Getting Ready for Renegade Craft Fair

Since returning from Black Sheep Gathering, I have been spending much of my time washing fiber. I shared two fleeces with friends this year. One was a chocolate brown merino and the other was a chocolate brown shetland lamb. Both are very soft and wonderful to spin. As I was reorganizing my fiber stash to accommodate the new fleeces, I came across some alpaca that my grandparents found for me at their county fair a few years ago. One is a cinnamon brown and one is white (pictured below). They both cleaned up very nicely - some grass, but no sand - and they feel like butter. Now that all of my fibers are washed and ready to go, I can't wait to start spinning.

I have also been experimenting with a variety of shibori dyeing techniques on silk scarfs. What I have been enjoying the most is how "unscripted" the process is. I only have to think about what resist technique to use and then randomly grab some colors that work together. Silk takes the dye so much more delicately than wool, which has allowed the use of much more intense colors without over-intense results.

Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles is right around the corner (July 28 and 29). In preparation, I have been building Summer- and Fall-themed drop spindle kits that include 1 oz each of three different colorways in bluefaced leicester wool, along with a 2 inch (1.1 oz) Schacht Hi-Lo Spindle. I enjoy matching up different colorways and thinking about how the colors would look plied together. In addition to the drop spindle kits, I will have knitting kits, knitting and crochet patterns, handwoven/knitted/crocheted items, shibori scarfs, handpainted spinning fibers and yarn, and more. Please stop by booth 182 and say hello if you are in the area.