Part 2 of the three part series on dyeing discusses dyeing wool with acid dyes to a specific color.  I challenged myself to try and create the color wheels tertiary colors with dyes, and found some failures and successes along the way.  Listen in as I talk all about all of that experience.

Music for today's podcast continues with the theme of color and is from the podsafe music network.

The interlude music is by Psykosoul  and is called Coloring Outside the Lines.

The closing song is by Matthew Ebel  and is called Every Color.

Enjoy and happy dyeing!

Part one of a three part series on dyeing fiber.  Listen in as I explore the saran wrap method of putting color on just part of your fiber.  Shown here in the photo is a Cotswold roving, gray in color with russet and purple dyes applied with the method.

And since dyeing is of course all about color, today's music has the theme of color.  The music is from the Podsafe Music network and includes these musicians:

Eric Strom with Oh the Colors

Marie Crehan with the hauntingly lovely Orange & blue

A thank you to these musicians for sharing these songs for podcasters, if you loved the music, please check out their other songs and support them.

Sitting and spinning just seems to go along with sitting and chatting.  So today's podcast is three different sections, all on topics that I love to talk about.

First segment is a fiber review of carbonized bamboo. It's what I am spinning while recording the podcast.  The next section is about my plans for the Tour de Fleece spinning challenge.  If you are not familiar with this, more information can be found on Ravelry.   The idea is to challenge yourself as a spinner during the time that those bikers are spinning their wheels in the Tour de France. I took the challenge to spin some everyday.  Pictured here is the dyed polworth roving that is one of my major projects during this challenge.

The last topic was a request, and is a bit of history on my three spinning wheels, how I got them and why.

In between is some wonderful music from the podsafe music network.  The first song is Black Coffee.d by Stephanie J Hager.  Next is Limerick Rake by Celtic Reboot . And yes, your ears do not deceive you, I played this group last podcast too.

The podcast is closed with the wonderful voice of Alyssa Anjelica James  with Laughter in the Distance.

To those expecting a podcast on Dyeing, it will come next.  Meanwhile grab your favorite spinning tool, fiber and relax with me as we spin.

Throwing dye and wet fiber into a dye pot can be fun, and is certainly one way to color your fiber.  But if you are like me and end up with many different rovings, dyestuffs and techniques, a bit of planning before the dye day will help.  That's the topic of today's podcast, as I get ready for a big dye day of my own.

The music in this podcast is from the podsafe music network.

The interlude melody is Everything Begins by Dan O.

The closing song is by Sunburn in Cyprus and is called In the Sunshine, Lazy Hammock instrumental.

Also as a reminder, Yarnspinnerstales Spin In group on ravelry has a tour de fleece group.  Come join us and spin every day while the Tour de France is on.

Until later....happy spinning!

Book reviews!  Three books on dyeing with natural dyes are reviewed in this podcast.  And since it is a spin in, there a yarnspinnerstale as well.

As promised, here are the links, thanks for your patience!

Jenny Dean is the author of two of the books I review, The Craft of Natural Dyeing, and Colours from Nature, A Dyer's Handbook.  Her blog is full of her natural dyeing projects and her books and dyestuff are available at D & K Crafts.

The second book reviewed is Dyes from American Native Plants, A Practical Guide by Lynne Richards and Ronald J. Tyrl.  Here's a link for it on Amazon (if the link ever goes away just search for the book title).

The music used in today's podcast was found by searching the podsafe music network for the word 'everyday' the theme of the yarnspinnerstale. 

Interlude music was Same Lunch Everyday by this group.

The closing song Every Day gets Better is by the Smith Bros.

Until later, happy listening and happy spinning!

Spinning tools:  Do you have them?  Do you need them?  For this podcast I talk about the tools needed for three areas of the yarn creation process, tools for fiber prep, tools for spinning yarn, and tools to handle that yarn.

The wonderful music for today's podcast is from the podsafe music network.

Interlude music is by Celtic Reboot and is called Aufbruch/Am Feuer.

The closing song is by David Wilcox  and is Open Hand the title track to his album.

I used three books from my library as references in this podcast:

Alden Amos  Big Book of Spinning

Carol Kroll  The Whole Craft of Spinning

Paula Simmons  Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry

Thank you to these authors for their great books.

Coopworth and Polypay are two sheep breeds reviewed in this podcast.  And since spring is here in all it's glory, the spin in is held on the front porch.  Grab your MP3 player, fiber and favorite spinning tool and join me for some spinning without a purpose, spinning, just because.

A big thank you to the Milk and Honey Farm for the use of their adorable picture of polypay lambs on this blog and the Itunes photo.

All music is from the podsafe music network.  A special thank you to Wren Ross for her wonderful It had to be Ewe.

The interlude is by Triple6fusion and is call First Day of Spring.

The closing song is by the Dust Rhinos and is called Breathe a Little Slower.

Fiber Fairs!  My true first sign that spring is here.  In this podcast I talk about both sides of those events, attending as a buyer, and also as a seller.

And if you don't have the chance to go to a local fiber fair, and have the urge to shop after listening, check out my Artfire store at Zavagant Studio.

Music today is from the podsafe music network and includes

Bonny Morgan's wonderful version of Scarborough Fair

Dorchester Fair by The Legendary Ten Seconds

Happy Spring and happy spinning!

An unplannned spinning sabatical while my day to day life gets rearranged.  During this time I will be taking care of a post surgery husband, looking for part time work in my old career and in general not finding the time to spin.  Since a podcast often takes 8-10 hours of my time, I have decided to take a three month break from podcasting.  But I will be thinking about the podcast, and evaluating if it will come back in the same format or use this time for creating a new format.

Meanwhile, a big thank you to all the listeners worldwide, for your time over these two years.  Your comments have been the incentive to not only keep podcasting, but find it fun. 

As a thank you to Clare Dowling for the use of her Spinning Wheel in bits and pieces over these years, I have ended the podcast with the song in its entirety.  Her music and all music I have used over these years can be found at the podcast music network.

Until later,  happy spinning!

Thawing the ice of spinner's block, or any block to the creative energy takes different things for different people.  What helps you get back to spinning, when it's been way too long?  I discuss a few of my ideas in the first part of this podcast.

The second segment is a review of a great spinning DVD by Insubordiknit called Sit and Spin.  Ah, but she teaches so much more than just spinning plain old yarn, as she covers various techniques for creating artyarns.  You can (and should) find her DVD here on her website for purchase.

Music in the podcast is from the podsafe music network and was picked with the theme creative energy. 

The interlude music was  by DJOC and is Sean Boyle's Creative Burst.

The closing song is by Charlie Bobus and is called Creative Energy

Two spinning wheels and the same experiment, spinning a specific diameter of yarn by changing only the tension on the wheel.  The first wheel used is the Roberta electric spinning wheel and I talk about that experience in the first part of this podcast.  In the second part I record the experiment as I am trying it on my Haldane spinning wheel.  In both cases I found that it really does work, and can change the way you look at your spinning wheels' capabilities.

Photos of the samples spun on both spinning wheels can be seen on my blog.  And if you want to try it yourself, the same fiber is for sale at my artfire store, Zavagantstudio as well as other wonderful fibers for spinners and handspun yarns for knitters.

And it's Christmas, well almost and I can not pass by the opportunity to share some of the music I found and loved for the season.  All music comes from the podsafe music network Music Alley and is full of the season's wonderful sounds.

Opening song is Carol of the Bells by Inner Splendor Celtic Christmas.

Interlude song is by a husband and wife harpist team, Two Harps who play Twelve Days of Christmas.

The closing song is We Wish you a Merry Christmas by Rusty Bladen.

And there's a bonus track, by the great music collective the FuMP called Santa's going to telecommute the Christmas.

Happy Holidays, and happy spinning!