Golden orb shawl

This cape is so beautiful incolour and lustre, you'll besurprised to hear what materialwas spun and woven.

March giveaways

We have a winner for February'ssurvey, the spring competitionsprings off and an independentdyer gives away some deliciousfibre.

Hand Spinning NewsSpring yet?

This newsletter may look better online: hand-spinning-news.com

Welcome to the new-look Hand Spinning News! As well as the new name,some polish and its own web domain (hand-spinning-news.com) you'll alsofind more content, new features and more giveaways.

This time round I've tried to put an emphasis on knitting with handspun, toaccompany a new feature in which I'll include some knitting crochet andweaving patterns suitable for using your handspun. If you're not a knitter,don't stop reading now - there'll still be plenty of interest.

The now-traditional spring competition is in its third year, please give it a go ifyou haven't taken part in the past (and of course if you have).

So on with this month's digest of spinning-related news, views andamusement.

Top Stories

Contents

News and articles from around the webGolden Orb cape, Spun violin strings, Exhibition down under, Knitting with handspun, World's oldest sheepdies, Vintage French spindles, Niddy noddy wraps and yardage chartFrom the blogosphereHandspun girasole, Felted handspun cushions, Coast, Design source, Challenges, Handspun blanket,Weaving tip of the monthGalleryA new feature to show some of the month's best images.Featured fibre artist and fluffy giveawayA new feature in which an independent dyer offers some lovely fibre.Free patternsAnother new feature in which I'll choose some free patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.News from handspinner.co.ukThe spring competition and what's newEventsSome 2012 dates for your diary!Courses and tuitionWhere to go for a day, weekend or a week to learn or improve your skills

Shop How to About Blog

News and articles from around the web

Cape woven from the silk of a million spiders

Watching the master weaver (at about 4:40 in this video)'picking up' the warp to make the pattern would befascinating enough without the fact that he's weaving withso many counted threads of golden orb spider silk.

80 people worked for five years to collect the silk fromabout a million spiders to make this silk fabric and five expert weavers and afurther group of finishers made the woven panels.

Each warp is made from 96 individual strands - 24 fibres come out of thesilking machine and are spun together and then doubled and doubled again foreach warp thread. The golden colour is natural.

Each spider was returned to the wild after having its silk harvested.

The fabric has been made into a two-metre shawl and a richly embroideredcape.

The silk panel has been on display around the world and the pieces are ondisplay at the V&A museum until 5 June.

There is more about these spider silk garments on the web and Youtube butthis video is my pick. We learn lots about the history of spider silk use,technical comparisons with silkworm fibres and see the cloth being woven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LFF68_bME9E

Spider silk spun into violin strings

By coincidence, spider silk has featured in another newsstory this month.

Shigeyoshi Osaki has collected and spun spider silk intoviolin strings, which are said to have a brilliant quality oftone.

I deliberately used the word 'spun' - he bundled filaments together and twistedthem, then twisted three of these bundles together to make each string.Processes we would recognise as spinning and plying.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21540-spider-silk-spun-into-violin-strings.html

KnittySpin Spring 2012

The Spring 2012 Knittyspin is just out. A 'spin-off' from thefree Knitty e-magazine

Along with the regular features; cool spinning stuff, fibrefiesta and free patterns, this issue also has an articleabout spring cleaning and maintaining your wheel.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss12/KScontentindex.php

Exhibition down under

The Wool Modern exhibition that helped to launch WoolWeek here in Britain last September is about to open inSydney; its third stop.

The show features work from designers Lanvin, VivienneWestwood and Paul Smith. There will also be a number ofexciting additions for the Sydney audience including designs from Ellery, JoshGoot, Collette Dinnigan and Romance Was Born.

The exhibition will be at Pier 2&3, Walsh Bay from April 24 - 31

Britain's Wool Week 2012 will be 15 - 21 October. More about Wool Modernand Wool Week in The Campaign For Wool's most recent newsletter availableat the link below.

http://www.campaignforwool.org/newsletters/the-campaign-for-wool-mar-12-newsletter.pdf

Knitting with handspun yarn

In this article from last Spring's Knittyspin, Jillian Morenogives us 3 tips for knitting with your handspun.

You'll also see that I've started a new feature in thisnewsletter in which I suggest some patterns which willwork well with handspun.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEss11/KSFEATknittingwithhandspun.php

Forum: Knitting with handspun

I think that this is the first time that I've linked to a forumconversation.

Again on the subject of knitting with handspun, thisdiscussion on Spinning Daily is a good read and containssome very useful tips.

http://www.spinningdaily.com/forums/t/606.aspx

Sad news: World's oldest sheep dies after fallfrom cliff

Thanks to Finding Nemo we all know how long sea turtleslive, but how long do sheep live?

Sadly this ewe, thought to be the world's oldest livingsheep and known as Twiggy, died at 25 after falling from150 foot cliff.

Older sheep have been recorded in the past - up to almost 29 years old.

I'm guessing that the erstwhile Twiggy's fleece was past its best, and from thephoto it certainly looks that way. But she had her own teeth and was stillproducing lambs three years ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107938/Worlds-oldest-sheep-dies-25-falling-150-foot-cliff-Western-Isles.html

Vintage French spindles

I spotted a picture of one of these vintage spindles onFlickr and curiosity led me to the owner's Etsy shop,ChezPlum. She is selling a collection of these vintagespindles and she also has reproductions of an image of aspinner using such a spindle.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SylvChezPlum?section_id=5848193

Niddy noddy wraps and yardage chart

I wrote an article some time ago about calculating thenumber of yards in your skein.

If all that maths is a little bit daunting, and if you're using astandard Ashford niddy noddy, or any other niddy noddy15" long, Spinstar has made a handy chart which you canuse to easily look up the yardage based on the number of wraps.

http://spinstarcreations.wordpress.com/spinning/

From the blogosphere

Blogpick: FO: handspun girasole

Lilirious's first 'raw fleece to finished object' is a massive60" in diameter and has taken the best part of a year tospin and knit.

Frustrated about running out of yarn when she first triedthis pattern, she decided to spin her own yarn.

She says " I started this project because I guess I wanted to prove to myselfthat I could spin extra yarn if I ever ran out of it."

Click through to her blog posts over the last year to see 'in progress' picturesand information.

http://www.lilirious.com/?p=1013

Blogpick: Felted handspun cushions

red2white likes wet felting and exploring natural colour,texture and form. For these pieces she has worked withher own handspun and really seems to have preserved thecolours and textures of the original fibres.

She doesn't crochet or knit very much and has developedher felting technique for using her beautiful handspun yarn.

There's little detail about exactly how she's made these pieces but her blogdoes contain some lovely tutorials and further information about wet felting.

Do follow the links to her Flickr photographs, there are some gorgeous finishedprojects in her beautiful style.

http://red2white.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/handspun-texture/

Blogpick: coast

Thanks to Josiekitten for this lovely post. A lovelycollection of photos that made me yearn for home (I knowthe beach in question) and how good to see a selection ofimages of our beautiful coastline, together with a set ofphotos of her spinning some fibre that she's fallen in lovewith, called 'Coast'.

It's also interesting to read that she split the fibre down its entire length in orderto achieve colour repeats.

http://theknittingexploitsofjosiekitten.blogspot.com/2012/02/coast.html

Blogpick: Design source

Allabitrandom has made a couple of posts recently inwhich she photographs her naturally-dyed handspun yarnalongside the design source - in both cases images fromthe National Geographic.

This is my favourite, she says that she was given thefleece and doesn't know what dyes were used, but she has selected thosecolours based on the photo.

http://allabitrandom.blogspot.com/2012/02/from-design-source.html

Blogpick: Challenges

This lovely post features some beautiful spindle-spun yarnand compares the uncooperative singles to her autisticdaugher.

There are five comparisons and the last one is verymoving.

http://weekendknitter.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/challenges/#more-542

Blogpick: Handspun Blanket

This lovely blanket is, according to the maker, woven froma 'mish mash' of small bits of handspun yarn.

It was woven in plain weave on a rigid heddle loom andthere are lots more details on the blog post.

http://50.56.100.10/project/jen-brown/handspun-blanket

Willington Weaver's Tip of the Month

If your weaving tends to get narrower as you weave, or ifyour edges are generally uneven, then this month's tipfrom Willington Weaver will help you to keep them neatand straight.

http://willingtonweaver.blogspot.com/2012/03/tip-of-month-march.html

Handspun yarn tattoo

A while ago I reported a 'pure wool' tattoo. Here, MaryHeather has had herself tattooed with a picture of her ownhandspun.

Click the link on her Flickr page to see the photo of herhandspun that was used to draw the tattoo.

Read more...

GallerySometimes I find pictures of lovely finished Handspun projects with little or no additional information (withapologies to the owners of these pictures if you have blogged about them elsewhere, please let me know and I'llpass on the extra information in the next HSN)

Handspun hat

Handspun black sheep hat by strickknit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strickknit/6923517265/in/photostream/

Handspun linen stitch scarf

Handspun linen stitch scarf by rjrahardjo

yarn: handspun black and grey fibre from fairy yarnmother,spun 2 ply sport weight.

Needles: US 7 for cast on and body. US 2 to bind off.380sts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahardjo-knits/6922260973/in/photostream

Handspun hat

A lovely image and a lovely hat by Ragademalion

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragademalion/6738092455/in/photostream/

Featured fibre artist and fluffy giveawayA new feature in which an independent dyer offers a gift or a discount.

Dye Spin Knit UK

Kerry is a mum of 4 and loves dyeing yarns and fibres,spinning, crochet and knitting. In her Etsy shop you willfind a wide variety of hand dyed yarns and fibres as wellas handspun yarn.

Appropriately, Kerry has offered 124g of hand dyedMerino, Cashmere & Silk (75/12.5/12.5) that she calls 'Spring Yet?' It is acustom blend which she has hand dyed using shades of yellow, green andpewter.

To enter the draw, simply email me at shiela@handspinner.co.uk with thesubject line 'Dye Spin Knit UK'. We'll make the draw just before the next HSN.Please state if you don't want to receive news from myself or Dye Spin Knit UKin the future.

Kerry's Etsy shop is http://dyespinknituk.etsy.com/ and blog athttp://dyespinknituk.blogspot.com/

If you dye or blend fibre and would like to be featured in this spot - please getin touch.

Free patternsA new feature in which I'll choose some free patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.

Free pattern: EZ 100th Anniversary PI Shawl

Lilirious's Girasole shawl looks so good in her finehandspun that I thought I'd feature the pattern.

Girasole isn't a free pattern, if you'd like to buy it for $6.50then it's herehttp://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2008/12/girasole.html

But for a free alternative, how about this one from Mwaa Knit Obsession?(Free Ravelry download - you'll need an account and to be logged in). It has ahigh average rating and a low difficulty rating.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ez-100th-anniversary-pi-shawl-camping

Free pattern: generic sock

Sometimes a pattern just gives you a chart for a design ora pattern and leaves you to work it into your favourite sockpattern.

You may already have a favourite generic sock patternwhich you turn to at such times, or perhaps to adapt othersock patterns or when you just want to knit a basic sock.

In case you don't yet, Holly Shaltz has developed this pattern over many yearsand used it for handspun as well as commercial yarn.

http://www.hjsstudio.com/sock.html

Free pattern: crocheted apple and bananacosys

These patterns are very quick and easy, I think they'll begreat in your own handspun, especially those smallquantities; left-overs or samples.

They're practical too. As a walker I can tell you how easilyfruit (especially bananas) bruise when jostled in a rucksack or lunchbox.

Knitters, follow the links through to vegan lunch box's original knitting patterns(including orange and pear too) from which Eyespiral adapted these crochetversions.

http://theindigophial.blogspot.com/2009/01/apple-and-banana-cozy-crochet-patterns.html

News and articles from handspinner.co.uk

February's giveaway

Thank you very much for the many responses to myannual survey. If I could I'd send everyone a gift becausethe answers and suggestions are so very helpful.

I've made the draw and congratulations to our winner whowould like to remain anonymous. The bundle includingCompetition lazy kate, bobbins and fibre is on its way to her.

Spring competition

It's time for the Spring competition, which involves makingyarn inspired by a Spring image. This year it's SpringCrocuses by Elenathewise. (Small version shown right,click for large version.)

It usually has a small number of entries (all the morereason to get involved!) but it's always so good to seesuch different ideas from other people on the same themeand I really do enjoy taking part myself (exempt from theprize of course).

It's a freestyle event - do whatever you like, use dyed fibre or dye it yourself,mix bought dyed or natural fibre, use animal, vegetable or synthetic, straight orfunky, whatever you like. Have photos of your work ready by the end of April intime for the May Hand Spinning News.

Entries will be visible on Flickr and Hand Spinning News and I'll send thewinner, as chosen by an independent yarnmistress, a £40 gift voucher tospend on or put towards anything you like at handspinner.co.uk

To enter

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/shieladixon/6829785550/in/pool-1891089@N20 to access a bigger version of the photo. Post pictures of youryarn to the grouphttp://www.flickr.com/groups/1891089@N20/pool/with/6829785550/ Post asmany photos as you like, but please only one type of yarn per spinner andplease stick to pictures of your entry and the stages of making.

If you're not at one with the ways of Flickr, please feel free to email photo(s) tome instead.

What's new?

Hand Spun by Lexi Boeger

I tend to spin thin and even but like to see the moreadventurous ideas I find Lexi Boeger's work outstanding. Awhile ago I featured a selection of her photographs in thisnewsletter.

She spins as Pluckyfluff and has just published her thirdbook, Hand Spun.

The book and my review are at the link below.

http://handspinner.co.uk/spinning_books.html#hand_spun

Natural dye extracts

I now carry a range of natural dye extracts.

These eco-friendly natural dyes are concentrated, inter-mixable and provide all the colour possibilities of naturaldyes with the ease and convenience of chemical dyeswithout the hazards.

http://handspinner.co.uk/natural-dye-extracts.html

Events 2012

Wonderwool Wales

28 & 29 April 2012, Royal Welsh Showground

A little bit later than last year. Promoting wool and natural fibre production andits use.

Exhibitors and Trade Stands covering all aspects of felting, knitting, weaving,spinning, crochet and textile art with raw materials, equipment, books andfinished products for sale. Competitions and a range of workshops tba.

A list of accommodation And camping in the surrounding area is available onthe Wonderwool website.

www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk

Woolfest

Friday 22 and Saturday 23 June, Cockermouth, Cumbria

A celebration of natural fibres, especially all aspects of wool, wool productsand wool crafts.

From fleecy animals and rare breeds, through fleece, tops, craft equipmentand materials, to finished clothing, accessories and unique hand-craftedwoollen goods.

Also workshops and masterclasses.

www.woolfest.co.uk

Fibre East

14 & 15 July 2012, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire

It's great to see that the Fibre East festival will be heldagain in 2012 following the success of the first one lastyear. It gives those in the Eastern, Midlands and SouthernRegions an opportunity to join in an event which aims toencourage and promote natural fibres.

Fibre-East has its own Ravelry group:http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fibre-east-2011 and Twitter stream:http://twitter.com/FibreEast (tweets for the 2012 event yet to appear)

http://www.fibre-east.co.uk/ (New website under construction)

Wool Week

15 - 21 October 2012, multiple activities throughout Britain

Run by the campaign for wool with patron HRH The Prince of Wales.

Planning is under way for a highlight attraction which shows wool inthe modern home - launching for UK Wool Week. It will show woolas a stylish, beautiful and performance fibre, and will inform visitorsof the benefits of using the product in interiors.

http://www.fibrefest.co.uk/

Courses and tuitionPlease let me know if you are or you know a tutor with a calendar of events.

Cornwall: Audrey Durrant is heavily involved with the Cornwall Guild and works with the Rare BreedSurvival Trust. She teaches spinning, basic weaving, is a hand dyer and gives talks and demonstrations.Find out more at www.hawthornfibres.co.ukDerbyshire: See listing above of spinning, dyeing and weaving holidays with Alison Daykin (external link toSkylark Holidays' programme and prices). Five-day or weekend breaks. Alison also has a less formal'Monday night group': spinningandweaving.weebly.comDumfries and Galloway: Sue Macniven offers Residential Courses or one to one workshops in Twynholmor at your own venue http://www.handspun-exotics.co.uk/workavail.htmlHampshire: Spinning workshops at fibre craft studio Beaker Button, the Fairground Craft and Designcentre, Weyhill. 31 March - Spinning with a wheel (£25 range of wheels available to use or bring your own);28 April Spinning with a spindle (£30 includes spindle and a bag of fleece). For more details contact 07738534164 or info@beakerbutton.co.ukLancashire: Spinning workshops at Knit-Wise. 2012 dates: March 17, April 14, May 12, June 16, July 14.All materials included for £40, contact Cathy (lazykate) on 01695 580590 www.knit-wise.co.ukManchester:Spinning courses with Dee Sayce. also sewing, felt making, weaving, dyeing, batik and silkpainting (external link to beetlefelt) http://www.beetlefelt.co.uk/workshop_spinning.htmlNottinghamshire: Spinning courses with Juliet Hill www.handspinning.org.uk/index.html (external link toJuliet Hill Handspinning)Norfolk: Single-day spinning courseswww.norfolkyarn.co.uk/Homepage/News/tabid/77/Default.aspx(external link to Norfolk Yarn website)Sheffield: Tuition and Demonstrations by Diane Fisher, the Murmuring Wheelhttp://www.murmuringwheel.co.uk/events.html (external link to Diane Fisher's calendar)

Spinning and weaving holidayswith Skylark holidays and Alison Daykin.

If the listing below does not display properly, please view it on the web at http://handspinner.co.uk/links.html

from £119Introduction to Spinning Derbyshire

Learn to Spin, have a dabble at spinning More information

from £119Make the Most of Rigid Heddle Derbyshire

Weaving – making the most of your loom More information

from £119Start Weaving Derbyshire Peak District

Learn to Weave More information

As usual, if you know anything spinning-related, please let me know.

Happy spinning and don't be a stranger!

Shiela

http://handspinner.co.uk

shiela@handspinner.co.uk

If you're reading this newsletter on the web and would like it delivered to your email inbox every month, just fill inyour email address in the box somewhere up there on the right. If you've reading this in your inbox and wouldprefer not to receive any more, just use the Mailchimp 'unsubscribe' link at the foot of the email.