Some friends from church have two llamas, one white and the other a brown. Back in the spring they mentioned they were going to shear their furry pets when school let out so I asked if they would save some of the white fiber for me. They remembered! :) I took 2 of the three bags they offered me, figuring that would be enough to play with. I started out by gently washing some of it to get rid of dirt and larger debris. If you agitate the fiber very much while it is wet, it will felt, so a light touch is important. The picture on the right shows some fiber after I have washed it and allowed it to air dry in the sun. Isn't it pretty? I was impressed with the natural color, including the yellowish-tan in the upper right corner. Some debris is still visible, but not as bad as before. This picture shows some of the washed fiber after I have carded it. The carding process lines up the natural grain of the fibers, elongating it and in turn making it more fluffy! :) I also removed the majority of the smaller debris in this process. While some tiny specs of grass and hay may remain, I'm not stressing about it. WOW!!!! How amazing!!!! I had read about dyeing protein fibers (those from animals) with Kool Aid, but I hadn't tried it until now. Look at the gorgeous vibrant color! This result is from using 1 cup of water, a splash of white vinegar and a package of tropical punch ! Not only is the dye inexpensive, it was quick, easy and fun! Now the fiber even has a fruity fragrance! :) When I re-card the fiber it will get fluffy again, but needless to say our friends from church were very surprised yesterday to see the result. Now to make something wonderful with it! :) What a neat blessing to have friends with fiber when you're a fiber artist! :)
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About MeFiber artist, wife to a wonderful husband and mom to 2 awesome, grown kids Archives
July 2023
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