The Show!

As I mentioned in my previous post I actually got placed in the state agricultural show I entered on a whim for practice. I actually found out a few days later that I had won more than I was told, my friend wanted me to find out the extra myself so I could enjoy seeing the win. Alas someone else beat me as I was phoned by the show committee to let me know I had also won a prize for the most textured yarn and if they could pass on my info to any local newsgroups that ask. So I said yes and did a little dance! I must admit I had the only entry that could fill this entry, but I have been assured that if they didn't like it they wouldn't have given the prize at all this year. So hint to enter as much as possible!

3rd Prize for 11-17WPI

2nd Prize for 21st Century Fibre Class

The 21st Century also won the most textured yarn - list of elements.

I didn't find the show that interesting beyond the craft competition section, I did find some kid mohair to buy that I was after for part of the CCHS.

Cleaned as well!!! 20.5microns

Apart from that, I felt a little disappointed as there was very little craft wise to buy compared to other state fairs where I have been introduced to and purchased certain art/craft. It was also very cold, very wet and easy to get lost. When I eventually found what I thought was my exit I found I was on the entire other side of the fair and had to walk all around it to get to the bus. Thankfully there were shuttle buses to the parking areas or else I would be missing right now. Thanks to my health my legs/joints really suffered. Next time I will only just attend the craft exhibition after the judging.

The crafts was really interesting and I discovered some sections I would like to enter next year, now that I have a year to prepare. I also got to see what I can live up to!

21st Century Competition

Mixture of competitions, the 3 at the back didn't get placed.

Now onto general craft I found interesting!

This one first prize and also Best in Show

A Large crochet version of a pattern I have completed myself.

Needle Felting - glad I didn't enter if this just got Highly Commended

Some Embroidery work 

Cross Stitch, I have heaps I could have entered!

Hardanger, something I am interested in learning

Lace work I think...

Tatting - another I want to learn!

Cool tatting!

More cross stitch, most of my work is framed and ineligible :(

Even more! Glad to know I can use kit designs 

Some of the winners on cross stitch - I'll have to post some of mine as I have heaps of completed work

Crochet Tartan, will do one of my clan Gordon!

Embroidery and some bear

lace knitting that was insanely cool in person

Very cool patchwork with one of my favourite topics

The winning cross stitch - I wonder what they judge it on?

Pillow with hardanger

Another winning cross stitch category (frames don't have glass)

Won the best use of Fibre in the spinning comp, person also won many other skeins

Best of weaving!

Not an actual entry, but the award for the above weaving. How cool is this!!

Finally the best part of the show!

Nutella Donut!! Eating Nutella out of a syringe is the best way!

Next year I am aiming to enter more spinning categories and hopefully, some items from handspun yarn, weaving, crochet, tatting, crochet and knitting if I can. Now a year to prepare and entering other regional shows as I can. 

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Ixchel Batt Club

I have briefly mentioned the lovely batts and tops sold by Chary from Ixchel Angora Bunny & Funky Fibre Art. On top of their weekly blogs offering something new and fluffy they do a monthly club. There is usually 3 different clubs including a sock yarn club, Funky Bunny Batt Club and Fibre Club.

Each club runs for 3 months and has a quota for how many people can sign up. The Fibre club costs $72AUD + shipping with special hand dyed roving/tops. The Sock yarn is $78 and you get enough 3 or 4 ply yarn to make a pair of socks (or anything that requires that yardage). Finally, the Batt Club which I am describing today.

I signed up for the Batt club in December and just got my finally Batt so though it was a great time to introduce the goodies. As each month is a mystery until you get them I wanted to make sure I didn't spoil anything, especially for international buyers who would have still been waiting. These batts are not part of the weekly batts you can buy each week, so are special and only available as part of the club. Batts range from 140-180grams and contain luxury/unusual fibres such as camel, cashmere, bison, and rare sheep breeds.

This one is a little more expensive at $108AUD + postage, reflecting the more luxurious elements in the batts. They are also dyed in funky colours. So please welcome some photos and descriptions. Nothing has been spun yet, but I have spun Ixchel's tops before and found them easy and great to spin. I have kept these in their plastic wraps for photos as the Angelina tends to get EVERYWHERE, like my cats fur, but less fun to find in food.

January-March Batt Club

January Batt Club started with a tribute to the recently departed David Bowie, with the StarMan Batt. This consisted of Shetland, Angora, Cashmere and Angelina. In an amazing bright orange, purple and a bit of blue with silver Angelina. The Scottish based Shetland Sheep is the breed used in Fair Isle knitting due to coming in multiple natural colours and being a superfine fleece. 

February continued with a tribute to Guardians of the Galaxy. This was made up of 17micron merino, Cashmere, Angora and Rainbow Glitz. This dye job contained a more mauve, green, aqua combo with a bit of black. This one is quite soft with the cashmere/angora mix. This one is the softest of all the batts, owing to the superfine Merino and Angora/Cashmere. Superfine Merino is the special fibre for this month and at 17 microns that is an amazing superfine merino!

Finally, a Starwars theme containing Leicester Longwool *Linen* and Angelina. This was a lovely blues, grey and silver Angelina. This one is a bit more coarse compared to the other to (must be the larger micron coat found in the Leicester Longwool. This wool is considered a critically rare breed, and included was a lovely information sheet on the sheep. 

My thoughts?

I really enjoyed this round of batt club. It was focussed on interesting/rare breeds of sheep compared to other interesting fibre. I would have liked to see some other Fibre, so hopefully the next club's theme has some of that. I know some people are not always keen on colour schemes, but I can't think of any other combos that I would like any better. All three cover my favourite colours and combos so will sit quite nicely in my stash. So that is a yes on whether I would sign up again because I have!

Speaking of my stash I recently cleaned up my main crafting area.

A couple of wheels not pictured nor two of the looms. I love my storage racks! I found these at Lincraft (local craft store) and they are black metal mesh that clip together. So you can add and take away as required and build upright or keep going across. A couple I have made into floor baskets for bags of fleece and accessories. The top has all my random stuff. The left side has all my fiber sorted into 3 categories (1. Straight Unblended Fibre, 2. Blended Batts, 3. Random Assortment) The rest is my yarn! So yes right now I have reached SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy)

I am trying to list all my Stash for my own log here on the Stash Page. Check it out to see something you might want to buy yourself as I have listed info and links where possible. I am slowly outfitting all the links above as I go!

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Recognise!

After a terrible few days, I have received some good news. I had entered 3 skeins in the Royal Easter Show. The Easter Show is a yearly Agricultural show in my state of Australia. Other states also have similar things like the Ekka in QLD. These started as a fully agricultural, but nowdays they also have show bags, rides, games etc. This was my first time entering anything craft and I have been spinning for just over 6 months and for awhile I spent a few months only spinning a few days a month. So I consider myself quite a beginner and only entered for the sake of entering.

A few days before the show opens the craft/arts section gets judged and they do a night where people can go check out the results and ALL the other crafts (like man! I was shocked about how big the place was!). Now I had a few terrible days and was behind on work (and lost my invite) so I didn't go. There I was sitting at home eating cookies for dinner and I get a phone call from my friend who went. Her super excited voice let me know I should pick the "Do you want to know the results now" question. 

RESULTS BELOW

3rd!

2nd!!!! 

So out of 3 entries I got placed in 2!!! YAY!!

The first picture is the 11-17 WPI one done in Ixchel's Qiviut mix! This got third and if my eyes are right the other person who spun the same fiber got first! This was a straight two ply. 

Then my second place entry which almost wasn't an entry! This entry was to be made of 21st century fibers (nylon, bamboo, tencel etc). So mine was made up of bamboo/milk mix with stainless steel mixed it randomly for flashes of silver spun in slubs, then I plied it with a super thin seacell spin. I had initially done a heap of the seacell (more than needed) and was really struggling with blending the stainless steel and getting it all to do thick and thin. I also was doing it days (the day) before it was due while I was recovering from the flu. Silly me thinking I wouldn't even get shown let alone place didn't even bother to take close ups (will come when they get back). So sashes for me and getting ready to enter the next show! 

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Spinning Knobs and Broomsticks

Ever since I got my Wee Peggy I have been searching for a tension knob. Seems a silly thing to be after when it will run double drive no sweat. However, I liked the idea of a complete wheel. So I have spent ages asking around spinning places and groups to no avail. When I got the Little Peggy I was tempted to take the tension knob of that one and sell the wheel sans tension knob. However to my dismay, the tension knob was way too loose and redundant (plus at risk of being lost easily). So after many fails, I got a win. While doing my window shopping on Etsy I came across a seller who was doing hand made whorls for Peggy's and Wendy spinning wheels (old NZ wheels). On further investigation of their site I contacted them asking if they did tension knobs (seeing they did so many other woodcrafting). To my delight, I got a yes and directed to order from their site VJ Handycrafts and Spinning Wheels.

So my order was put in with specific instructions it had to look like the Peggy one NOT a standard Ashford one (I got burned before). So, on the 1st of March, I put in my order and got a notification it was on its way on the 8th and here it is 14 days later handcrafted from NZ.

I opened my package with some trepidation and having just come off a really bad day at uni was hoping for some good news!

Also well attached is some tension line and spring!

Not only was it the right design it was the darker wood I mentioned my wheel was!

And it fit and could be used as an actual tension knob! A coat of wax and this will be an indistinguishable match!

So I am very happy my wheel is now complete! It cost a bit more than your standard knob and I do realise that it is not a difficult design to do. However, the convenience and knowing it will actually fit and match the wheel was worth the price!

So multiple accolades to the owners of VJ Handycraft and Spinning for their quick responses, good work and quick well-packaged delivery. I am so glad someone has figured out how to make replicas of these well-loved, but no longer manufactured wheels for us spinners! They also repair and re-sell older wheels and many other wheel based products so are worth a look!

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Stickler for Punishment!

No not another wheel, but I have signed up to earn my Certificate of Competency in Handspinning or CCHS with the NSW Handweavers and Spinners Guild. Why you may ask? As some of your may have gleaned from my mention of graduate studies I am an academic by nature. So I enjoy a bit of stucture, ticking off competnecy and of course certificates! I should be completing this at the same time I finish my PhD. So which certificate will I be more proud of!

NSW Guild Logo

As the Guild states the CCHS is a comprehsneive course of study. The course covers: 

• knowledge and use of spinning equipment and tools;

• study of various fibres such as wool, cotton, mohair, alpaca, flax, ramie, hemp, silk and cashmere; and synthetic fibres; and

• study of design aspects such as colour theory and designer yarns.

The CCHS is split into two parts witht he first part focused more on academic knowledge and basic wool spinning. At the end of Part 1 there will be a large folder of information and samples showing different technqiues (plying, changing speeds/whorls etc) to demonstrate the basic functions of the wheel. Also included is sevral skines of wool which need to include smaples that are both woolen and worsted in three different thicknesses (thin, medium and thick).

On completion and passing this assessment one can then move onto part 2 which looks at different fibres. If one passes this and wishes to do further study there is an Advanced Certificate too look forward to or a change of hobby into weaving (which I one day wish to rekindle).

During this time I can't share any of the work I do towards it till after assessment. However I hope to add a huge section of skiens when I am finished and update the education tab (Yes I will start putting things there soon)!

I also signed up for the guilds Beyond the Basics spinning classes. I think that is the right level and I really want to figure out my long draw! Now that I will have lots of skiens to show.

So my road right now is to put together 3 small skiens in the next month. These are nto for examination, but to check that I am heading the right direction over the next 2 years.

Polworth being investigated by Kitty

For the moment I have some Polworth from Petlins to get started on my medium thickness spins! I find fine spinning easy, so my task is to learn to spine thicker! I'll do a bit of a post on this breed as I learn more for my own knowledge bank. Right now I have some lovely Merino on my wheel, but it is sitting on the white section right now and is too boring to photograph. Soon though I will show you evidence that I actually use these wheels. Still loving the WooleeWinder, almost too much as needs attention. I need to learn hw to use a drill and get the bobbins going on it.

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The Peggy's

1980 Little Peggy

Well, I am down to 6 wheels again as the recent acquisition, the Little Peggy, is on its way to a new home. I took her down to Petlins as part of spinning class. We found out she was made in 1980 and while not in perfect condition, could easily be spruced up with some wax and wood glue to make a great little wheel. Since I bought it home and found it was almost too identical to my Wee Peggy with nothing new to offer. As I was feeling a bit under the pump with other activities (uni, spinning entries for the show etc) I wasn't feeling too motivated to fix it up just yet. So I posted it on the hand spinners group at the same price I purchased it mentioning what TLC was needed and within moments, someone was asking for it.

So today the Little Peggy found a new home. While impractical to consider whether the new owner would be a good owner this wheel is definitely going to better home. All the others went to new spinners. These lovely people have more wheels than me and the gentleman was picking up Little Peggy for his girlfriend and I spent a good half hour chatting about wheels and cats and my little purrer got lots of attention. He even now has a fan club and I am still trading cat pictures with the wheel's new owner.

Last two digits are the year

Upside down, Wee Peggy is 1986 the same year as me!

One of the things between chatting at Petlins and the new owner is the similarities and differences of the Wee Peggy and the Little Peggy which is very interesting. So Peggy knowledge!

Both of these wheels originate in New Zealand (Dunedin) and made by John Rappard. John began making wheels full time in 1970. Practically all Rappard wheels are made from a New Zealand wood, Southern Beech. There were a few wheels before The Peggy's. Both the Little and Wee evolved from Shetland Wheels. The big difference between the wheels lies in the Little Peggy was sold assembled and the Wee Peggy was sold as a kit and was able to be exported.

Little Peggy and Wee Peggy from Mel's NattyKnits Collection

NZ Spinning Wheels has the prices listed as Little NZ$88 and Wee NZ$63 back in 1977. There was around 20,000 wheels made before production ceased. Under the wheels you can see the year made (last to digits) and even other information like which wheel production number etc. Ashford did make and supply a few Wee Peggy's  in 1997 with variation that can be read about and seen here.

The most obvious difference can be seen at the maidens and flyer. Depending on the year built (timeline of Little Peggy changes) the flyer is either on the left or right of the maidens and the Little Peggy has two Maidens. The Wee Peggy has one tall maiden at the back and the flyer sits central to the drive wheel. There are other differences based on ease of assembly for the Wee Peggy and my sturdier construction choices of the Little Peggy. However at a glance that is the biggest difference.

When buying a Peggy there are 3 pieces that tend to be missing, the tension peg, orifice hook and the random upright to keep bobbins in.

Random bobbin stopper!

Orifice Hook outside of its holding hole!

Tension knob to allow the Peggy's to go scotch tension.

The Little Peggy had it all, but my Wee Peggy is missing a tension peg I am sourcing right now. Till then she is double drive.

In the end, they spin the same and despite the changes of the year look very, very similar. So if I had unlimited space I would have kept her, but my limited space means the wheels have to have meaning or a unique use. My Wee Peggy is made the same year as mine and I got it from a seller whose story resonates with my PhD. I am saving my space for a Spinolution wheel next year! Or Golding if I hit the jackpot!

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