Post by wolgelukkig on Jan 15, 2017 11:50:01 GMT
myalbum.com/album/nkQkOxNzRnLB
Klick above link for the pictures of the work in progress.
Last year I bought a grey stallion Alpaca fleece and it was 4.7 kilogram! I started spinning in spring without washing the wool first, just used hand carders to make small bats before spinning. I finished 1 bobbin with about 4 ounce of single spun wool before I went on a three months holiday. During my holiday I had my spinning wheel with me and I came home with another full bobbin. So I was eager for twining my beautiful alpaca threads. Right after starting I discovered my older bobbin with alpaca single was ruined by mouses, maybe for food, because I left my house clean as a whistle so nothing there to eat, or maybe for making a nest. So I had to remove half of the bobbin as loose ends of thread before I could start to twine. So now I have about 6 ounces of spun alpaca and I love it. The next bobbin is coming soon but I spend most of my time wet felting so it is not going very fast.
What did I learn from this? To pack my full bobbins in cling film to prevent mouses and insects to come and eat my fiber. I live outside and we have no cats so every now and then a mouse decides to come inside and live with us. Can't blame them when it is cold outside and I love all animals but I have heard nasty stories about the dirt they leave in your home, so it is better they stay outside.
Now I am wet felting a alpaca coat and for the collar I needed long alpaca locks to try to felt a fur collar. So I took all my different fleeces and choose grey, black and brown to check them for long locks. Glad I still had a lot of fleece from the grey stallion because I discovered it had locks of 15-17 cm! The black and brown were much shorter but I decided to use them as a kind of undercoat, to bring the grey to live.
I really was very nervous to start with the felting process. I was scared all the locks would felt too while I was felting and fulling.
But it came out nice, not perfect, but not bad for the first time. So now I am up to felt the second part of the collar in a mirrored look. When the coat is ready I will post pictures of the process and finished product, but I wanted to show you the nice locks as a starter
.
Klick above link for the pictures of the work in progress.
Last year I bought a grey stallion Alpaca fleece and it was 4.7 kilogram! I started spinning in spring without washing the wool first, just used hand carders to make small bats before spinning. I finished 1 bobbin with about 4 ounce of single spun wool before I went on a three months holiday. During my holiday I had my spinning wheel with me and I came home with another full bobbin. So I was eager for twining my beautiful alpaca threads. Right after starting I discovered my older bobbin with alpaca single was ruined by mouses, maybe for food, because I left my house clean as a whistle so nothing there to eat, or maybe for making a nest. So I had to remove half of the bobbin as loose ends of thread before I could start to twine. So now I have about 6 ounces of spun alpaca and I love it. The next bobbin is coming soon but I spend most of my time wet felting so it is not going very fast.
What did I learn from this? To pack my full bobbins in cling film to prevent mouses and insects to come and eat my fiber. I live outside and we have no cats so every now and then a mouse decides to come inside and live with us. Can't blame them when it is cold outside and I love all animals but I have heard nasty stories about the dirt they leave in your home, so it is better they stay outside.
Now I am wet felting a alpaca coat and for the collar I needed long alpaca locks to try to felt a fur collar. So I took all my different fleeces and choose grey, black and brown to check them for long locks. Glad I still had a lot of fleece from the grey stallion because I discovered it had locks of 15-17 cm! The black and brown were much shorter but I decided to use them as a kind of undercoat, to bring the grey to live.
I really was very nervous to start with the felting process. I was scared all the locks would felt too while I was felting and fulling.
But it came out nice, not perfect, but not bad for the first time. So now I am up to felt the second part of the collar in a mirrored look. When the coat is ready I will post pictures of the process and finished product, but I wanted to show you the nice locks as a starter
.
Peppermint oil is a natural deterrent for mice. Put a few drops on cotton wool balls and leave where they might gain access. You could always put some where you store your wool. 
