Dyeing to Spin Craft Fair Headquarters

Good friends Martina and Ian lent me there garden to have a trial run putting up  the new gazebo I have brought to take to craft fairs. It was fairly straight forward until we discovered that one of the legs had been put together wrongly by the makers. I thought I was going to have to send the whole thing back but Ian managed to perform a bit of magic with a drill and all was well.

 So look out for a smart white tent, it could be me. The first outing will be at the Chilterns Countryside and Food Festival, at the National Trust Ashridge Estate Bridgewater Monument, Near  Berkhamsted Herts, HP41LT. Sunday 14th September 10am - 4pm. This is a very good craft fair with lots to do and see. A really country event.

Felting Angora

I had a go at felting some of my angora and was very pleased with the result, it being my first attempt.I will give you a run down of how I did it. But there are some very good books and videos out there if you want more info.

I laid out a towel to catch the water, a bamboo felting mat and a layer of bubble wrap. The fiber was arranged in three layers at 90 degree angles to each other. The a net curtain covered the fiber. I poured on enough soapy water to wet the angora out but not so much that it ran every where. The whole lot was rolled up round a broom handle. Then the hard work started. 

 I did 100 rolls before unrolling the fiber and giving it a quarter turn rolling up and starting again. After four turns my arms were falling off but the angora was firmly felted.

 For the second piece I spread a thin layer off coloured silk on the fiber which felted in much better than I expected. I am going to try and make a whole scarf next time . Does anyone know where I can get a felting mat long enough. The video I watched does not use one. How would that turn out I wounder.