Critters

Aren't these critters cute! Joyce came to the crochet group today and needled felted these little guys. Boy did they get alot of attention. My favorite is the little green guy. He reminds me of a inch worm. The lips are cute and the eyes are really expressive.

New Class at Highland Alpaca

NEW CLASS at Highland Alpaca

Needle Felting Fun Making a Black and Gold Penguin

Saturday October 10th

9 am to Noon

$40 Per Person

Class limited to 15 people

Register by emailing Karen Cuffaro at kconline1@verizon.net

Join us for a fun class to create a delightful penguin using alpaca fiber.

Class instruction will include discussion on a variety of needle felting techniques for both flat and dimensional felting. Needle felting utilizes small, sharp, barbed needles that cause the fibers to tangle into each other when poked. Endless possibilities exist for the use of this simple tool in creating pictures, embellishments, and three dimensional objects. A variety of samples will be on display showing the great diversity of this felting technique.

No experience is necessary, all materials are included to complete the penguin. 2 felting needles are provided and additional ones will be available for purchase should you break one in class.

Bring your camera! After class enjoy spending time with the Alpaca in the pastures and shopping in the Farm Store. Plus see the babies! There are over 85 Alpaca on the farm and come in over 20 different natural colors. Alpacas are gentle creatures that hum to communicate with each other and are very social. Alpaca fiber is one of the finest animal fibers in the world. Because of its fiber structure it is considered warmer than wool and isn’t itchy like wool. Many people who can’t wear wool can wear Alpaca.

Instructor Wini Labrecque

Fiber professional & textile artist

STAR WEAVER FARM/SWF FIBER INNOVATIONS

www.starweaverfarm.com

724-272-4285

Wini Labrecque has made fiber her profession, studying, training and evaluating its properties from both a scientific and hands on approach. As a textile artist, she has developed a solid background and interest in a wide variety of techniques for utilization of fiber from raw state to finished product. Since the late 1980's, utilizing natural fibers, Wini has been spinning, weaving, knitting and felting. Her handspun skeins and woven/knit goods are sold at area art festivals and in area specialty shops. Wini lectures on all aspects of fiber as well as gives classes in beginning spinning, felting, dying and/or weaving to individuals or small groups. She is a Fiber Arts judge as well as a judge for spin offs, hand spun and mill spun skein competitions, an apprentice camelid fleece judge, and currently completing certification as a camelid fiber grader/sorter.

Our New Crochet Member

This is our newest Three Rivers Crochet Member

This is Amelia Rose. This is Rebecca's baby, only two weeks old. She is so tiny and was so good at the group yesterday. The sweater was made by another group member Lisa Valentino.

Yesterday I took a trip with some of my crochet friends to Stramba Mini Mill in Wampun PA. Terri Stramba just opened her mini mill and was kind enough to take us on a tour of how animal fiber goes from the animal to yarn.

There pictures are not in correct order, but this will give you an idea of the process.

The picture below is the machine that is spinning the roving into a strand of yarn. It runs really fast and sometimes you can't see the strand of yarn as it's running through the machine.


This machine is the carder. It separates the good fiber from the bad. The bad fiber would be coarse hair and any object that is attached to the fiber.

This is the yarn drying after being made into yarn.


This is the fiber being skirted. All the debris is picked out before being washed.

This is the fiber drying after being washed. It takes about 24 hours to dry. It all depends on the humidity. The fiber takes longer in high humidity.

My Newest Baby Lady Guenevere

This is my newest baby Lady Guenevere. Hopefully I spelled that correctly. My husband Jim wanted to name her that. It is my first girl to be born. She is the princess of my little herd. She has a ton of fiber that is thick and soft. Her Mom is Boudica. Boudica's tail is wrapped so it doesn't get all gooky when the baby comes out. Lady G. is less than an hour old in this picture. Ain't she a cutie pie!

Suffering for a Sweater

Dang sweater! I keep muttering that beneath my breath. These are the sleeves to the sweater that had to be ripped out because patterns never seem to work for me. I made the back and I had to rip that out once also. Why do I have this funny feeling that once I put this together I am going to look like the Michelan tire man? The pattern on the sleeve is a mistake rib. Should have known from the beginning. It might end up in some fiber shows at Alpaca shows. It may be destined to look better on a hanger.

The yarn is my favorite so far. I sent the Alpaca fiber to a mini mill for processing last year. It is a blend of Alpaca, merino, hemp and nylon. It is beautiful to look and work with.

Oh boy.......

Isn't this the cutest picture! Rebecca, from my crochet group, thought of the pattern for this hat. Our group makes preemie hats for Save the Children. They send them to Africa to give out to new Moms. So this one will be added to our collection of hats to send in December.