Handspun Art Yarn By Kirsty Inglis
Spinning is just adding twist to fibre. The magic of spinning happens long before those (mostly) aligned fibres go near a spinning wheel. I aim to produce yarn that is true to the fibre used, versa�le and individual so my skeins stand out from the crowd and from the workhorse yarns. The journey of choosing fleece is o�en as enjoyable as seeing the finished yarn hanging up to dry. I o�en find alpaca fibre is one of a few luxury fibres that I can source locally and direct from the farmer. Fibre that cannot be found at markets or through word of mouth can always be found on the internet. Good websites are invaluable in finding that special fibre. As alpaca comes in over 20 colours, varying fibre lengths and the choice of suri or huacaya, I have to compile a store of what I term my standard fibre. Mostly the yarn I spin has an end purpose of being worn beside the skin. The fibre choice is a significant factor in determining the success of the finished yarn or handcra�ed items. I therefore generally start with super fine grade huacaya fibre that has a low itch factor. Coarser fleece from older animals is good for felted yarn. Cria fibre is nice and fluffy so when wrapped creates a showy halo.
The fibre I use needs to be well skirted and contain very low amounts of vegetable ma�er. Even though I hand spin my yarn, the basic alpaca fibre I choose is in the length range of 8 to 12mm. This length is good for producing either tradi�onal yarns or art yarns. Shorter neck fibre can be used as tuffs in art yarn or flecks in heather yarn. Suri, being shiny and with a longer straighter staple, adds a silky feel and appearance to yarn. In terms of colour my major stock of fleece consists of white or light fawn huacaya as alpaca fleece readily takes dye. I am also par�al to the darkest black and chestnut brown. Apricot fawn also slips in there. We are spoilt for choice with the natural alpaca colours. I am very specific with my fibre orders that I place with alpaca farmers. My orders are precise as all alpaca fibre is different. Consistent fibre allows me to plan my yarn by reviewing previous samples and thus save valuable �me and resources.
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