I just finished making some very soft yarn that is 50% merino for elasticity and memory, 25% angora for softness and halo, and 25% alpaca. I purchased the alpaca and the angora just last week at the Flagstaff Wool festival and couldn’t wait to put it to good use. Here are some photos of the… Read More Lavender and Lace
I just found out that a dear friend from college is starting a fiber mill here: http://www.roundbarnfiber.com/ They have been raising Jacob sheep for years. I know Margie to be meticulous, so I am quite sure that the quality of their fiber processing will be wonderful too!
Lately, I have had the opportunity to watch a number of videos on spinning and weaving that I have obtained from Interweave. As of right now, these are all available on their website. I thought I’d review a few of my favorites for you. Just FYI, I have no affiliation with Interweave and… Read More Some Videos in Review from Interweave
A couple days ago, I created a treasury on Etsy to showcase other people’s beautiful handspun yarn that had been used to weave, knit, or crochet unique and beautiful items. Handwoven, hand knit, and crocheted items are always wonderful to see, but when they are made with wild and whimsical handspun yarn as well, they’re… Read More Joy from Handspun Yarn Treasury
This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I have revamped my Etsy shop. I’m now sorting all my yarns by weight. My goal is to make it easy for knitters, crocheters, and weavers to easily find the kind of yarn they need for a project they are planning. I also just… Read More Revamped Etsy Shop
I decided that for once I would take photos of all the steps of spinning while I was working on “Gelato,” my latest yarn. Because I’m expecting a baby, I decided that it would be better safe than sorry and I’d take a 9-month hiatus from dyeing. I know that lots of people do dye… Read More Making Gelato
I love spinning from batts. They’re fluffy and light and full of color and texture, but when I received my very first art batt, I wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. In case I’m not the only one, I thought I would go through a few different ways to spin from art batts: 1. If… Read More Spinning from Batts
I don’t mean to sound snarky–at least not while this blog is so young–and I don’t mean to sound like a yarn snob (okay fine, guilty as charged), but here’s what I’m wondering: Why would anybody use acrylic (aka petroleum or coal-based) yarn? I get that it’s cheap, strong, and easily available in every color… Read More Seven Things Acrylic Yarn is Good For
I love pretty much the whole gammut of fiber arts, but my first love was weaving, and then you might say I worked my way backwards from yarn to spinning to raising angora rabbits. Contrary to what the name suggests, I don’t actually own a purple lamb–not yet anyway. As you probably already know if… Read More The Budget Weaver
Today, I changed the name of my Etsy shop from MonetsGardenArtYarns to www.PurpleLamb.Etsy.com. This small change has been quite a while in coming. I love Monet. I love all the images of his garden, and I find inspiration in both for my handspun yarns. Nonetheless, it was too long, too hard to remember, and it… Read More A Fresh Start
