ladonnasfiberarts

Superwash Wool

22 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment

by ladonnahaefer in Fiber Arts Tutor

Wool fibers have scales on them that you can see under a microscope. When wool is exposed to moisture, heat and agitation the scales open up, lock together and the material shrinks or felts.  People who like to make felted bags, hats, etc., take advantage of this.  But usually we don’t want to felt our wool sweaters.  In the past we had to handwash these items gently. 

Today we have “superwash” wool yarn available.  Superwash wool is made by one of two methods.  Either the wool is exposed to an acid bath that removes the scales or the fibers are coated with a polymer to prevent them from opening and locking together.  This inhibits the wools ability to felt and you can wash it in your washer on a gentle cycle; I would still use cool water and air dry it.

We carry a variety of superwash wool at LaDonna’s you can work with.  Remember, this wool doesn’t felt so you can’t use it for felted work; we have regular wool yarns for that purpose.

Cheingora

15 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment

by ladonnahaefer in Fiber Arts Tutor

CHEINGORA

(“she-an-gora”)

Yarn spun from dog hair is not new but does seem a little novel to us.    This type of yarn is VERY warm, warmer than wool, so you may not want to make a full sweater.  Like angora and mohair, the yarn does tend to shed, the shorter and finer the fibers the more it will shed.  Blending the dog hair with wool can minimize this.  The character of the yarn depends on the character of the fiber. Shorter and/or coarser fibers tend to be harsher and more prickly.

If you want 100% dog hair yarn then the fibers really need to be 2” long or longer,  that will tend to be a nicer yarn.  1 ½ inch fibers may work but any shorter than that and they need to be blended with wool.

Knit the yarn at a looser gauge than usual (use larger needles).  Like angora and mohair it does develop a “halo”, there needs to be space for this “halo” to “bloom”.

The softest yarn is made from the undercoat of double coated breeds (husky, Samoyed, American Eskimo, etc).  It’s easy to collect by brushing with a slicker brush or shed comb.  It does need to be brushed not clipped.  Separate out any outer coat hairs (they are thicker and harsher) and debris or mats.  Wash the dog before you brush him rather than trying to wash the fiber afterwards.

Although yarn can be made from clippings the clipped ends tend to be prickly.  If you do want to use clippings, let the coat grow out and collect the longest clippings—don’t just sweep them up off the floor.  The best breed for this is the poodle, but others can be used.  The yarn quality will vary from breed to breed,  from season to season, and even from feed quality.

We can spin your yarn at $12 per ounce with a 3 ounce minimum. There is always some loss, figure an average 17% loss ratio.  The loss ratio is minimized with clean, long fiber.  To make socks, hats, or mittens you will need about 4 oz; a scarf will take about 10oz.