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Post by Pandagirl on Jan 13, 2016 23:17:21 GMT
My daily dose was making batts. But I had a problem, I was combining hand dyed merino, corriedale and romney which I do frequently. However, today I kept getting lumps. I had so many I couldn't turn the wheel, so I took it off and pulled out all the lumps. Now I have a pile of lumps. I did notice the drums were not aligned correctly and will have to fix. Has anyone else had this problem? What was the solution?
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 13, 2016 23:30:36 GMT
Haven't had this issue. Sorry.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jan 14, 2016 1:47:18 GMT
Holly I am busy for a few days and everyone goes crazy felting and posting. I will just say all the pictures look great. the cat cave chart is interesting. I wonder what fiber they are using. I have a cat cave class I am teaching in a couple of weeks we are using Finn. the courser your wool the less wool you get per pound. It will be a challenge as there is a wide range of experience in the class and they will be all making different stiles. I have my doubts that we have aloud enough time. but they know they are the trial class.
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Post by Teri Berry on Jan 14, 2016 8:51:42 GMT
Sorry never had my carder create lumps Maralyn, I'm also struggling to see how the wheels being a little off centre would cause that too, are you feeding your fibres in finely enough? I was taught you should be able to read a newspaper through the fibres you place on the feeder tray.
Sounds like you are creating some good embellishments for Zed's challenge though!
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Post by Teri Berry on Jan 14, 2016 8:58:34 GMT
Sounds like you have set yourself a real challenge with the cat cave class Ann, to simplify things could you have them all work to the same basic shape and encourage the more experienced students to add 3D decorations to theirs if it looks like they have time?
Good point about the coarser wools weighing more per volume than merino and others, I haven't checked the chart but agree coarse wool will give a firmer and more stable shape, to get the same with merino would take a LOT of fulling.
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Post by zed on Jan 14, 2016 12:05:44 GMT
Same as Ann, I've not been able to get on for days at a time, then there's so much to look at. I'm not rude not commenting on it all, just exhausted, but appreciating it all.
I've not had that Problem either, Marilyn. The only time I get 'lumps' though they're more like hair lugs (is that a UK word?) is when I've dyed scoured wool and then card it. I always put my fibre through finely though.
I did some batts this week too, I brought back some of the stuff that got messed up at the well being centre and some messy botany lap waste.
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Post by Teri Berry on Jan 14, 2016 15:24:10 GMT
Hair lugs? I think that might be a Zeddism, I'm pretty fluent In Geordie so I don't think it's even a northern term! Should I be imagining the matted hair that collects around the shower drain?
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Post by Pandagirl on Jan 14, 2016 16:27:25 GMT
Yes, I always feed in very fine, since the carder is fine. I got instructions for adjusting the drums and will try again today. I never had this much of a problem before and it seems to be the merino lumping up.
Yes, Teri I'll be creating something lumpy for the fourth time quarter challenge.
Zed, I never heard of that term either.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jan 14, 2016 22:41:52 GMT
Today I spent some time gathering fibers for my second attempt at the cat cave, and since we are talking about carding here, I have a question about how much batting equals how much pulled roving. I seem to get messed up when I combine my homemade batts with hand-pulled roving, and it gets even worse when I try to throw in some commercial batts as well.
Does anyone have an accurate method to measure these items to figure out the ounces needed for a project? I can see that I did not use enough ounces in my first cat cave--thanks to Nada--but I also suspect that when I mixed my homemade batts and the pulled roving that I miscalculated the layers. What works here? Is a batt counted as one layer or two layers. Is it equal to roving set in a perpendicular fashion? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
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Post by Pandagirl on Jan 14, 2016 23:36:39 GMT
I did get my dose in today. I adjusted the carder and made three batts. I also started the washing process of some of the locks Zara sent me.
Cathy, I've only combined batts and roving on some pods. Nothing as big as a cat cave. I have used bits of boatts on landscapes. I'm sure someone has experience with this.
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Post by Teri Berry on Jan 14, 2016 23:41:47 GMT
Those are some really challenging questions Cathy!
I think the only sensible comparison you can make between batts and tops is by weighing the dry wool, and as Ann mentioned that only works if they are both the same breed (or at least a similar micron count). Batts are incredibly variable in thickness so I don't think you can easily compare them or ask how many layers to use as you would with tops.
Are you working with the same breed of wool as your first cave? How happy were you with the thickness of the felt (ignoring the holes)? If it was ok, I would weigh it, divide the weight by 2 and lay out that much wool on each side of your resist.
If you want it to be 50% thicker, add that to the weight of your cave before dividing it by 2.
For a cat cave (especially if you are using batts) you should expect to have a pile of dry fibre at least 5 inches deep on each side of the resist. Lyn posted a really nice Utube video on here somewhere....
Not sure if that helps any....
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Post by Shepherdess on Jan 14, 2016 23:57:10 GMT
I was going to say weight is the only way to do it really. When I took my boot class we had to do samples to decide how much wool and the shrinkage. we made 10x10 squares. You had to write down how much wool in now many layers. Then when it was done if the finished piece was as thick as you wanted you could work out how much wool per square inch and from there calculate how much wool you needed for the whole piece. Then divide that for each side and the number of layers you did. You also get your shrinkage rate for that amount of fiber so you know how big to make the resist.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jan 15, 2016 1:26:05 GMT
Teri & Ann-- Your suggestions and comments are very helpful! I am not as concerned about shrinkage as I am about getting enough wool and having it properly laid out. Now it occurred to me that I used homemade batts on only one side of the first cat cave and the rest was top, and the other side was all tops. Different wools, too. I think the batts were a combo of Domestic 56s, corriedale, Texas mohair and mystery yarn. The other side was mostly Domestic 56’s dyed indigo. Some of the decorative bits could have been merino, and I did throw in some wisps of tencel.
OK, not doing that tomorrow on #2 cat cave. Each side will have to be even with same wool or wools combo, proportioned the same. Weighed and split evenly! I am planning to use Navajo Churro natural brown and cranberry Corriedale batt from WOW. At least I think the latter was Corrie…if only I could find my original receipt.
Thanks so much. You really helped clarify my thinking. ;-}}
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Post by Shepherdess on Jan 15, 2016 2:01:31 GMT
I am terrible for not making samples. when I want to make something I just want to get on with it.
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Post by zed on Jan 15, 2016 10:43:55 GMT
I'm the same as you, Ann, and also the opposite, I often make lots of samples trying out different fabrics or fibres etc, then never really have a plan to make something bigger
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