knittingthestash Episode 160: Wool Work & My DIY Drum Carder

[@ramonahynes900]

Melissa, I love listening to your yarn/knitting adventures! You have so much gumption to dive into new experiments with fibre creations that it always gives me inspiration to try yet another new adventure.... and I've been an avid knitter for over 30 years!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much :)

[@Janet-ov7zx]

I’m just back from Northern England, where I got to meet producers of single British breed and blended British breed fiber and yarn. What a revelation as to how different yarn and fiber can look and feel. (I also got to see an amazing number of the 72 British sheep breeds. Even Wensleydales!) . I’m thrilled that small producers’ breed specific wool is available in the States, thanks to wool lovers like you who make it so easily available to purchase, without my having to trek to farms and mills I’d never get to. harpingJanet

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Janet! And your adventures sound fabulous!!

[@debbieretzlaff2912]

Big hot hands 😂. Warning ⚠️ needle felting/wet felting is addictive & so creative! You’ll want to make all of the things, Melissa & Spencer❣️

[@knittingthestash]

haha. true! I can't get enough of it!

[@sunnyw4148]

I always add extra stitches to the underarms of sweaters so they fit me better. Love all the aspects of using wool. I sleep on a wool filled pillow made from wool about 10 miles away from me. Great support for neck and back. Thanks for another fun and interesting podcast.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Sunny! I'm glad I'm not the only one adding extra stitches :)

[@michellelindgren8419]

Hi Melissa. Your needle felting is so neat. Your pictures look so good and the dragon is quite a project. I didn’t know something like that was possible.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Michelle! Neither did I :)

[@unicornribbons3410]

The Pict wool is beautiful - would love to see Cormo!

[@newmoonjlp]

Wet and needle felting are such a wonderful outlet for wool lovers! I highly recommend Marie and the folks at Living Felt. They have tons of free tutorials and amazing paid classes as well. The fairies are always happy to answer questions to help you get started and their online community is very supportive.

[@knittingthestash]

Yes, very much appreciating them! Great shop, great people!

[@karlalintzenich2376]

The dragons are going to be epic!

[@knittingthestash]

Yay! Yes, I hope so :)

[@80sgma10]

I always learn something from your videos! I've only knitted with merino and bfl, so I'd be open to learning about and using any type of wool. Thanks, Melissa!

[@knittingthestash]

:)

[@tracyobrien-ri2pg]

Hi Melissa, your dragon is wicked cute and inspiring me for yet another wooly bunny hole! sigh! The Pict wool is gorgeous. I would love to see Finn or Tunis or even a Churro! :)

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Tracy! More bunnies!

[@bead9609]

So cool what you are making, I just recently got in to needle felting, although not as addictive as knitting to me. I am mostly interested in creating flat art. Thanks for all the informational video's, you are the coolest knitting podcast . Thank you.

[@knittingthestash]

Oh fun!! It's such a slippery slope--especially when you already have lots of colorful wool laying around.

[@KittenWAW]

The frame for your dragon, with it's long neck, rounded back, erect tail and long claws, put me in mind of a swan headed pangolin with a ringed lemur tail. No wings, BUT it did have a neck frill. I guess it's a good thing I'm not in charge of species creation, huh? OR IS IT? Admit it, you'd like to see that, wouldn't you? Not entering for the beautiful wool, but I'm already working up a full-fledged envious hissy-fit at not being the winner. Hey Spence! Nice work on the carder. I'm freestyling a basic v-neck cardi, and I'm thinking I'll have to have fairly wide bands. Just have to remember when you're calculating, that even though you're adding width to both sides, they're going to overlap, so you don't get the full amount. I forgot that once.

[@EllenKunkel]

Not to be dramatic but your advice to use a provisional cast-on under the arms CHANGED MY LIFE. Simply genius

[@knittingthestash]

I wish I could LOVE this comment a million times :) Thanks so much, Ellen--you made my day.

[@LottaSocks]

Never tried felted projects, but I’ve always wanted to! Dragons (or Griffins…sp?) have been faves! Almost ready to get Petite Knits “April” cardigan, yarn decision/s next. Not sure about mohair (love a fluffy, but…), possibly a nice & soft wool for the sweater! Made a small cowl a few years ago w Jacob wool. Looked the breed up, they’re so interesting!! I too prefer wider span at underarm. A great spot to add any circumference to a sweater/top, I think! Have fun w dragons! And wool. 😊

[@knittingthestash]

Thank you! I hope you enjoy the cardigan--I do love her patterns :)

[@nlturcott5168]

Loving the dragons and how the wings are working up. We have a dragon collection but not the woolie kind...yet. Needle felting is too dangerous a sport for my fingers. I have 'scrub' felted scarves and hats with silk trims. Those skeins are beautiful...each and every one of them. I do love our local Merinos, BFLs and just about anythig that is fluffy and soft. So many things can be done with wool. Thanks agian for the great catch up.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much! I did manage to stab myself with the felting needles, but only twice . . . trying to be more careful . . .

[@genier7829]

MELISSA, THE PHALANGES AS WING SUPPORT- YOU HAVE MADE A BAT/DRAGON CHIMERA! Congratulations. As for the worsted, I like it, but rarely see it. My parti poodle has been describes as half dog half cow, but upon reflection he is probably more of a dog/ jacob sheep.

[@knittingthestash]

haha! The designer said she made a pair of bat wings first and then modded them for the dragon! Love that you saw that.

[@pdcler]

Another fun episode! I braided all the ends of a color work sweater and want to felt the end of the braid so I don’t have to knot it. Alas, I’m still waiting on the sweater to dry. Just in time for summer in Central IL!

[@knittingthestash]

lol. summer in central IL is humid, no doubt! But at least you'll have a new sweater for the fall :)

[@lauraalicewatt]

just saying hello and love the cardigan coming along -- it is lambing season here in Iceland, so i of course am interested in wool blends using Icelandics' unique dual-coat properties... but also realize Icelandics are probably few and far between in New Hampshire! thankfully i'll be going to the annual Icelandic KnitFest in a couple of weeks, so will catch up with all the small-batch work being done here then!

[@knittingthestash]

Oh your adventures always sound amazing, Laura! Enjoy the lambs and festivals!

[@MikiCrespo]

Love your podcast 💙🩵

[@knittingthestash]

Thank you!

[@metaspencer]

So many wooly things going on! thanks for all the shout outs! or is it "shouts outs"? :) You're the best

[@knittingthestash]

Much love to Mr Big Hot Hands

[@metaspencer]

@@knittingthestash hahahahaa

[@pathowes32]

Hi Melissa, love your dragon. Can’t wait to see the final product. I love a soft, yet strong fiber. I like Romney, Cormo, merino, targhee, fine shetland. Will picked Wool be at the MA sheep and wool festival next weekend? I will be there and look for them

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Pat! I hope you had fun at the MA sheep and wool fest. I'm not sure about Pict Wool's festival schedule, but you could always message Bel--she's super fun to chat with :)

[@valeriebishop561]

I went and looked at the Jacob in your shop. Isn't that lovely! GREAT news about a mill starting we seem to be loosing them faster than they start up. I have heard of 2 in my area in the SE that have closed.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Valerie! Yes, so sad to see the mills closing and very happy to have new mills come on the scene!

[@StashDiva]

I love the dragon wings! I’ve yet to try needle felting but I bought a kit from Going Gnime at Rhinebeck last year. I’d love to see a Gotland/Corriedale blend.

[@knittingthestash]

Oh yes, go for it!

[@KnittingWithTravis]

I love the felted painting! I can’t wait to see it with your dog in the foreground. I want to try needle felting and received a kit for Christmas and am inspired to give it a try. And I don’t know much about wool breeds, but maybe I would be interested in East coast growers because I worry about the conflict out West with sheep farmers vs wolves and bears. Is that a thing? Can you tell I just watched a documentary on bears in Yellowstone? 😊

[@knittingthestash]

Oh interesting. There are so many politics about ranching out west that us East coasters don't always know about. I started reading The Wooly West a little while ago--interesting perspective on the history and poitics.

[@marieahlin3890]

Love the podcast. I wonder if my husband could make me a drum carder, he is not as handy as Spencer but maybe. I will keep on dreaming. 🤓

[@knittingthestash]

Marie, go for it! He might love creating the drum carder . . . you just never know :)

[@sueemmons5658]

I can't wait to see the Dragon finished! So cute! I crocheted one for my daughter a couple years ago and I thought it would take a week or two, but six or seven weeks later she finally got it! I would like to know if there are any recommendations for a dk-ish wool, besides superwash, that is ok to put in a wool setting washer many times. I'm hoping to make the knit picks blanket that you finished a couple of years ago, with all of the color changing yarn. So I just need some blackish yarn next.

[@knittingthestash]

Oh yes, crocheted dragons are AWESOME!! As for wool, I've heard that the down breeds are good for socks (and perhaps blankets) because they do not felt as easily as other wools. Might be worth a look!

[@lauriejarboe6087]

I hope you're getting him a t shirt that says, "big hot hands"!!!

[@knittingthestash]

Done.

[@bekahfisher3614]

I wonder if the one inch underarm might be more usual at the present because of the prevalence of sweaters that use a lot of positive ease. When the side of the sweater is farther away from the body, you can get a lot less 3D with the sweater shape and still not hamper your range of motion when wearing it. I have even done a few sweaters that had *no* stitches added under the arm, which I find absolutely insane, but they were some of those with massive amounts of positive ease intended (which I almost never do for my own garments, because my bust is a bit outsized and if it's big at my bust it's triply large elsewhere.)

[@bekahfisher3614]

Oh! And as for fleeces I'd like to see as yarn - I am really fascinated by the Santa Cruz Island wool I recently spun up. It is the most curiously elastic stuff, very very springy in yarn form after being spongey in carded form. I'd love to try some that was spun up at a mill.

[@knittingthestash]

I love this theory. The last two sweaters were not big-easers, but I think in general, you're on to something here, Bekah!

[@میلادفتحالهی-ع2ح]

Ok

[@Angela-hn6mb]

Tried needle felting, it is not for me. I'll just stick to the spinning, knitting, and weaving. Your felted background for Tink was pretty though.

[@knittingthestash]

thanks! Felting's not for everyone . . . sounds like you have plenty of fun wooly things to keep you busy, though!