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Monday, January 14, 2013

Learning to spin wool into a rainbow skein

This past week at saori santa cruz I was busy dressing a loom for a cotton  saori woven baby blanket.
A new student Susan came to learn to spin. She brought her  wheel, and her basket of fibers.
We started with a drop spindle and moved up to her wheel after about only 15 minutes of pratice. She caught on quickly to drawing out fibers . Soon she was plying her single yarns into a colorful two ply yarn, full of fun and color.



  Yarn from spindle to flyer in no time!


 Plying S twist with a lazy kate.


 we have  YARN, fantastic Rainbow yarn!



 Wonderful first skein Susan!
                                                              REALLY FUN YARN!









Whats on my loom? a cotton baby blanket woven with saori philosphy in cottons.










I am off to look for some more fun colors of yarns on the studio shelf . I feel I am being to limited, can't have that! 

peaceful weaving
jill nickolene




Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Learn to spin yarn: classes at Saori Santa Cruz Studio

"I have wanted to learn how to spin since I was in kindergarden " What a powerful statement from a new student who finely is fulfilling her child hood dream! It can be frustrating to  try to learn from a DVD to spin on your own . Starting with some basics  like a good drop spindle, friendly open wool fibers, and a teacher to help, makes a world of difference.
 So lets start and see how we do!

 achieving  yarn  useing differnt weight spindles, and different types of wool.

 Park and draft from the spindle. Doesn't she look comfortable with her fiber and spindle?
 SUCESS! Drop spindles are not just for beginning spinners, they are portable  and  can be kept in your bag or purse so that when you are waiting in  long lines you can spin and stay calm .
From two spindles , a nice two ply yarn emerges. 



 she learned how to remove the yarn from the spindle with a niddy noddy, tie , then  twist to make her first skein of yarn....
Her first time ever handspun skein

 " I saw a woman spinning yarn at an assembly at school when i was 5 yrs old and  I never forgot it "
She did it , spun her own  first little mini skein of yarn that she has been waiting so long to do..

Next class she will graduate to her new saxony spinning wheel, a gift from her husband . We will  learn the next steps in creating your own yarns, fufilling dreams and being relaxed centered and blissful  while developing new found fiber skills.
Spinning  yarn as well as weaving , is healthy for your mind and body. What a wonderful way to start a  new year.

" A peaceful life must include fiber" ...Jill Nickolene Sanders



jill nickolene
www.saorisantacruz.com
my etsy shop












spinning in the California redwoods of the Santa Cruz mountains.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Threading a Saori premade warp on a Wx60H Saori loom

How we thread Saori looms for weaving. a Saori 200x20 cotton premade warp to be threaded on Jennifer's Wx60H loom.  premade warp.










 Robin helping  








  When we stopped to eat we had a mini saori kai/sharing . Here Jen is showing one of her saori wool scarves she used making saome darling pot holders  with fabric backing from her recycled jeans.

 





Jens pot holders





 Robin experiminted with saori waves tecnique with outstanding success.




 Jennifer tried the wave as well, with very different results .

   Robin wanted to make cord using the saori bobbin winder , it is easy and fun.



 multiple strands of yarns twisted in one direction, then plyed in the opposite to form cord.





Saori looms are fast to fold, easy to carry, and transport simply. Her new loom is snug in a bag .
a wonderful  day at the studio.

Peaceful weaving in the redwoods
Jill Nickolene
www.saorisantacruz.com
my ETSY shop