spin, spin, spin

yay! i completed my first ravelry 'tour de fleece' a couple of hours ago. all in all, i was able to spin a sampling of dyed bombyx silk brick, 25 grams of treenway silks dyed tussah roving, 25 grams of bombyx silk noil, 25 grams of treenway silks tussah noil, and a half sheet of mulberry paper. the mulberry paper connects with the silk theme, as silkworms eat mulberry leaves.

the interesting thing about these types of silk (the exception being the bombyx brick) is that as a single they are somewhat course feeling, but once plied, become soft and light. as well, the bombyx noils contrast more when blending with carders than the tussah, which is a finer noil.

as if a steady stream of spinning for the last 23 days wasn't enough, i've started carding a bombyx silk noil and green colorgrown peruvian cotton batt to spin this week. striking while the irons hot, and all that.

as it stands

there's always more to learn. the fiber compendium; for the pursuit of education and knowledge is a work in progress, both the collecting of samples and gaining knowledge of what's out there. as of now here is the list (*=obtained in collection):

bast fibers:

cotton-pima*

cotton-colorgrown peru*

kapok*

milkweed-stem and seed*

coir

flax*

hemp*

ramie*

jute*

kenaf*

nettle*

aloo*
burmese lotus flower

pineapple*

abaca

henequen

sisal

mulberry*

linden

elm

pine

banana

kudzu*

wisteria

zenmai-fern cotton

protein fibers:

mohair*

cashmere*

pygora*

alpaca-suri*

alpaca-huacaya*

alpaca-paco-vicuna*

vicuna*

llama*

guanaco*

bactrian camel*

dromedary camel*

bison*

musk ox-qiviut*

yak*

sheep*

angora-satin*

angora-french*

angora-german*

angora-english*

mink*

new zealand possom*
new zealand red deer*

byssus-very endangered, no chance of obtaining
tibetan chiru antelope-very endangered, no chance of obtaining

silk fibers:

mulberry*

eri*

chinese tussah*

oak tussah-himalayan*

oak tussah-american

cricula*

muga*

cecropia*

attacus*

tropical tasar*

mittrei

landibe

tensan

golden orb spider

i shall also work on notes of what makes each fiber interesting, and usable as a spinning fiber, as well as origin. although most of my focus is on the lower micron fibers, the baste fibers used for rope making can't be ignored as many of them can be and were cut thinner for the making of garments. as always, i am constantly amazed by our ancestors skills and abilities. 

feats of gene selection

the fiber compendium; for the pursuit of education and knowledge (f.c.p.e.k.) is coming along nicely. there are some gaps, but with more time and searching i can hopefully fill them. i'm really glad i decided to collect samples of so many fibers.

it's really remarkable how many types of silk there are, the different ways it's spun, and how all parts are used (waste, stem, pupae). there's definitely a "waste not, want not" mindset when it comes to this fiber. it reminds me of the way some of the native americans viewed animals; that by not throwing away any part of it, the death was not meaningless and the animals' sacrifice was respected. the life of the silkworm isn't wasted by it's death; oftentimes they are a food source, and the fact that the entire amount of silk it spun is used in some form or other is a great testament to how the people doing sericulture view and respect the silkmoth. peduncle thread, spun from the stems of the tropical tasar cocoon, along with ghicha, spun from the waste silk of muga and eri cocoons, were some of the more interesting spun silks i came across.

one of the things i had thought before starting this project was that there weren't too many cellulose fibers used for spinning and weaving cloth; only ramie, hemp, linen, cotton, and washi. but, i have more cellulose samples than animal fibers; baste fibers can be found in many plants, and the resourcefulness of humans is really inspiring! people have gone to great lengths to create cloth, from the attusi (elm tree inner bark) clothing of the ainu people of northern japan, to nettle fiber which has been used throughout europe for centuries.

with the animal fiber i've collected i found the different hair types within one animals' coat to be interesting; coarse to downy soft, strongly pigmented to lighter pigmentation, with a variety of uses for each type. browns, fawns, and creamy whites are the dominant colors in protein fibers. the brown hues lend the animal warmth from the sun in cold environs, and hiding ability amongst grasses and trees, whereas the white coloring, which is perfect for dyeing, seems to be a trait humans breed for (as albinism in the wild isn't really a common or safe trait).

the unique characteristics of the many natural fibers lend themselves to a myriad of uses, and i question why humans need to invent synthetics, when what is already there is so functional. with some better husbandry, more effective natural resource use, and respect for the organism which creates the fiber, many of these natural fibers can be just as viable as synthetics. some synthetic fiber inventions such as neoprene, are impressive, and needed, but to create a synthetic which does the same as a natural fiber just seems wasteful (and, like any copy, is never as good as the real thing, imho).

interesting reads:
an article about silk varieties, and degumming
the book, fibre facts, by bette hochberg
ebook, dictionary of textiles, by louis harmuth
"peace" silk, or the mythical perfection postulation

the art of learning

this weekend was very exciting for me! i worked on and finished my first quilted piece; it's narrative but in a modern more free approach way. there's nothing quite like the feeling of a quilted object between your hands; it's so tactile and cushiony, with ripples and bumps.

i took part in a workshop that concentrated on breaking away from traditional quilting, into a more instinctual technique of piecing and quilting. i started by gathering a variety of material that drew my eye then sorted them into a pile based on how the colors partnered. then, trying to ignore the urge to measure, i just cut and sewed as i went. while looking at my non-geometric form i started seeing a house! then it all went crazy fun from that point on.

surprisingly, and thankfully, i learned an incredible amount about my sewing machine and freemotion sewing. things such as using a bigger needle for thicker fabrics, taking it slow, and always check the backside when you start a new line; you could've built a nest with all of the thread i ripped out. i was also reminded of the incredibly useful water-erasable fabric marker.

something i really want to do is make a deliciously lux lap quilt, something soft and cozy. i want to use felt, wool, silk, raw silk, linen, cashmere bits and double gauze cotton. but all in a soft palette with greys and natural creamy hues with some shots of muted colors. it shall be my winter project. i may even quilt it by hand once it's pieced together. hmm.

(in case your eyes are crossing trying to see the house: the long teal rectangle in the middle is a chimney, the tan square just to the left is a roof with a window, the pie shaped teal piece is part of a porch roof and the herringbone wool just below it is the steps, the window with shutters and window box is an easy giveaway. it's in the cubist style.)