Alpaca Festival in Sierra Vista
Alpaca festival at the local Alpaca ranch celebrates natural lpaca, Angora goat and rabbit fibers, fleece process, natural wool yarns and garments.
Hoof to Hanger: How Alpaca Fleece Becomes Clothing
The steps include: alpaca sheering; skirting or removal of debris; scouring (washing) fleece; dyeing fleece; pocking; carding or combing fleece; spinning and plying yarn; washing yarn; knitting garment or weaving; blocking.
Sari Silk Pillow Fashioned on a Rigid Heddle Loom: Part I
Cotton lace embellished sari silk pillow features handwoven pillowcase using silk fabric and a mercerized cotton.
Sari Silk Pillow Fashioned on a Rigid Heddle Loom: Part II
Sari silk pillow woven with mercerized cotton yarn and embellished with cotton lace. It can be decorative or used for added comfort.
How to Make Side Slant Pockets: A Comprehensive Tutorial
Step-by-step tutorial on how to make side slant pockets. These pockets are very comfortable, and fit the hand naturally.
Knitting Needle Size Conversion Chart
A chart of knitting needle sizes in millimeters and their corresponding codes used in the US, UK, and Canada. If you are not sure what size needle should be used for your yarn, this rule of thumb may help: choose needle diameter that is twice the diameter of your yarn. Metric, mm US Standard UK…
How to to Draft a Basic Bodice Pattern (Sloper) Quickly and Efficiently
How many times have you drafted a bodice pattern following instructions, only to have your head spinning at the end of this project and still not understanding how you got there? I’ve done it too many times. So, I decided to make changes in my approach to the pattern drafting to save time and eliminate…
Master List of Knitting Abbreviations
A sortable and searchable table of abbreviations and acronyms used by hand and machine knitters. A US based master list.
Glossary of Spinning Terms
Term Description Batt A wide, rolled-up bundle of carded fleece that unrolls into a blanket. Bench A table of the spinning wheel on which the wheel and spinning mechanism are mounted Bulk Wool’s filling power or “bounce” is the volume occupied by wool fibers. It can be applied to loose wools, slivers, or yarn and…
Crochet Abbreviations, Definitions, and Explanations
A master list of the most common crochet abbreviations with descriptions and explanations: reference for beginners and advanced crocheters.
Key Points in Sewing Pattern Making
Mode, material, and measurements are the three basic concepts (3 Ms) of pattern making.
Kitchen Design Mistakes and Solutions
Kitchen design mistakes, such as protruding fridge, inadequate lighting, low cabinets, trendy kitchens, and a wrong layout can be corrected.
Open Cast On
Open cast-on, aka provisional or invisible cast-on, is the type of cast-on that produces unfastened stitches that will unravel whenever possible.
Crochet Cast On
Crochet cast on is a simple way to create a neat and even border using crochet hook or a latch tool on a flatbed knitting machine.
E-Wrap Cast On
In machine knitting, e-wrap (aka e-loop) is a type of cast-on in which the yarn is wrapped around each needle counterclockwise forming loops that look like a lower case letter “e”.
E-Wrap Cast On with an Anchor
E-wrap cast on with an anchor helps avoid flaws of the regular e-wrap cast on. This method saves time and gives a professional look.
White-and-Blue Romney Wool Rugged Mittens
A step-by-step transformation of the fleece into a pair of mittens: spinning, plying, making skeins, washing, drying, and finally knitting.
Vicuna Wool – the Golden Fleece
Vicuna is an ancestor of alpaca and the smallest undomesticated camelid living in the Central Andes of South America. Vicuna is known for the exceptionally fine, soft, and warm wool.
Handspun and Hand-knitted Hickory-dyed Lace Tunic
How I made my Wool Lace Tunic from Start to Finish Making things from scratch is so rewarding! So, when I crafted my lace tunic a few years ago, I intended experience every aspect of garment making. It wasn’t truly a farm-to-fashion journey quite yet because I didn’t really see the sheep that produced the…
Three Main Types of Woven Fabric
The three main types of woven fabric are: plain weave, twill, and satin weave. All other weave structures are variations of the three.
Yarn & Fabric Types by Content
Two fabric types classified by content are natural and synthetic. See summary tables of fiber & fabric classification based on material type.
Perendale Sheep
History of Perendale Sheep The Perendale breed was one of the numerous achievements of Sir Geoffrey Peren, the professor, the Principle, and the Chair of Agriculture at Massey Agricultural College. The school later became a part of Massey University in New Zealand. Professor Peren took a major part in the creation of the breed by…
Romney Sheep
Origin and a little history of Romney sheep breed. Characteristics of the animal and its wool from the perspective of a farmer and a spinner.
Kerry Hill Sheep
Originated in Powys county of Wales, Kerry Hill sheep are excellent farm animals producing medium-to-soft fleece and even great as pets.