Echo series on Etsy

Delta Echo: rural reflections
Caribbean Echo: remembering the Windjammer cruise
African Echo: the savannahs call
Aegean Echo: a long ago island cruise

Check out more about this new series of yarns at Sue's Luxury Yarn. When the thermometer reads below zero, an cabin fever rises, warm sand, hot savannahs, New Orleans and sea breezes certainly call.

A little Snakey!

Years ago, my son attended Oberlin College, in Ohio. When ever I would drive him back and forth to school, I would shop at the Bead Gallery on the main street of that tiny town. This yarn is the result of one of those trips! They had strands of African snake vertebrae! Irresistible!

Creepy and wonderful! African snake vertebrae spun with lincoln and mixed wools making a bold single. I did a sample when I attended Camp Plucky Fluff. Finally, I made enough time to spin a larger skein. 54 yards, 3.8 ounces. $54

ETSY STORE

The ETSY store is open! Oh, did I forget to mention that? I have been spending the odd, available time photographing and inventorying my artyarn. I have chosen 16 of them to open the store. About half of them are on display so far at www.susanhensel.etsy.com

Deep & Strong

A hearty self-core spun handful of rich color! A bulky yarn for adding a bit of bulk and color to a project. The colors are deep fall just after a rain storm, when the sun comes out. Single. mixed wool. 2.8 ounces 66 yards

$40

New equipment, New plans

I have been reconsidered all of my equipment as my needs change.

I have known for sometime that I needed to electrify carding. Sales were strong this fall, so I decided to invest in a Louet electric carder! WOW! What a machine! My out put now is primarily artyarn and I needed a carder that would hold up to crazy-batt action. The Patrick Green remains for fine carding, but this Louet is a workhorse! I sold my old petite Strauch to help with the financial aspects of equipment. This Louet has identical drums to their standard manual carder. Those of us who attended Camp Plucky Fluff here in Minneapolis fell in love with the Louet.

The carding station is in my dark, but thankfully dry, basement on an old restaurant cart with pull out trays that hold my combs and miscellaney associated with fiber prep. I keep my hand cards next to my wheels for quick fiber prep/re-prep/sudden creative need.

A great find at Office Max led to the color wall for fast composition at the carder. 3 crates for $12! I cut up old boxes to make the dividers and then carded up a rainbow of roving. I had dyed up, over the years, a nearly perfect color mixing palette. Pulling off bits of roving is OK, but it is much easier to compose from airy batts. So, now, with the addition of mohair, bamboo, silk and pretty things, I can "paint" at the carder.

Then I had to reconsider the wheel situation. I sold my last in-the-box-Babe at Christmas, keeping my beat-up, cracked first Babe for sentimental reasons and for demonstrations at art/fiber fairs. Well, I had found too many situations where the generous orifice on the Roberta was too small and the speed and pull too harsh. I looked into a bulky flyer for the Ashford Traveller, but that orifice is smaller. I did not yet want to invest in a Majacraft with a delta flyer. Low and behold, Babe's Fibergarden has started making delta flyers for their Babe wheels!

Many problems are now averted! I have a quill head for the Ashford to do tail spun locksand beads with beehives are much easier on the delta flyer. Phew! an inexpensive fix! The flyer cost something like $84. So I can now happily spin away with the equipment I already have!