the fantastic world of fibers tumblr

[fantasticfibers]

Imbracing my cottagecore dreams one stitch at a time! Here’s a sneak peek at my zipper sweater in progress, spun from my own yarn. Who knew creating a cozy sweater would involve so much accidental cat hair?

[gottalovecatss]

[fantasticfibers]

When you try to make a cool video ;-;

[fantasticfibers]

[fantasticfibers]

I DID IT! I made nettle fiber! 🌿✨

After days of foraging, soaking, and lots of patience, I finally managed to create my own nettle fiber! It's so soft—But it has a weird smell it's not bad but just different from what I had expected?

Next up: spinning it into some yearn!

[fantasticfibers]

Update: trying to figure out how to extract the fiber best?

[fantasticfibers]

Learning Process no. 1.2: Extracting lanolin from sheep wool

I'm trying to different processes for extracting lanolin

Cold prewash: I've washed it 4 times while it has soaked for a few hours about 5.

"The wool grease is continuously removed during this washing process by centrifugal separators, which concentrate it into a wax-like substance melting at approximately 38°C" - Sengupta, Amit; Behera (2014). "Comprehensive view on chemistry, manufacturing & applications of lanolin extracted from wool pretreatment,also used in vitamins" (PDF). American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER).

That means the cold wash may still have the lanolin oil

I possibly have to investigate how to do some centrifugal separation?

Boiled: I would prefer not to use this method as i understand from my research that the wool will not be useable after having it boiled. "Wool felt melts between 105 and 110F" - p. 50. the Big Book of Handspinning by Alden Amos

The water needs to boil for a few hours.

I'm reading from different sources especially this thread on permies.com

https://permies.com/t/65837/extract-lanolin-wool#2624426

And watched different videos on YouTube:

Extracting Lanolin from Sheep's Wool, Edwardian Farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2pEIsyWD-Y

Lanolin extraction from Sheep's wool DIY : My learning Process, homemade from scratch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoH3Cv5AS4A&t=635s

If you have some knowledge to share, please do! It will be much appreciated

[fantasticfibers]

Learning Process no. 1.3: Extracting lanolin from sheep wool

After a scolding from my mother because of the smell in the kitchen (i didn't mind the smell, but my mother hates it apparently) i tried to move the outside to steam the water from the cold wash wool.

I washed to wool but this time with hot water to extract the lanolin and the water is also much more yellow than brow, i am feeling positive.

(i also figured that it would be easier to read if the updates was under the main post.)

[fantasticfibers]

Hi, I'm not dead. I just had a seizure while breaking up with my partner… Yeah, I'm that dramatic.

But I made these socks while in the hospital.

[fantasticfibers]

I know how to knit btw. But it want to learn how to weav and spin yearn. But crochet can go fuck it self. I have no hate to ppl how crochet I respect your work. But I have tried and made stuff by crocheting, a bag. But I cannot learn anything different.

It's the beginning of a sock I'm knitting.

[fantasticfibers]

I DID IT! I made nettle fiber! 🌿✨

After days of foraging, soaking, and lots of patience, I finally managed to create my own nettle fiber! It's so soft—But it has a weird smell it's not bad but just different from what I had expected?

Next up: spinning it into some yearn!

[fantasticfibers]

Excited to share my first attempt at hand-spinning Navajo ply!

[fantasticfibers]

1st photo: My first attempt at a 2-ply single string — loving the texture and feel, though it's a bit uneven, there's something special about seeing it come together!

2nd photo: Second attempt at a 2-ply single string — getting smoother and more consistent! Practice really makes a difference.

3th photo: The first try at a 3-ply single string! More intricate but so rewarding. The extra ply adds strength and depth to the yarn.

Last photo: A look at all three yarns together! It’s so satisfying to see how my spinning has progressed over time. Feeling proud of this little journey into fiber arts!

[fantasticfibers]

Learning Process no. 1.2: Extracting lanolin from sheep wool

I'm trying to different processes for extracting lanolin

Cold prewash: I've washed it 4 times while it has soaked for a few hours about 5.

"The wool grease is continuously removed during this washing process by centrifugal separators, which concentrate it into a wax-like substance melting at approximately 38°C" - Sengupta, Amit; Behera (2014). "Comprehensive view on chemistry, manufacturing & applications of lanolin extracted from wool pretreatment,also used in vitamins" (PDF). American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER).

That means the cold wash may still have the lanolin oil

I possibly have to investigate how to do some centrifugal separation?

Boiled: I would prefer not to use this method as i understand from my research that the wool will not be useable after having it boiled. "Wool felt melts between 105 and 110F" - p. 50. the Big Book of Handspinning by Alden Amos

The water needs to boil for a few hours.

I'm reading from different sources especially this thread on permies.com

https://permies.com/t/65837/extract-lanolin-wool#2624426

And watched different videos on YouTube:

Extracting Lanolin from Sheep's Wool, Edwardian Farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2pEIsyWD-Y

Lanolin extraction from Sheep's wool DIY : My learning Process, homemade from scratch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoH3Cv5AS4A&t=635s

If you have some knowledge to share, please do! It will be much appreciated

[gardening-guy]

garden update!!!! 🌿🎉✨🌱🌷

look what my friend built for me!!!! it's a greenhouse box that i'm going to use for growing herbs and other food plants over the colder months!!! i'm planning on growing more basil & other herbs in here, and hopefully have this house my tomatillos, bell peppers, and tomatoes over the cold months!

[fantasticfibers]

[stardew-bajablast-deactivated20]

if you haven’t at least tried sewing or crocheting or knitting your own clothes, you really should. even if it’s just one time and you never do it again, i really think everyone should do it at least once

learning how to crochet was what finally made me grasp the abject horror of the fast fashion industry and realize just how laborious and time consuming it is. i have to take a few days off a week so my back/wrists don’t get sore — and i get to do this as a leisure activity in the comfort of my own home, rather than in a sweatshop. it takes dozens of hours to produce a single item. there is just something about trying it yourself that makes you realize just how little the people making our clothes are being paid for retailers to be able to sell clothes at such obscenely low prices.

i understood in the abstract that people were earning literal slave wages to make my clothes, but that concept wasn’t real to me in a way i could understand until i spent 14 hours making something that i myself wouldn’t have even been willing to pay more than $10-20 for if i saw it in a store.

i have not bought any new clothes since learning how to crochet. every time i see clothes at a store (especially obviously handmade items like crochet), and i look at the price tag i feel genuinely sick to my stomach.

i’m not saying everyone needs to make their own clothes in order to be against fast fashion, but what i am saying is if hearing about the conditions and wages secondhand has not been enough to make you stop buying it, if you find yourself becoming desensitized to the suffering of the people who make your things, you should try making something yourself.

you need to see firsthand how physically and mentally demanding it can be and imagine how much worse it would be if you were forced to sit in a sweatshop for 16 hours a day doing it nonstop, earning pennies an hour to do so. you need to spend weeks laboring over something only for it to turn out looking like shit so you realize just how much wisdom and technical skill goes into these supposedly “unskilled” and undervalued jobs. if the abstract concept isn’t enough to get through to you, then you need to get hands on.

[fantasticfibers]

Learning Process no. 1.1: Extracting lanolin from sheep wool

I've tried to cook in the water used to wash the yearn, didn't work well. All there was was some slime filled with dirt and other impurities. Wouldn't recommend

[fantasticfibers]

Trying out making nettle fibers. Wish me good luck!