51 Yarns: 36 - Spinning Luxury Yarns

*I love helping people learn about fibre arts... I also have to pay the bills! A lot of work goes into these videos so if you found it helpful, please consider supporting the channel by buying me a ‘virtual coffee’ via my Ko-Fi account : www.ko-fi.com/t... or joining my Patreon: / tinyfibrestudio Thank you!*
This series of videos is inspired by PLY Magazine's book 51 Yarns to Spin Before You Cast Off. The videos are listed in the order in which they were designated for the 51 Yarns Spinalong which coincided with the book's launch.
This week it's Luxury Yarns and I'm experimenting with spinning two different fibre preparations of cashmere and one of camel. This week also had me reflecting on the sourcing of our fibres and how we can make ethical decisions about where our fibre comes from.
Links:
Comb, Shear, Shed - The Best Way to Collect Cashmere Fibre www.interweave...
Spinning Luxury Fibres by Judith MacKenzie
www.interweave...
Cashmere Fibre Sources
Please keep in mind that some of these sources only list cashmere yarn for sale, not fibre. As you can imagine, they're trying to help people get the best income they can from the fibre, so it's understandable that many of them sell yarn or beautiful finished products rather than spinning fibre. To quote a Guardian article: "Goat herders in Inner Mongolia are shortchanged, selling their goat hair for as little as $2.30 a kilo. By the time it reaches the international market it can fetch up to $75 a kilo."
June Cashmere
www.junecashme...
Pangong Craft Centre
www.pangongcra...
From The Mountain (Afghan Cashmere so supplies are limited due to the danger they're in - I hope peace returns to Afghanistan soon and these people can stop having to live in fear)
www.fromthemoun...

[@TinyFibreStudio]

**I love helping people learn about fibre arts... I also have to pay the bills! A lot of work goes into these videos so if you found it helpful, please consider supporting the channel by buying me a ‘virtual coffee’ via my Ko-Fi account : www.ko-fi.com/tinyfibrestudio or joining my Patreon: www.patreon.com/tinyfibrestudio Thank you!**

[@calcrules]

Love the colors in the sweater you're wearing!

[@juliajs1752]

Hey there :) You could check out the kickstarter project from Ula + Lia, who source their cashmere directly from the Mongolian herders. Disclaimer: I'm a backer of Ula+Lia and have met the man behind the project several times, as we both live in Mongolia.

[@Seren8yVentures]

I would second this recommendation

[@SherrisPlace]

You are SOOOOOOOO AMAZINGLY INFORMATIVE!!!! Please make more videos 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Love your videos❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

[@TinyFibreStudio]

Thank you so much - I’m glad you enjoy them. Don’t worry, there are more videos in the works, they’re just taking (a lot) longer than I would have liked!

[@GiselaT54]

Very thoughtful and interesting. Thank you!

[@juneoeserserio2314]

Know this is an old video but was looking for info/helpful hints on spinning chasmere as I found about a 12 oz in my stash...don't want to waste something as great as this on "just spinning for the sake of spinning". Although you didn't provide me with what I was looking for- I loved watching anyway. You reminded me I took an all day class from Judith M. years ago...so I am going to dig up class notes and samples, she always provides so many samples, not large samples but samples none the less...the class was in Oregon, west coast, USA...Blacksheep...I love hearing about what and where things are in your part of the world...I have been spinning for about as long as you have been alive, as Alden Amos said: since Christ was a Corporal...enjoy your videos

[@myphotoworldjeankd4001]

Thank you for the additional source information. I just bought some Alpaca/Bamboo/Merino) for my toes and heels for my socks, from a small farm in Nebraska (locally milled, the Shepherd’s Mill, Inc) I live in Arizona. It is wonderful to know the animal it came from. I also met some Alpacas at a farm in Scottsdale, Arizona (Desert Mirage, Alpaca Ranch, LLC) and purchased some yarn from there as well. The label has the picture of the animal.

[@TheKait]

I just about squee'd out loud when I saw this video in my feed. I just got into your channel a few months back and I've binged through all your 51 Yarns videos, and I was thrilled to see a new one! Thank you so much for such excellent content.

[@heyBrownBerry]

As usual, Becks, I get SO MUCH from spending time with you! Thanks for a high quality production and a brain food-rich episode.

[@suebrady6179]

Great video, I was glad to see another installment of your 51 Fibers. And I have to say- your sweater is beautiful and looks amazing with your eyes.

[@donnafink6262]

Thank you it was very interesting and thought provoking

[@mariannehovad798]

when cashmere is that short blending it with cotton fiber and spinning it on a support spindle helps

[@valerieellison2483]

Maybe that carded cashmere should be used for tweed next time!

[@Lirin1122]

I know nothing about spinning yarn but I want to learn, I just don't know if I would be able to do it! I am bedbound but I crochet and looking to use animal fiber in my next projects so am really intrigued. Thank you!!

[@TinyFibreStudio]

Hi Jean, thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed the video. There are some really interesting new spinning tools around which are really helpful for those with physical needs which would make ‘traditional’ spinning difficult. I’ve heard from other viewers that eSpinners have made it possible for them to spin while bedbound. There are some really affordable eSpinners like the Electric Eel Wheel Nano which would be less of an investment if you wanted to give it a try and they usually hold their value pretty well if you decided it wasn’t for you.

[@Lirin1122]

@@TinyFibreStudio Thank you!! I will definitely check it out. I am watching one of your videos about socks, I have CRPS so most materials really hurt to touch me but something we have all realized from talking in our groups is that animal fur doesn't bother us!! Plus, like right now 1 leg from mid thigh or knee down is ice cold but my other leg is hot, so I am leaning towards an Alpaca blend maybe satin not sure lol

[@rebeckaroy6790]

I haven't spun cashmere in awhile for similar reasons that you mention. Last time I spun some (it was amazing!!) it was from a business called Qaria in Afghanistan. I haven't seen much from them recently. Is that the project you mentioned?

[@TinyFibreStudio]

Yep, that’s the one. There’s not been anything since 2015 which coincides with the situation in Afghanistan getting more dangerous again. I hope for their sake that the situation improves soon.

[@rebeckaroy6790]

@@TinyFibreStudio I figured that was their situation. So much human potential and then instability and war comes and ruins everything for those people. It was gorgeous cashmere and it felt good to buy it from such a great project. I will keep my eyes and ears opened and hope that they and others can connect us with fibre producers like that in the future. x