I am finding that many people are complaining about natural colors vs. lots of color. What I have read lately on sites I frequent is that brown, fawn or black is plain boring and without pizazz! Au contraire mes amies. I have been drum carding a few alpaca pouffes (mini batts) on my Louet Jr. drum carder. Of course, blending with natural alpaca. First I decide what gorgeous natural color of alpaca + hand dyed alpaca to mix together and then I just grab some corresponding angelina (I have a tons of bling). I purchased a bag of mixed fiber from Yarn Hollow a while back and I pull out some bits of silk noil, banana silk, merino, and so on in multicolors and weigh it all on a scale. I can get about 1 oz on my carder comfortably. Then I just begin to card it. I end up with 3 mini batts for a total of 3 oz for a package at my Etsy store. Each one is slightly different in that I don't feed the fiber in the carder exactly in the same pattern each time. So one pouffe might have more blue or green in the center while the second has more brown in the center. I like it this way, sort of a three way batt experience. I can pull off the batts in strips and spin as I want...far more interesting yarn. And although there is one or more of the 22 colors alpacas provide for us is is far from boring or pizzazzless!
Those batts and the yarn look delicious! Yes, there is a great debate and thank goodness for so many fiber lovers with varying tastes. I love your creations.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fiber Arts Friday!
Pretty! Those will sell fast!
ReplyDeleteI love natural fiber colors. I know they aren't as peppy and lively as dyed fiber, but there is something so natural about the sheep and alpaca's natural coat. They're all so unique.
ReplyDeleteI love natural colors too! Thanks for all the comments.
ReplyDeletebeautiful fibers!
ReplyDeleteSome people may think natural is boring but if they really looked at the natural fleece they would find varing shades within the fleece.
ReplyDeleteYou just can't get that base from a dye pot so it makes stunning batts when blended with color.
I really like the pink and brown batt.
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
The green/purple is my fav. The first fiber I ever spun was some of your Kool-Aid dyed alpaca. I still enjoy admiring it.
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