I hate to admit it but it's true), I forgot to clean my carders before changing to a new set of colours. This made for some rather odd mixtures emerging. While I normally am excited for unexpected results, when completing your OHS homework or working towards a precise colour, it is a serious pain in the tush to pick out all the wrong colour.

4. RECORD. RECORD. RECORD. Once again, as someone that enjoys experimentation and chance, recording my process isn't generally in the forefront of my mind. This is a big loss when I happen to create a colour that is truly awe-inspiring. I am training myself to write that s*&! down. Record your percentages and combinations. Take photos. Keep a wee bit of fibre as a sample. Hold back a bit of yarn. As much as I hate to slow down the creative process with record keeping, it is (sigh) worth it.

5. PULL OUT THAT COLOUR WHEEL.  Remember studying the colour wheel in highschool art class? Reacquante yourself with it. Take a look at what is complementary and analogous. Remind yourself of what hues, shades, values and tones are and how they are assessed. Try to figure out what colours are mixed to create that tone of lime green sitting across from you on the subway.

6. TOSS OUT THAT COLOUR WHEEL.  After you've hung out with the colour wheel for awhile and have memorized primary, tertiary and all other terms, start playing. The rules are great place to start but they aren't the whole journey.  Explore the terrain beyond the wheel.



Do you have any fabulous tips or tricks on colour blending? Share the wealth and post below!

Becoming a Master(ful) Hand Spinner - OHS Year 1

Meet Darlene. She's a spinning wheel. A Double-Tredle Lendrum to be exact. Made in Odessa, Ontario by a fellow named Gord Lendrum. She and I crossed paths this past August on the first day of Year 1 (of 6!) in my journey to become a Master Spinner (as in wool and not as in bicycles bolted to the floor in a humid gym with a trainer yelling at you to really “feel the pain”) with the OHS– Ontario Hand Weavers and Spinners (1). 

Didn’t know Ontario had hand-spinners? Prepare to be amazed. The growth in popularity of fibre arts is astounding. Just look around and you'll see people knitting all over the place. I love bumping into a fellow knitter on the subway. We quickly fall into a discussion of patterns and projects and favourite yarns. Eventually the topic of hand spinning emerges: do you spin your own yarns? We lock eyes. I trip over the words, "yes, I do". My fellow knitter answers back with a touch of breathlessness, "I've been spinning for years".  There's a sudden glint in the eye. Likely I have it too. We've just realized that we're both in the club. We're both SPINNERS. We have bags of fleece under our beds and small balls of fluff follow us through the world. Believe me when I say OHS is a breath away from becoming mainstream. 

You know I love local fibres and fibre producers. Meeting Darlene and pursuing my OHS Spinning Certificate Program is one part of desire to be involved in the cultivation of local fibresheds supporting a robust local textile economy. After 8 days in Haliburton I realized that I needed to share this process of scaling the heights of Spinning Mastery. I'm also hoping that if I keep writing about the process all y'all will keep me focused and moving forward, not to mention on time with my homework submissions. So consider this Season 1, Episode 1 of "Sarah Jean Goes to Spinning School".

To give some context:  I learned to spin at Black Creek Pioneer Village back in 2007 and fell instantly in love with the whole process. I drop spindled all the way through my Masters in Environmental Studies at York University. Noting my infatuation with fibre arts, Pascal organized his family and mine and bought me an old beauty known as a Quebec Production Wheel, easily 150 years old, for my 31st birthday. Best partner ever? Yup.

Fast forward to 2014. A friend at my local Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners Guild convinced me to sign up for Year 1 of the OHS Certificate. Looking at my old beauty I realized that she wasn't really up to the drive to and from the Haliburton School of the Arts. 

This is where Darlene comes in. She was a rental from Wendy Bateman, Spinning Certificate coordinator and Grand Empress of All Things Textile. Wendy is one helluva gal – she's been spinning longer than I've been alive. 3 days into my relationship with Darlene, Wendy quietly paused at my chair and mentioned that Darlene was for sale, less the rental fee. What a clever saleswomyn. By day 8 I couldn’t imagine my life without Darlene. She came home with me.

Darlene lives at the foot of my bed, in front of the low bench, perfectly positioned for a daily round of spinning whenever the mood strikes. Did I mention that Pascal is an awesome partner? He is. 

Now it's time for some confessions. After getting home from Year 1 in Haliburton, I have put off the scads of homework that I must complete this year. I am utterly overwhelmed by the level of expertise that will be grading my work and sadly underwhelmed by my own skill level. I have pumped out yards and yards of 2-ply in an attempt to improve my twist (I consistently underspin), regulate my grist (I still get some thick/thin), and successfully produce a balanced, 2-ply yarn (reaching for that perfect loop skein). 

Facebook is becoming the bane of my existence as I watch my sister spinners (the other gals at Year 1) produce beautiful, balanced products expertly displayed on black card stock. Sigh.

Deep down I want perfect grades on my perfect yarns, but reality says that is highly unlikely to occur. Accepting this reality is truly hampering my progress. I can’t get started because I want perfection but know I can’t achieve it, thus don’t want to start until I can get it perfect. What an exhausting loop of inaction. 

This is likely an excellent example perfection paralysis. I’m not moving forward simply because I can’t accept my imperfections. That’s a life lesson, eh? 

My new strategy is to talk to Darlene and remind her that she’s part of the team and thus part of the process. This takes the pressure of me as a solo creator and distributes the glory, and the blame. I know a craftsperson isn’t supposed to blame their tools, but it sure feels good to feel like Darlene and I are in this process of imperfect beginner-ness together. Regardless of the conventional wisdom that inanimate objects don't have a personality, talking to Darlene is helping me get over this perfection paralysis because she and I are in this together.

Alright. I'm off to spin.

1. Full disclosure: the program is technically the Spinning Certificate Program and not the Master Spinners Program. However, the program is 6 years in length, the same as a doctoral degree, so I'm going to give myself the prize of claiming Masters status if I make it through. I might even privately refer to myself as Dr. HandSpinner. We'll see how much ego boosting I need by the end.

Farm Visit: Spirit Walk Farms

Sheep aren't known for their ability to follow directions. These cuddly, sweet-faced creatures are determined to surge in the exact opposite direction you've asked them to follow. Not surprisingly, sheering day tends to be a whirlwind of stress, dust and fleece.

Knowing all this didn't dampen my excitement when Marg Quarrie of Spirit Walk Farm invited me to join for their fall sheering this past Thanksgiving. Marg's herd of 42 ewes combines the softness of Romney and Dorset fleece with the hardiness of the Rideau Arcott (a hardiness needed to survive the Grey County winter). Having worked with Spirit Walk yarns in the past, I was excited to see the animals that produced these natural and rustic fibers.

The stable was abuzz with activity when I arrived. Hopping over partitions and around the sheerer, I was admittedly a tad over-whelmed. But amongst the bleating sheep and buzz of the clippers, was Marg - a soft-spoken farmer with an obvious affection for her "girls".

Marg at the Skirting Table.

Marg and her husband Gord established Spirit Walk Farm 18 years ago after deciding to exit urban living in Cambridge. In Marg's words they moved north and "never looked back". Spirit Walk is an intentionally small mixed operation focused on maintaining a intimate connection with the land and animals. Housed in an old bank barn, the farm includes their ewes, milking goats, 3 angoras and laying hens for the house. 

Fleece laid out on the Skirting Table.

Marg waved me over to the skirting table, a framed metal screen set up on trestles, where the freshly shorn fleece is spread out and evaluated. As we chatted Marg showed me how to pick out the burrs and chaff, where to find the "poopy" sections to be removed and what to look for when assessing a fleece. She moved fast but thoughtfully, sorting the fleeces into boxes according to their grade.

As the ewes were encouraged into the sheering bay, Marg spoke softly to her girls, convincing them to move toward the sheerer even as they swirled around her.   She commented on each ewe entering the sheering bay, noting the ewe's history and evolution of her fleece. When a deep chocolate Romney entered the bay, Marg's skilled eye already knew that "this will be a beautiful fleece" far before it was spread out on the skirting table.

Working at the skirting table brings your attention to the subtly of colour and texture that each staple of fleece contains. Moving around the table, picking out bits and looking for matting, reveals how the colour of a fleece changes from darker to lighter as it grows away from the ewe's body. On that chilly morning I could feel the warmth of the ewe still held in the fleece. It was easy to imagine the potential coziness of a sweater knit up from Spirit Walk yarns.

Marg's utility fleeces (those not suitable for roving or yarn) are sent to MacAuslan's in PEI where they are made into blankets (I purchased a MacAuslan Blanket during an East Coast trip a few years ago - a very wise investment for camping in Cape Breton). The finer fleeces are milled at Wellington Fibers in Elora and returned to Marg as rovings and yarns. Spirit Walk fibers are refreshingly simple in their natural colours. Their rustic textures conjure up memories of apple cider, warm sweaters and wood smoke.

Spirit Walk Roving

As Marg and I went through the roving she had assembled for me to bring back to the city, she named each ewe, discussing the nuances of their fibers and their personalities. Like Kaitlyn at Applegarth Alpaca Farm, the connection between Marg and her girls was clear. Even amongst the chaos of sheering, Marg relished the fibers grown by these remarkable animals.

Spirit Walk Yarn

I left Spirit Walk Farm confidant in my decision to apply Craftivism to my fiber arts. It feels great knowing that my designs support farmers like Marg who are dedicated to producing sustainable, high quality fibers from sheep to needle. Who knew that knitting could create positive social change in our local economies and communities?





Spirit Walk Farm Fibers and Yarns can be purchased at:





Peace Flag House Fiber Arts
568 Jane Street,
Toronto, ON
By Appointment
647-478-3173
peaceflaghouse@gmail.com





  

Spirit Walk Farm
Marg & Gord Quarrie
519-923-5378
gredqee@gmail.com
327104 Conc. Rd. 3,
Maxwell
N0C 1J0

Flesherton Farmer's Market

Flesherton Arena Parking Lot
Saturdays, 8am - 1pm
Victoria Day Weekend, May to
Thanksgiving Weekend, October

Farm Visit: Applegarth Studio and Yarn

I let the coffee warm me up as I sat in a rocking chair at The Bakery and watched the village of Flesherton go by on a cold, wet weekend in October. Glancing down at the windowsill there were a jumble of magazines, flyers and brochures.  Three alpacas named Daisy, Ember and Evita stared up at me under the title Applegarth Studio and Yarn: A Destination of its Own.
Tucked along Sideroad 4A just outside of Markdale, amongst rolling forests, streams and solar panels, is Kaitlyn Brodie's Applegarth Studio and Yarn.  At 22, Kaitlyn is building her alpaca herd, producing her own fibers and developing one of Grey County's must-see fiber destinations.    

I was not this awesome when I was 22.

Kaitlyn's fiber adventures started 2 years ago when she picked up the needles for the first time. Knitting quickly moved on to spinning and then to dying and felting. Finishing up her degree in forestry, Kaitlyn began to dream of the fiber arts as a way of life. Demonstrating incredible hutzpah, Kaitlyn set about creating Applegarth Studio and Yarn at her family's off-the-grid Toad Hall Farm on Sideroad 4A. Today Applegarth is home to a small herd of Yucaya alpacas, known for their versatile, light weight and warm fibers. 

Evita, Tansy and Daisy came home to Applegarth in the fall of 2012.  June saw Applegarth's first on-farm birth. Little Samara was born premature and was given little hope of survival. Undaunted, Kaitlyn tucked the tiny cria into her own bed for that first night to keep her warm. It took Kaitlyn more three days of sleeping in the barn to make sure baby Samara and mama Daisy bonded.

Kaitlin and Samara

Those three long days ultimately united Kaitlyn with the little herd. Alpaca's are known for being timid and somewhat uninterested in humyns. But Kaitlyn's herd is different.  Standing in the paddock with her it's clear that these alpaca's are excited to see her, skipping in and around for kisses and rubs. Today, Samara is strong and healthy and has been joined by Ember, the latest addition to the herd. Obviously Kaitlyn's dedication to Samara's survival not only strengthened the bonds between baby and mama, but between humyn and herd.

Buttons by Dano Harris.

Inside the Applegarth Studio Kaitlyn proudly displays her yarns. The combinations of colours and textures in alpaca and alpaca/wool blends are sumptuous and I can't help but touch. Kaitlyn explains her conscious investment in the local fiber economy and her decision to have her fibers milled at Wellington Fibers in Elora, Ontario. She also carries popular Canadian yarns by Fleece Artist and Handmaiden, as well as the works of other local artisans including art yarns by The Married Spinsters and handmade knitting needles and buttons by Dano Harris.  

Inside Applegarth Studio.

Thursdays are Applegarth's Fiber Social Day, when Kaitlyn welcomes fiber enthusiasts to the farm, encouraging participants to bring their current project and share their craft with other artisans. Snugged up in the Studio with its wood stove and beautiful view I certainly look forward to attending my first Social Day this winter.

Applegarth is a beautiful fiber destination that is undoubtedly worth the drive down the narrow dirt road of Sideroad 4A. For me, however, Applegarth's biggest attraction is the connection between Kaitlin and her alpacas. In the same way that local, sustainable ingredients make for delicious meals, I believe that local, well cared for animals create beautiful fibers. The Applegarth fibers I've brought back to the city are the product of animals that are clearly loved and respected. It feels right to create my original hand knits from a high quality yarn that reflects my respect for sustainable farming practices and my investment in local economies.  



Applegarth yarns can be purchased at:

Peace Flag House Fiber Arts
568 Jane Street,
Toronto, ON
By Appointment
647-478-3173
peaceflaghouse@gmail.com

Applegarth Studio and Yarn
Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm,
or By Appointment.
226-668-1305
applegarthstudio@gmail.com
545413 Sideroad 4A, Box 23
Markdale, ON
N0C 1H0





 

I am a recovering Yarn Zombie

A little peek at the Peace Flag House stash.

I have an obsession with yarn.  I knit on the subway, on the beach, in class (I'm the teacher), in the car, on airplanes.  The last time I was in a movie theater I took my knitting.  Spinning wheels make me drool.  Looms are one of the most beautiful inventions of humynkind.  I adore sheep, alpacas, yak and any other animal growing a coat that could be made into a knittable, spinnable, weavable fiber.

When traveling I look for the fibers and textiles local to the area.  This summer I found linens in Belgium, cottons in Greece and wools in Iceland.  Last summer I found Gaspereau Valley Fibers in the Annapolis Valley,  Briggs and Little in New Brunswick and Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont.
Returning home to Peace Flag House I started to wonder about our local fibers.  Shop after shop, I asked for yarns and fibers local to Ontario.  Time after time, shopkeepers told me they didn't carry any local fibers or yarns and what's more, they didn't know of any producers.

What?!
When did knitting become a Walmart-ized hobby?  Did I miss the memo?  Had fiber production joined the growing list of Ontario's extinct local economies?
 
Full of fear, this fall I started paying closer attention to Ontario's rural areas like Grey County, looking for signs of small-scale, local fiber production.  I visited farmer's markets, explored dirt roads and stopped at farm gates with homemade signs.  Thankfully, the more I asked around, the more I discovered not only local producers but local fiber mills, handmade knitting needles, angora goat herds, off-the grid organic farms and alpacas making therapy visits to senior's homes.  While knitting is certainly part of the fiber-industrial complex, Ontario seems to have a small contingent of local fiber producers raising diverse animals and making beautiful yarns and rovings.

Despite my dedication to shopping Main Street over Big Box, this urban fiber freak was woefully ignorant of the treasures in our backyard.  Why was I so unaware?  When it comes to food I am a mindful consumer, carefully purchasing the foods for Peace Flag House based on locality, quality and growing practices.  But when it comes to yarn...

I turn into a Yarn Zombie.  When I want to knit a sweater ethical purchasing slides off me like dead skin and I become a consumption-driven yarn zombie, snarling 'local-schmocal' as I tear into sale racks of pretty colours and soft textures.

Wow. That was embarrassing to admit.

I've gained some perspective this fall.  In fact, I am now a recovering Yarn Zombie.  The more I discovered and met farmers choosing to invest their time and energy in producing small-scale, quality fiber products that value the animals, the land and the art of production, the more I saw the disconnect between my values and my actions.  I felt the growing need to shift my fiber art practices away from the global-industrial model and into processes that value the local, the social and environmental.  I needed to practice some personal Craftivism.

This form of Craftivism, rather than making public yarn bombing statements, focuses on consciously investing in the development of our local communities and economies, in sustainable farming practices and in products meant to last rather than become trash. 

Some members of Peace Flag House (aka Pascal) have agreed to help me take on this Craftivism challenge.  In my recovery as a consumerist Yarn Zombie I will be consciously leaving behind the fiber-industrial complex and stepping into the living world of the small and local.  Peace Flag House will be bridging the gap between rural farmers and all of us urban artisans by sourcing yarns and fibers, visiting farms and finding local producers of all things fiber arts.  And we'll be sharing the adventure!

Over the coming months we'll be doing a 'yarn crawl' around rural Ontario, documenting discoveries and sharing connections with stories and photos from the farms, mills and artisans we visit.  We'll be bringing yarns and fibers back to the city, sharing local fiber treasures with everyone.  Most importantly, we'll be investing in our time, attention and money in local economies and sustainable communities.  The reign of the Yarn Zombie is over.

Perhaps we'll even create our own urban-style, handmade farm-gate sign.



 

Le Thrumbed Cup Cozy

Early Morning Walking Coffee kept snug in my new Le Thrumbed Cup Cozy.

When my coffee steams as I step outside with Relish for his morning walk, I know cozy-making season.

This fall I wanted a quick little project that would accomplish two goals: 1/ protect my hands from early morning, cold stainless steel travel mugs during the in-between season of mitts/no mitts and 2/ provide an easy, introductory thrumb project for my new knitting circle at Sistering's Spun Studio.

Viola! Le Thrumbed Cup Cozy.

This little beauty uses up some yarn and fiber stash and can be accomplished in an evening.

Yarn: What's in your stash? I suggest a heavier weight that can handle the added bulk of thrumbs.

Gauge: Depends on your chosen wool. Mine was 4 sts/inch.

Needles: To match your wool. I used 5.5 mm.

 

Thrumbing from the inside.

CO 14 sts (or enough for 3.5 inches).
K3 rows garter st.
R4 (RS) k2, (thrumb, k1)repeat 5x, k2.
R5 (WS) p all sts, being sure to purl into the back of each thrumbed st.
Repeat R4 and R5 until piece measures 4-5 inches.
K3 rows garter st.
BO. Sew seam.

Thrumbing from the outside.

Nearly instant gratification, no?

Have you made a cup cozy?
Send photos of your Le Thrumbed Cup Cozy to peaceflaghouse@gmail.com.