Fiber Artists Near Houston? I have some brown alpaca fiber and several scoured fleeces worth of GCN sheep wool I need spun!

[Childwanderer]

Hello!
I love knitting, felting, and dyeing, but I need lessons in spinning before I can make yarn that satisfies myself. Spring/shearing season is right around the corner, and I would like to get this fiber processed before I get any more wool in! I would like to take lessons in spinning, hire someone to spin the wool (I can pay with money, a share of the fiber, or both), or sell the wool if the other two options don't come through. Will post pictures shortly.

 

[Kusanar]

I am nowhere near Texas and a new spinner myself, but I wanted to mention that I strongly recommend watching this youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIBku52dlg-dh1tWK_4Z4yA
She explains things wonderfully and is actually doing virtual spinning lessons right now (for a fee) if you are interested in something like that.

 

[Childwanderer]

 

[Childwanderer]

 

[Childwanderer]

The wool has been scoured with Kookaburra and fairly skirted, but not sorted.

 

[Childwanderer]

The alpaca fiber has been stored for years; it is sentimentally valuable. The alpaca it came from was my sister's dear pet, whom we had to sell when his companion died. Those two were our family's introduction to livestock, and I would love to have yarn from him to give my sister.

 

[Kusanar]

Looks like you have a ton to play with! Do you have a wheel or spindle?

This was my very first spindle spin with super course wool

These were my first attempts with good wool

The hat I knit with them.

Spinning is fun and not super hard to learn.

 

[Childwanderer]

Lovely! I have a drop spindle. I'd love to have a wheel some day. My trouble is keeping the fineness/thickness even, tension, and giving it the right amount of twist. Maybe I just need practice...

 

[Childwanderer]

The purple one is an earlier attempt, dyed with cake decorating colors. The other yarn is lightly dyed with indigo.

 

[Childwanderer]

Here's my latest attempt. Getting better...