Summer is truly here and I can’t think of a better way to spend a day than getting together a car full of friends, for a road trip through the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin. Even better to have the destination of our newest fiber friend Barb’s lovely country home. We enjoyed seeing her flock of (I believe)Cormo sheep under the watchful eye of Gandolf, her guard llama. He definitely gave us the once over. Dashing fellow.

Barb’s studio is the perfect set up for any fiber endeavor and she has her fair share of fiber tools. Anyone with a deadly looking fiber picker, earns my respect. With the kitchen set up in this studio my mind went to all the fun she could have dyeing. And then to make me love her home even more she has the perfect porch to sit and spin on, surrounded by woods

Barb also demonstrated wool combing. Another somewhat life threatening adventure. Anytime you are playing with a tool that has double rows of 4 inch sharp tines, you really need to pay attention. The part where you use a diz to pull the fiber into roving just goes to show once again that wool is magic.

 

My little demo was the white shawl I had just pulled off the loom. We dunked it in a bowl of hot water to watch it magically collapse width wise because of the Habu wool crepe yarn that I used in the weft. It will be fun to show this off when it is dried, at the next weavers meeting. I love the springy life it gives to what is usually a flat fabric.

Thanks Barb and Dave for your hospitality and a glimpse into your animal and fiber filled lives.

Nan showing some indigo dyeing she did in Japan

 

Barb’s bamboo scarves
Woman’s hands