Fiber Arts Friday: Watchman Hat, part 2 - Product vs Process

I was listening to a Podcast recently where the host asked the guest whether she was a product or process knitter.

The discussion was interesting.  They talked about it being a continuum and that they would move up and down the continuum depending on the purpose of the project, but that they also primarily worked in the same area of the continuum.

I am definitely a process artist... most of the time.

The product is important to me, but the process is more important as much as 98% of the time.

I raise the animals.  I shear and brush them.  I process the yarn from raw fiber into roving or batts.  I spin them into yarn... this often happens after I've decided on a particular project.

I love the planning part... thinking about the project construction, what materials or colors I could use, and how best to make the yarn.  So there's a good chance I've been thinking about a project for more than a year before I start the actual making of that project.

Of course sometimes I start with commercial yarn, but it is still about the process... what yarns and colors will work well together, do I have enough to complete the vision?

Then as I make mistakes, I almost certainly do what I need in order to make the correction.

I am constantly learning.... be it a new technique or stitch, a new fiber, or even a new tool.

In fact, I was correcting mistakes on this nearly-complete project while listening to this podcast about Slow Knitting only to rip it out because it was the just a little too tight.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Watchman Hat

Hubba wants a Watchman-style Hat.

Orange and Red are his favorites, so we settled on a striped motif from yarn found in my stash.

The orange is Fingering and the red is DK, so I am knitting with the orange held double, on US3 needles which is making a very dense fabric.

I like how it's going.  It's time to change colors at about the time I'm bored with the current color.

Since I'm doubling the orange, I don't have enough yardage to finish the hat, in the way that he wants me to.  Both yarns are discontinued... and I don't have another appropriate yarn in my stash.  :-/

What is it about stash-busting projects that cause me to buy more yarn? sigh

Anyway, I haven't found any of the same yarns listed as for sale or trade on Ravelry.

• Yoth, Little Brother, fingering (Superwash Merino+Cashmere+Nylon) - Mandarin, Lot#002
• Fiberphile, Super Squish, DK (superwash Merino) - Fresh Cut, Lot#11-1216

So that leaves two options:

• look for something similar but not the same
• or look for something contrasting to finish out the top of the hat.

Neither of which are feeling good.  double sigh

But then I realized there is a third option.... find the orange yarn in the red yarn's weight..... and I did!  In the same lot!!  Listed as For Sale or Trade!!!  :-)

Ravelry is simply the best and most useful platform.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Shave 'Em to Save 'Em, Navajo-Churro

Source: Navajo-Churro Sheep Association

Navajo-Churro - Since I learned to spin while we lived in New Mexico, and my very first visit to any wool market was the famed Taos Wool Market, I have purchased and spun locally-produced Navajo-Churro before.

I decided to break this lot into two approximately-equal-weighing balls so I could ply from two cakes rather than the inside and outside of the same cake.

With a roughly 5-inch staple, the Navajo-Churro feels extremely long after the Clun Forest... and while the undercoat is very soft, the guard hair and kemp gives it a coarse handle.

There is very little crimp in the undercoat and the guard hair is prized in Navajo-Churro because it makes for durable rugs.  This makes it an interesting spin... different from other wool breeds I have experience with.

The singles remind me a little of twine.

Not only did the plying go quickly, but so did the spinning.  After little more than one day, I had the first single complete and was nearly half-way thru the second single.

The VM fell out easily while spinning.  I remember this being true the last time I spun Navajo-Churro.

There is a lovely sheen to the finished yarn that I didn't notice while I was spinning the singles.

From the Livestock Concervancy:  The Navajo-Churro is native to North America and are related to the Churro sheep brought to the "New World" by the Spanish in the 1500's.  They are primarily used for carpet wool and meat, as evidenced by their primary use in Rio Grande style weaving.

In the 1860's this breed was nearly destroyed as a result of the US Government's effort to subjugate the Native people. (Indian Removal Act, Navajo Indian Schools, Sand Creek Massacre)

Fortunately, conservation began in the 1970's but the Navajo-Churro is currently listed as Threatened, meaning that fewer than 1000 sheep are registered in the US each year and that the estimated global population is less than 5000.

This Navajo-Churro roving was sourced locally at the Left Hand Wool Company.

As I mentioned before, it feels good knowing that I am able to support a local conservation breeder of rare breed livestock.  :-)

Final Yarn: Navajo-Churro
Single Duration: June 15 - 22, 2019
Ply Duration: June 22 - 23, 2019
Date Ready to Submit: June 28, 2019
ounces: 4 3/8
yards: 175.5, 2-ply
wpi:  12
Source: Mill-Prepared Roving

SE2SE Status:
Total Breeds: 22
Breeds Sourced: 11
Breeds Spun: 2
Breeds To Go: 20

Months Remaining: 29 1/2

After Submitting my Clun Forest per the initial instructions, I received a reply-back stating that 'due to the popularity of the initiative, they'd prefer receive submissions at each group of 5 rather than individually.'  This makes me incredibly happy.  If you are interested in participating, there is still plenty of time to join.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece 2019

As we approach mid-May, I start thinking about the Tour de Fleece...

• What are my goals?
• What does my schedule look like?
• What do I think I can accomplish?
• What do I need to prepare before the Tour starts?

Then as we approach late-June, I've settled on what I'm likely to accomplish and may still have a stretch goal.

Back Row: Karakul, Lincoln, CVM

Middle Row: Jacob, Gulf Coast

Front Row: Tunis, Shetland, Santa Cruz

I am spinning rare breed wools as part of the Shave 'Em to Save "Em (SE2SE) Initiative and have a good sized backlog.  So I was hoping that I could focus on completing 3 breeds.... one for each week.  But I'm going to be traveling for most of the tour, so this much will not happen.

My Chiengora Group is planning a team... and I love my Tibetan Mastiff Yarn so much, that I want to make a hat for myself.

The Shave 'Em to Save 'Em group is also planning a team.

So I will be spindling Tibetan Mastiff for the Chiengora Team while I am on the road and spinning Black Welsh Mountain Wool for the SE2SE team when I am at home.

First and foremost (because I usually forget) my empty spindle weighs 1 oz.

I have 5 1/8 oz of prepared Tibetan Mastiff ready to go.

I have also already completed 3 3/8 oz of Black Welsh Mountain Wool,

leaving 1 7/8 oz to complete during this Tour.

Tour Guidelines:

• Spin every day the Tour rides:  Saturday, July 6 through Sunday, July 28
• Days of Rest:  Tuesday, July 16 and Monday, July 22
• Challenge Days:  Wednesday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 25

My Goals:

• Spin every day the Tour rides for at least 15 minutes
• Make progress on both projects
• No challenges are planned

The Tour starts tomorrow!!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday, and Happy Tour de France and Fleece!