October Non-Wool Club

17/10/2019

Firstly, my apologies for the delay in getting this post up. I've had a cold for the past 2 weeks, and no one wants to listen to me explaining how to spin a fibre accompanied by constant sniffing!

AS ever, this post contains spoilers.

If you want to try any of the fibres from last month, or would like more of any of the fibres included, they're now all available to buy in the shop.

The first fibre to start off with from this round of the club is Llama. Llamas are a member of the camelid family, like Alpacas, but larger in size. They produce a coat that is very similar to alpaca. This Llama is graded at 20-21 microns, which is at the finer end of the scale of the fibre produced commercially.
It's a long stapled fibre, with very little crimp, as a result it won't spin in a yarn with much bounce and elasticity. If you spin from the end of the combed top you'll get a smooth, lustrous yarn. Alternatively spin from the fold to get a fluffier yarn.

Next we've got Mulberry Silk. This is the most lustrous of all the silk types, which to me means that I want spin it in a way that maximises the shine. I like spinning it straight from the end of the combed top, in the video I give you a few hints on how to do this successfully, particularly if you usually end up with a jumbled mess off fibres.

The final fibre in this month of the club is Ramie. This plant fibre comes from the nettle family; Boehmeria Nivea and Boehmeria Tenacissima. The outer pulp of the stem is removed, leaving behind the fibrous inner, which is then combed to remove all the shorter pieces of fibre, and any remaining pieces of outer stem. The fibre is processed China, before being dyed in Italy to Okeo-Tex 100 standards using renewable energy sources.
It will spin in to a strong, smooth yarn, with a moderate amount of shine.

Hamburg Fibres from Left to Right-
Mulberry Silk ( Dune), Llama (Brown), Ramie( Paradise)