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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Feb 7, 2015 13:56:08 GMT
For over a year, I have been reading about the wonder of WOW, so now I am placing an order this weekend and would like to know, what are some of your favorite fibers (others?) from the World of Wool. (Marilyn and I are sharing an order for postage savings).
I would like to try some exotic fibers and other wool fibers that are not easily found in the USA. If you were purchasing wool from the States, I would recommend Navajo Churro, a fiber from once nearly extinct Southwestern sheep.
What do you like at WOW? PLEASE help me wade through the miles and miles of fiber goodies!
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Post by felicity on Feb 7, 2015 14:26:45 GMT
Cathy I order from many suppliers in UK and Europe and it's very much depends on what kinf of wool you work with and price compared with the same from other suppliers. My last order from WoW included: dyed BFL (Blue Faced Leicester) wool and New Zealand Perendale Batts (carded wool in batts)
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Feb 7, 2015 14:42:26 GMT
Thanks, Felicity. I’ve been wanting to try BFL, as I only have used a small parcel of natural BFL with silk mixed. Very luxurious but not meant for everyday use, I suppose. I want to try Perendale, definitely. I favor the naturals and neutrals.
I want to try some Manx, and black Welsh, and White-faced woodland. I saw some “carded Corriedale” that seems very reasonably priced, but wondering why? And what about the “botany waste?” Anybody?
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Post by felicity on Feb 7, 2015 15:01:02 GMT
I used to order a "botany waste" often but now I prefer to be sure what wool I have. It's cheaper of course but for you it's postage to consider I think...
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Post by jwugg on Feb 7, 2015 16:23:56 GMT
I love the bags of Waste. It's mostly merino, as I think that makes up the majority of WoW sales, especially as its so reasonably priced. In the coloured waste bag you get a good variety, probably with some silk, & usually some of their mixed fibres & sometimes the end of a run of someone's custom blend. I find it good for making me get creative, using a colour I may not have chosen & you get a lot of small amounts of different colours which are great for artworks. The white waste I often use as centre layers/ background layers for pictures. It's so cheap! BUT I have had some strange mystery fibres a few times! As Felicity says it may be worth you looking carefully at the postage costs for this.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Feb 7, 2015 16:33:59 GMT
Hmmm, I wasn’t thinking about postage re: the botany waste, but I do love to use mixed and unknown fibers just for fun. Of course, I like to save money too, but realize it might not be cost-saving due to the added postage from UK to USA. UNLESS Marilyn also wants botany waste?
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Post by felicity on Feb 7, 2015 17:25:37 GMT
I used only white botany waste not coloured one.
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Post by Pandagirl on Feb 8, 2015 0:45:47 GMT
I didn't even look at botany waste. Hmmm.
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Post by koffipot on Feb 8, 2015 10:48:05 GMT
BFL is lovely. If you want something different take a look at their speciality fibres - Yak and camel are really soft. The blended tops are nice too, especially if you don't own a drum carder.
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Post by zed on Feb 8, 2015 11:34:24 GMT
BFL tops, definitely! The oatmeal or brown are both gorgeous. Definitely, without a doubt get scoured BFL. The scoured Gotland is nice too, you can usually pick out some nice locks from it. If you want something nice for dyeing and adding texture to batts, I'd recommend Falkland scoured fleece, or Kent Romney or Norwegian Lambswool. Any of the white scoured fleece/lambswools really, they're very cheap.
Wavy/curly wool tops are Lincoln, Wensleydale, Teeswater and Devon, they are all very nice. Actually Gotland is probably similar to Devon in waviness, but Devon is much longer. They are nice to use if you want something different, and using the tops is easier than combed or washed and carded wools.
For not so fine white wools, I'd recommend English 56s, Texel, Dorset Horn and Cheviot.
If you want coarser wools for texture, something different there's Herdwick, Swaledale and Suffolk.
The grey Merino is absolutely gorgeous! The brown is nice, but short-which might be a good thing for you, I think I'm starting to prefer brown Finnish. (Any of the Finnish shades are nice and they do scoured too if you want texture for natural batts)
Any 18.5mic Merino white or coloured is very nice.
Soybean top is absolutely gorgeous too, and dyes nicely.
I'd definitely get bamboo top too, and trilobal nylon - it's sold as firestar for exorbitant prices on etsy/US sites.
The ramie, flax and hemp are nice, and cheap. Oh, and don't forget white Viscose, slightly whiter than bamboo, but similar.
I'd definitely get some dyes too.
If you have any spare 'weight' when you've finished your order, I'd recommend getting a few things to fill it up, some extra cheap scoured wools or even nylon to sell maybe.
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Post by zed on Feb 8, 2015 11:34:52 GMT
Shopping by proxy, almost as good as shopping
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Feb 8, 2015 12:57:32 GMT
Zed--that’s quite a a list of suggestions--but I asked, didn’t I? Please refresh my memory about why scoured wool is a good thing? I had forgotten about the soybean and bamboo…trilobal nylon. Oh, and viscose is plant material, as I recall. That could be good. Have never used 18 micron merino, so that would be a nice treat!
You are right, Judith, I do not have a carder, so some of the choices are not good for me--that is, unless I convince myself to buy a carder this year.
Ah, thanks for all the tips!
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Post by Shepherdess on Feb 8, 2015 16:20:01 GMT
I like BFL and the corriedale is nice for making hats and bowls. I think everything else you mentioned is a course fiber. I don't like waist because you don't know what you have. If you really like some of it you won't know what to order. I like silk hankies for nice surface design.
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Post by Shepherdess on Feb 8, 2015 18:14:50 GMT
The Dorset, cheviot and other down breeds from WOW is different then north American. the down breeds here people say do not felt. they do but the felt stays spongy and don't really shrink. people who spin like them for no shrink socks.
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Post by Teri Berry on Feb 8, 2015 21:43:48 GMT
Oh boy are you all a very bad influence... I so want to go fibre shopping right now!
I used to buy the botany lap waste all the time but as Anne says, you don't know what you are working with most of the time and when I did my sums I realised it wasn't that much cheaper than buying merino in 100g bundles.
I used white faced woodland for the first time last year, it felts well but is quite coarse. Good for bags and other hard-wearing items but very itchy to wear next to your skin. I agree with others, BFL is lovely and ver versatile but the colour range is a little limited.
The only other fibre I would recommend that I don't think has been mentioned yet is igneo (sp?) corn top, it is white has the most beautiful lustre. Oh and of angelina but I expect that is commonly available in the US?
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