Yarnspinners Tales's Podcast

YST Episode 189 Spinning cotton and picking wool Dec 04, 2021

In this podcast, I talk about what I learned about cotton and spinning cotton in a class at SAFF this year. I also had the chance to do some fiber and fleece shopping, and talk about that experience.

I mentioned that I would list the four currently grown species of cotton plants and their details.

Gossypium hirsutum Known as upland cotton and native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Southern Florida. This species accounts for 90% of commercial cotton grown.

Gossypium barbadense Known as extra-long staple cotton, and is native to South America. This species accounts for 8% of all cotton grown.

Gossypium arboreum Known as tree cotton, it is native to India and Pakistan. This species accounts for 2% of all commercial cotton grown.

Gossypium herbacaum Known as Levant cotton this species is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is the last percentage of the cotton grown world wide.

Extra long staple cotton requires special ginning, known as roller gins. This type cotton can only be grown in a few places in the world, because it requires a long season and will not tolerate rain before harvest. Currently California and Arizona are the two US areas growing this cotton.

YST Episode 188 How old is that fiber Sep 26, 2021

A short podcast talking about the last five skeins in the yarn wash up, and my recent spinning.

I mention fiber from a Phatt fiber box, they can be found here.

The other fiber I have been spinning awhile is from Hobby Lobby. I finally looked it up online and can provide a link. I am spinning Yarn Bee Showstopper in the Winter Solstice colorway.

YST Episode 187 The big wash up Sep 18, 2021

After I spin a skein of yarn, it needs to be washed. I put this off until I have enough to take several days of washing.

I also talk about doing a burn test on fiber to determine the fiber content. One was a very big surprise! The flow chart I was using for this burn test can be found here.

My pack of luxury fibers contained white angora and it is shown on the Nano spinning wheel in the photo with this podcast. The pack of fibers came from Sericin Silk Etsy store.

YST Episode 186 Sep 11, 2021

This podcast is for the week of Sept 5th, and talks about prepping cormo fiber for the dyepot, and spinning a merino silk bamboo blend.

I also refer to two past podcasts so here are the links:

Episode 38 talks about buying a fleece. Episode 39 talks about buying non wool fibers and how to store all fibers. Also the ghost story that I wrote is at the end of this episode.

The fiber I was spinning was from Wooliebullie. Right now the Etsy store is only selling art batts, and hand knitted items.

YST Episode 185 A Yin Yang fleece Sep 04, 2021

A catch up podcast talking about Stashdash, the state fair and a black and white Shetland fleece.

Stashdash is a challenge created by the podcast TheKnitGirlls.

The young spinner I mention in the state fair has grown up and now has her own fiber business at Cedar Ridge Fiber Farm.

If you would like to see the daily streams I did during Tour de Fleece, they are archived here. I am still uploading those, but all will be there soon. My current streams can be found at Yarnspinnerstales on Twitch.TV

Creativity in the midst of a Pandemic Sep 04, 2021

Back in January 2021, I was doing the New Year thing, thinking about podcasting again, and putting a discussion about the New Year in that podcast. Somehow, the podcast never happened, and this bit of writing I did, was never published. Is it still relevant? I think so, but in a softer way, in that we are really not totally motionless anymore by the Pandemic.

I started the musing with the question 'why during 2020 and especially forced to stay at home, did I not burst into a shower of creative work?' I had to look at what I have needed in the past to be creative, for some answers.

1. Life in 2020 was an effort, no matter how little you did. I had to avoid the news, live with constant companionship, and all the noise that came with that. So the extra effort to be creative was asking too much, and I know from experience I am most creative, when there are no distractions.

2. Creativity needs questions. For years, the questions came first, the answer found usually with creative energy, and the results of all that, shared in the podcast. Somehow, in the noise of the pandemic, I could hear no questions.

3. There were no chances for in person sharing with my other creative buddies. As much as I love hubby, his skill is repairing things. Takes a certain creativity for sure, but never applies to spinning or knitting.

So I had my answers, and also a year of rote spinning. I was working breed by breed through a 52 weeks of sheep program. I had a great time shopping for those fibers online, and usually enjoyed spinning them. Sometimes it did take great creativity to figure out just what to do with that super scratchy fiber (I made scrubbies).

This rote spinning also took me to my fiber stash as much as I could, a goal I have every year and probably accomplished more in 2020 than in the past. This however made me realize what I was doing was productive, and not often creative.

What is the difference between productive and creative? Productive feels less satisfying. That's because in my case, once the yarn is made, there is no further step. No financial goal (sell the yarn) no altruistic goal (donate or knit and donate item) The bottom line is that creativity needs goals that have nothing to do with money or charity. My creativity needs to learn something new (ask the question and find the answer), and teach what I learned. It also needs to be enjoyable, so I feel that the time is well spent.

Unfortunately, working creatively and not production means the process stops here. Often the yarn I make is not good enough to sell. It may not be soft enough to wear. And for both cases, there may not be enough of the yarn. If I turn to production, I will find the whole creative process stops, and I am working, instead of creating.

Here again, as I end this musing, will I stand by my life words, 'It really is all about balance'. Maybe my time scale is off, and several years from now it really will be all about production, after these years of creating. And I will be sharing that with you too, dear listener, probably in this podcast.

July 26 2021 An Open ended Absence Jul 26, 2021

Just a brief note to fill those of you that haven't heard of my Mom's illness. I have to stop the podcast for awhile, as I spend time with her.

YST Episode 184 07/21/21 Jul 23, 2021

A tiny but perfectly acceptable spinning wheel is being 3D printed by Dreaming Robots.

I have the smaller version called the Nano and I talk about it in this podcast. I purchased it at the Hoosier Hill fiber fair at the booth for Susan's fiber shop.

I referenced the book Big Book of Handspinning by Alden Amos. This is just one source for the book.

YST Episode 183 07/19/21 Jul 20, 2021

The podcasts will have a new format starting with this one. The good news is they will be more frequent, and the maybe or maybe not bad news is they will be shorter.

For years I have been using this podcast to teach many things about the spinning of yarn. Those are available on the website by checking under archives. There is even listings of the episode topics to find specific podcasts. With the future podcasts, I will be sharing my experiences and stories of working with fiber everyday. These will be dated with the episode number but not about specific topics.

I am still streaming three days a week on Twitch.tv

on Wednesday, Friday and Sundays. I just completed streaming all 21 days of the Tour de Fleece and these can be found on my Twitch page under Yarnspinnerstales. There is a lot of spinning there, and it is a good way to catch up on what I have been doing lately.

Thank you for all the years you have joined me on this Journey!

And as always, happy spinning.

YST A Brief Hello Mar 24, 2021

Podcasting for me is on the back burner at this time. I plan to return with the Tour de Fleece in July 2021.

YST Episode 182 Welsh Sheep breeds review Dec 30, 2020

Last podcast of 2020 and maybe the last breed reviews I do for awhile. It is time to move forward into other areas of spinning and the new year seems a good time to start.

The breeds reviewed today are Llanowag and Lleyn. The fiber was part of a Welsh breed study pack from Wychwood Spinners

This podcast was created from the audio of a livestream I did when I reviewed these fibers. It is different than my normal podcasting, but I think the addition of the actual sounds of processing and spinning is unique enough to be interesting.

Happy New Year! and of course may it contain much spinning!

Current episode list Dec 10, 2020

When you go to my web page yarnspinnerstales.com there is a drop down box in the upper right of the page. In that, you can find archives. You will need to know the date of the podcast you want to find, then in those archives, go to that year and month. In that area you will find the specific podcast you are looking for. Use this list below, to know the podcast title, general information and the date.

Epi # Topic Date

1 Using Combs/Shetland 10/28/07 2 Spin In General Chatter 11/13/07 3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07 4 Christmas music only 12/16/07 5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08 6 Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08 8 Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08 9 Washing a fleece 04/02/08 10 Finn and Perendale 04/22/08 11 Book reviews 05/09/08 12 Cotton Dyeing part 1 Chemical 05/30/08 13 Cotton dyeing part 2 Natural 06/01/08 14 Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08 15 Cotton prep and spinning 07/08/08 16 Romney and Targhee 07/31/08 17 Andean Ply, Fleece Picking 08/17/08 Spinning Bulky yarn 18 CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08 19 Wheels and how they work 09/16/08 20 Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08 21 Felting a fleece, faking pelts 10/27/08 22 Alpaca 10/31/08 23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09 25 Cashgora 01/31/09 26 Woolen vs Worsted spinning 02/15/09 27 Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09 28 Dyeing wool Discolored fleece 03/30/09 29 Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09 30 Plying 04/30/09 31 Bamboo and tencel 05/16/09 32 Silk, Soy and Milk fibers 06/01/09 33 Dog hair,Spinning DesignerYarn 06/22/09 Review of Intentional Spinner 34 Carding and Blending fibers 07/07/09 35 Angora rabbits and the heat 07/31/09 Washing alpaca fiber 36 Spinning with a Charkha 08/21/09 37 Southdown,Polworth 09/13/09 Setting up a wheel to spin 38 Selecting a wool fleece 10/10/09 39 Selecting non wool fiber,storing fiber An original ghost story 10/24/09 40 Spinning for a specific yarn 11/21/09 41 Discussing grist 11/29/09 42 Changing yarn size by adjusting 12/18/09 tension 43 Spinners block unlocking creative 01/20/10 juices 44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10 45 Coopworth and Polypay 04/18/10 46 Spinning tools 05/08/10 47 Natural Dyeing book reviews 05/31/10 48 Planning a dye day 06/22/10 49 Carbonized bamboo TdF 07/12/10 history of wheels I own 50 Saran Wrap dyeing 08/14/10 51 Dyeing for specific colors 08/28/10 tertiary color study 52 Natural dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10 53 Front porch spinning Creativity 10/23/10 54 Color Theory with digitaldurga 11/10/10 55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10 56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11 57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11 58 Types of Fiber combs 02/14/11 59 Washing and combing 5 breeds 02/28/11 60 Spinners’ single study 04/07/11 Forsyth product review 61 A new Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07011 62 Black Welsh Mountain Clun Forest 05/17/11 63 Lock and fold spinning 06/02/11 64 Oogie McGuire interview BWM breed 07/22/11 65 A podcast for knitters who want to 08/20/11 become spinners 66 Learning the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11 67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11 Special Episode Happy fourth Year YST 10/15/11 Promo podcast for The Spinners Journal 11/05/11 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11 69 Leicester longwool, lincoln longwool 01/07/12 spinning DVD review and Stitches 70 Drum Carding projects 02/21/12 71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12 72 Support Spindles 04/28/12 73 Chatting with Fiber folks 05/26/12 74 Let the Spinning Begin 07/02/12 Tour de fleece 2012 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning TdF12 07/05/12 76 Listen to your inner spinner TdF12 07/08/12 77 Is it rest day yet? TdF12 07/11/12 78 Two types of plying TdF12 07/15/12 79 How the fiber speaks to me TdF12 07/18/12 80 Fractal spinning and finished yarn 08/02/12 81 The finish line TdF12 08/07/12 82 California Red and combing CVM 08/16/12 83 Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12 84 Positive Spin YST on Stash naming 10/05/12 85 Five year anniversary podcast 10/31/12 86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12 87 A Fresh Start Review of 2012 spinning 12/31/12 88 Exchanges, an angora spinning 01/27/13 exchange 89 Thin, thinner, thinnest, a froghair 02/04/13 spinning exchange 90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13 91 The more I teach, the more I learn 04/26/13 92 Chain plying (navajo plying) 05/31/12 93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13 94 TdF13 day 1 and 2 07/02/13 95 TdF13 days 3 thru 5 07/06/13 96 TdF13 days 6 thru 9 07/09/13 97 TdF13 traveling with baby 07/19/13 98 TdF13 final report 07/30/13 99 Book Review Hand Designs for 09/09/13 Spinners and Knitters 100 Finishing yarn 10/20/13 101 Machine Washing alpaca 01/11/14 102 Spinning alpaca 01/30/14 103 Norfolk Horn 02/11/14 104 White faced Woodland 02/14/14 105 Portland fiber 02/18/14 106 Ravellenic spinning 02/22/14 107 Manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor 03/16/14 108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14 109 Greencastle Fiber event 06/02/14 110 Ky Sheep and Wool Festival 06/25/14 111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14 112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14 113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14 114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14 115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14 116 TdF14 Final recap 08/10/14 117 A Wool Gathering Yellow Springs Ohio 10/04/14 118 Spinzilla 2014 11/07/14 119 Fortuitous fleeces 11/27/14 Interview with Digitaldurga 120 Roc Day 2015 01/07/15 121 Wool Wash review interview with 02/03/15 Natalie Redding 122 Review of Norman Kennedy’s DVD 03/26/15 123 Alpaca in the dye pots 05/16/15 124 Spin In General Chatter 06/30/15 125 TdF15 part 1 07/15/15 126 TdF15 part 2 07/23/15 127 TdF15 final update 08/03/15 128 Washing handspun yarn 09/13/15 129 Spinzilla 2015 Ashford spinning quill 10/22/15 130 This, that and daydreams spin in chat 11/26/15 131 New Year, New spinning 01/07/16 132 A Hand spun hat and a mystery yarn 02/17/16 133 Review of Craftsy, and more knitting 03/30/16 with hand spun yarn 134 Fiber purchases, state fair prep and 06/15/16 Tdf spinning plans 135 Pre TdF and a swap 07/03/16 136 TdF16 podcast 1 08/01/16 137 TdF16 podcast 2 08/15/16 138 TdF16 podcast 3 08/27/16 139 Ravellenics 2016 and State Fair 09/27/16 140 Spinzilla and Natural Dye mordants 12/02/16 141 Spinning New Year’s resolutions 02/02/17 Book review Yarn.i.tec.ture A Spinning Sabatical 03/10/17 142 Life Changes,Why Worry? 06/16/17 A conversation with my daughter 143 Counting Treadles for even plying 07/03/17 144 Dyeing with Lichens part 1 07/14/17 145 Dyeing with Lichens part 2 08/19/17 146 Spindle Crane review 10/01/17 147 Spinzilla 2017 Recap 11/02/17 148 Dyeing with Lichens part 3 11/21/17 149 Ten Years of Podcasting 01/25/18 150 Ravellenics 2018 03/28/18 151 Episode 151 Fiber Fairs 04/20/18 152 Episode 152 July 2018 Spin in 07/04/18 153 TdF 2018 part 1 08/17/18 154 TdF 2018 part 2 09/03/18 155 Stitches Midwest 2018 10/09/18 156 Drafting 01/08/19 157 The Pegosa Project Alpaca 03/18/19 158 Post Op Spinning 05/15/19 Book Review Creative Spinning Allison Dayker 159 Finally a Fiber Fair 06/17/19 160 Book review Spindle Spinning 07/02/19 161 TdF2019 part 1 07/28/19 162 TdF2019 part 2 08/24/19 163 Review of a spinning video 09/18/19 found on Kanopy through library 164 Oct 2019 part 1 10/28/19 165 Oct 2019 part 2 Herding the Stash 11/02/19 166 Book Review Spinning Beyond the Basics 11/18/19 Anne Field 167 A Year of Perfect Vision 2020 01/22/20 168 Bleu de Maine and Charolais Breed reviews 02/29/20 169 Interview with Deborah Niemann Shave em to Save em project 03/25/20 170 Cheviot Breed review 04/25/20 171 East Fresian breed review 05/01/20 172 Black Welsh and White Welsh breed reviews 05/16/20 173 Gulf Coast Native breed review 06/19/20 174 Oxford down breed review 07/07/20 175 Shropshire breed review 07/07/20 176 Whitefaced Woodland breed review 07/07/20 177 Ryeland breed review 08/12/20 178 Coopworth breed review 08/20/20 179 Spinning yak fiber 09/12/20 180 Lonk breed review 10/29/20 181 Hebridean breed review 10/29/20

YST Correction on Livestream Archiving information Oct 30, 2020

In the last two podcasts, for some reason I said the livestreams were archived on Facebook, which is not true. I didn't even catch it as I was editing. Instead of the tedious process of edit and releasing the episodes, I decided to record this separate little audio.

The livestreams originate on Twitch.TV under Yarnspinnerstales

The videos will stay there for a month to six weeks, if you do not catch me when I am live streaming.

After that, the videos are archived to you tube. Once you go to you tube, in the search box type lusi222 channel. That should take you to my channel. Be sure when you go to the video area, you find where it says all videos, to be able to catch them from the beginning. Or the most recent will be quickly available right on top. If you subscribe to my lusi222 channel, you should be notified when a new video is uploaded. I will try a direct link here, but if it doesn't work, follow my suggestion above.

I have to decide which of the livestreams are uploaded to archive, so I am not selecting all of them. Much of the Sunday afternoon livestreams, are just for spinning and chatting. I am focusing on the livestreams that I teach something about spinning or using hand spun yarn, to select what I am uploading. I hope that will let these livestreams have interest over the years ahead, just as my podcasts have over the last thirteen years.

Happy listening, watching, and of course, spinning!

YST Episode 181 Hebridean sheep breed review Oct 29, 2020

The Hebridean sheep have long dual coated wool in various colors. I used my study to not only spin the fiber but to show on live stream how to separate the two coats.

The fiber was purchased from Wychwood Spinner Etsy shop.

A short video on Twitch.tv show how to pull for long tog from the short thel using this fiber.

YST Episode 180 Lonk Sheep Breed Review Oct 29, 2020

First up in the podcast is a report on my study of the Lonk Sheep Breed. It's short so I went on to talk about all the spinning projects I have currently going that involve the Merino Breed. Later, I will do a more complete breed study for that breed. Finally, I talk about the second Tour de Fleece that ran from Aug 26th to Sept 20th, and what I spun during that time.

Lonk fiber was purchased from Wychwood Spinner

Superwash merino that I spun into sock yarn was purchased from Yarn Hollow.

Sadly, the Ozark Carding Mill I mention is permanently closed.

The Facebook group I have been using for the study of different sheep breeds is called 52 weeks of sheep. I am not sure if FB will allow the link to work.

YST Episode 179 Tour de Fleece 2020 Sep 12, 2020

In this unusual year, even the Tour de Fleece was affected. The Tour de France did not run in July as usual, but was celebrated on Ravelry anyway. Then when the Tour did ride in Sept, we did it again.

This podcast is about what I spun and learned during the first Tour. I also included the breed review for Yak fiber, since spinning it was one of my challenge day projects.

The Yak fiber was purchased from Laughing Lamb fibers.

If you are looking for my live stream, it is on Twitch.tv

Need a way to document your spinning project from start to finish? I created the Spinners Journal for doing just that!

YST Episode 178 Coopworth Breed review Aug 20, 2020

The Coopworth Sheep breed is a relatively new breed, as sheep breeds go. The sample I worked with was from a lamb and contained long lovely locks. I cover in this podcast how to wash and spin locks, and the specifics of this sampling.

Information on the Breed is from the Fleece and Fiber Source Book.

Another book I mention is Merino by Margaret Stove.

Previously I reviewed Coopworth in Episode 45.

I have also done a live stream on washing locks.

In the second part of this live stream, I show how to spin those locks.

All of my live streams are being archived on my channel on YouTube, so if those links above do not work try going to this channel.

YST Episode 177 Ryeland sheep breed review Aug 12, 2020

A new computer meant a whole new learning curve on new software to record and edit podcasts. I think I finally have a set up I am happy to release.

In this short podcast, I review one of the 52 weeks of sheep breeds, called Ryeland.

I talked about this breed in the first part of a previous podcast, you can access that with this link.

The Ryeland fiber was purchased from Marie Redding fiber on Etsy.

YST is going live stream on Twitch TV Jul 07, 2020

So much behind that title! I am not stopping the audio podcast. I am moving forward on the wave of technology and taking my concept for YST with it. I have set up a channel on TwitchTV

You can find me under the same name as the podcast, yarnspinnerstales.

I plan to live stream twice a week and during those videos you can join me, chat by typing, watch in the video what I am working on (and have been trying to explain with words for 12 years in the podcast!) ask me questions,tell me what you are doing, and so on and so on. I think as the community of listeners/watchers/chatters grow we will come close to a vision I have always had for YST, a spin in.

I also have a Discord channel set up for us to chat, and share photos. It would be a great place to ask questions you would like me to answer there or show on the next live stream. Click this link for the invitation to join the channel.

Live streams will be Weds evenings and Sunday afternoons. Once you are on Twitch and are following my channel, make sure you also click to be alerted when I go live. The alert will always tell you in your own time zone.

If you can not watch the live stream, the videos will be available on my channel for 2 weeks. Be sure to check in and watch it.

YST Episode 176 White face Woodland breed review Jul 02, 2020

The breed White Face Woodland was studied by the 52 weeks of sheep group on week 14. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a sample of this fiber yet. But this breed is not new to me, I reviewed it way back on Feb15 2014. It is Episode 104 and I encourage you to hit the link and listen to it again.

The picture I show with this podcast are the tiny skeins I did during that first study. The fiber came from Hilltop Cloud.

In the second part of this podcast I talk about doing a virtual shopping tour of one of my local fiber fairs.

YST Episode 175 Shropshire Breed review Jul 02, 2020

This breed review, second of the three I did at the same time, covers the Shropshire breed, another Down breed from the British Isles.

I had two sources of the fiber. The first, a small sample, came from Wychwood Spinner. The second was from Marie Redding Fiber Arts Etsy store. The samples were completely different, so I combined them into one yarn, a tail spun yarn to display the lovely long locks in the Marie Redding sample.

I mention the book The Spinners Book of Yarn Designs, as a source for one way to make tail spun yarn.

Another method for tail spinning can be seen on this You Tube video.

YST Episode 174 Oxford Down breed review Jul 02, 2020

For this month, I am releasing three shorter podcasts, all reviewing sheep breeds. These do not ave to be listened to in any specific order, it was just how I recorded and edited these.

The sample I used to review the fiber was part of a Down Breed study from Wychwood Spinner.

I also refer to the book The Fleece and Fiber Source Book by Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson.

This breed was studied by the group 52 weeks of sheep on week 12.

YST Episode 173 Gulf Coast Native Breed Review Jun 19, 2020

The sheep breed for this podcast was new to me, after all my years of reviewing. The Gulf Coast Native was raised long ago for it's tolerance to the conditions of the deep US south regions. But it lost it's favored position, and is now on the critical list of sheep breeds. The group 52 weeks of sheep included it this year in it's list to study. I purchased my fiber sample from Herie7 in the Etsy store.

I also spend some time talking about washing fleeces that are very dirty. Beside the dish detergent Dawn which is readily available, I review Namaste Farms washing products from Natalie Redding. It is available from the Woolery here.

YST Episode 172 Black Welsh and White Welsh fiber May 16, 2020

This podcast is a review of spinning the fibers from two Welsh sheep breeds. The Black Welsh Mountain is commonly known in the US, but it considered a conservation breed, due to it's small number of animals. The Welsh mountain sheep is white, and not raised much in the US.

I had reviewed the BWM breed in several previous podcasts, so I will provide links to those.

Episode 62 is a review of the breed's fiber

Episode 64 is an interview with a BWM breeder Oogie McGuire. Her ranch is call Desert Weyr and she is still selling the BWM fiber and yarns and is now part of the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program.

Because of my participation in the fleece study group 52 Weeks of Sheep, I discovered the other Welsh Mountain sheep, with white fleece. I got a sampling of UK fiber for both the BWM and the Welsh Mountain from Wychwood Spinner and talk about both in the podcast. The fleece of Welsh mountain that I purchased at a fiber fair is unfortunately unidentified as to the vendor so I can not give a link to that at this time.

YST Episode 171 East Fresian Sheep fiber review May 01, 2020

This is another short breed review podcast. The East Fresian fiber I spun was a lovely brown color and very easy to spin in roving.

There is a short information portion included at the end for a breed of hair sheep called Barbados Blackbelly. Unfortunately I have not been able to get a fiber sample yet for this Shave 'Em to Save 'Em passport breed. But the group 52 weeks of sheep had it on the list for week 8, which is part of this podcast timing. If I ever have the chance to spin some of the fiber, I will review it again.

YST Episode 170 Cheviot Breed Review Apr 25, 2020

This is the first of a series of sheep breed fleece reviews. Today's episode is about the Cheviot sheep. I was able to spin sample from two different families of this sheep, the Classic Cheviot from the US farm Yucca Farm. I was not able to find a web link for them on Google.

The Brecknock Hill Cheviot sample came from Wychwood Spinner. It was part of a Welsh Experience sampler pack.

I previously reviewed this breed in Episode 8 of this podcast, if you would like to listen to that also.

YST Episode 169 Shave 'Em to Save 'Em Mar 26, 2020

Today's podcast includes an interview with Deborah Niemann, who has the wonderful job of working for the Livestock Conservancy organization. In our interview, she shares all the details of the next two year program to introduce spinners and fiber artists to the 22 rare and recovering breeds of sheep through the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program. I recently got the passport that is used to record whenever you use a fiber from one of these breeds and will be talking about working with these fibers in future pod casts.

Here are some of the links for this podcast:

Livestock Conservancy

SESE program

Teaching videos for sheep breeders of rare wools

Woolhalla Tunis a provider of SESE breeds fiber

Incredible Edible use of waste fleece for mulching

Finally I will be renewing my efforts to remind my listeners about the Spinners' Journal I have for sale, by periodical posting a promo pod cast. If you are interested now, you can find it on Lulu.com here

YST Episode 168 Bleu du Maine and Charollais sheep breed Feb 29, 2020

One of my year long projects is being a part of the FaceBook group called 52 Weeks of Sheep. Each week we study a different breed of fiber producing animals, mostly sheep. In this podcast I talk about the last month of those studies, and go into detail on two new to me breeds. Both are French in origin, the Bleu du Maine and the Charollais. One thing I failed to mention in the podcast was after spinning the Charollais fiber, I used for the first time a small sampler loom. It is a fun way to sample texture or colors one would see if the yarns are to be used weaving. It's final product size is a perfect mug rug.

My fiber that I used to spin these breeds came from Wychwood Spinner.

Another breed was the BFL. The photo shows a Blue Faced Leicester skein I spun from top purchased from Hilltop Cloud.

The group also studied Cheviot. I did a breed review in Episode 8, if you want to listen to it again. Likewise Episode 45 is my previous review of the breed Coopworth. I was not able to obtain any of this fiber yet to add to this review.

I visited the yarn store in Nashville Ind, called The Clay Purl. There is a knit night there on Tuesday evenings, and it was lovely to meet the knitters and sit and listen and join the conversation. The shop is full of lovely yarn and some dyed fibers for spinning. I purchased a merino braid dyed by Bean Blossom Fibers.

YST Episode 167 A Year of Perfect Vision Jan 23, 2020

Happy New Year! 2020 oh my. I start out this podcast with a yarnspinnerstales, about seeing life with perfect vision.

And speaking of new, Santa brought a brand new mic set up for the YST studio. It meant a new learning curve, and I think the sound will improve more as I work with it, but all in all I am happy with it.

Over the next two years, I am going to revisit and redo my rare breed sample files. It has always been a passion of mine to find and spin as many breeds of sheep as I can. I have found a group on Face Book called 52 weeks of sheep who have the same passion. Each week there is a new breed to study and hopefully have fiber to spin. This week's breed was one I had never heard about, Bleu de Maine. I love the blue black faces of these sheep and have included the photo for this podcast.

Here's the links promised in the podcast:

The designer of the mystery shawl I am currently knitting with my handspun is Lyrical Knits.

The yarn I am using was an experiment to dye the tertiary colors. I talk about it in episode 51.

The Shave Em to Save Em program and other good information about rare breeds conservation programs can be found on the livestock conservancy web page.

And the source I found on Etsy for samples of a few of what I will be spinning with the 52 Weeks of Sheep face book group is WychWood Spinner.

Finally the fiber I am spinning currently is a dyed Blue Face Leicester from A Star is Shorn.

Episode list Jan 05, 2020

When you go to my web page yarnspinnerstales.com there is a drop down box in the upper right of the page. In that, you can find archives. You will need to know the date of the podcast you want to find, then in those archives, go to that year and month. In that area you will find the specific podcast you are looking for. Use this list below, to know the podcast title, general information and the date.

Epi # Topic Date

1 Using Combs/Shetland 10/28/07 2 Spin In General Chatter 11/13/07 3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07 4 Christmas music only 12/16/07 5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08 6 Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08 8 Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08 9 Washing a fleece 04/02/08 10 Finn and Perendale 04/22/08 11 Book reviews 05/09/08 12 Cotton Dyeing part 1 Chemical 05/30/08 13 Cotton dyeing part 2 Natural 06/01/08 14 Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08 15 Cotton prep and spinning 07/08/08 16 Romney and Targhee 07/31/08 17 Andean Ply, Fleece Picking 08/17/08 Spinning Bulky yarn 18 CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08 19 Wheels and how they work 09/16/08 20 Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08 21 Felting a fleece, faking pelts 10/27/08 22 Alpaca 10/31/08 23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09 25 Cashgora 01/31/09 26 Woolen vs Worsted spinning 02/15/09 27 Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09 28 Dyeing wool Discolored fleece 03/30/09 29 Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09 30 Plying 04/30/09 31 Bamboo and tencel 05/16/09 32 Silk, Soy and Milk fibers 06/01/09 33 Dog hair,Spinning DesignerYarn 06/22/09 Review of Intentional Spinner 34 Carding and Blending fibers 07/07/09 35 Angora rabbits and the heat 07/31/09 Washing alpaca fiber 36 Spinning with a Charkha 08/21/09 37 Southdown,Polworth 09/13/09 Setting up a wheel to spin 38 Selecting a wool fleece 10/10/09 39 Selecting non wool fiber,storing fiber An original ghost story 10/24/09 40 Spinning for a specific yarn 11/21/09 41 Discussing grist 11/29/09 42 Changing yarn size by adjusting 12/18/09 tension 43 Spinners block unlocking creative 01/20/10 juices 44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10 45 Coopworth and Polypay 04/18/10 46 Spinning tools 05/08/10 47 Natural Dyeing book reviews 05/31/10 48 Planning a dye day 06/22/10 49 Carbonized bamboo TdF 07/12/10 history of wheels I own 50 Saran Wrap dyeing 08/14/10 51 Dyeing for specific colors 08/28/10 tertiary color study 52 Natural dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10 53 Front porch spinning Creativity 10/23/10 54 Color Theory with digitaldurga 11/10/10 55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10 56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11 57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11 58 Types of Fiber combs 02/14/11 59 Washing and combing 5 breeds 02/28/11 60 Spinners' single study 04/07/11 Forsyth product review 61 A new Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07011 62 Black Welsh Mountain Clun Forest 05/17/11 63 Lock and fold spinning 06/02/11 64 Oogie McGuire interview BWM breed 07/22/11 65 A podcast for knitters who want to 08/20/11 become spinners 66 Learning the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11 67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11 Special Episode Happy fourth Year YST 10/15/11 Promo podcast for The Spinners Journal 11/05/11 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11 69 Leicester longwool, lincoln longwool 01/07/12 spinning DVD review and Stitches East 70 Drum Carding projects 02/21/12 71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12 72 Support Spindles 04/28/12 73 Chatting with Fiber folks 05/26/12 74 Let the Spinning Begin 07/02/12 Tour de fleece 2012 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning TdF12 07/05/12 76 Listen to your inner spinner TdF12 07/08/12 77 Is it rest day yet? TdF12 07/11/12 78 Two types of plying TdF12 07/15/12 79 How the fiber speaks to me TdF12 07/18/12 80 Fractal spinning and finished yarn 08/02/12 81 The finish line TdF12 08/07/12 82 California Red and combing CVM 08/16/12 83 Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12 84 Positive Spin YST on Stash naming 10/05/12 85 Five year anniversary podcast 10/31/12 86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12 87 A Fresh Start Review of 2012 spinning 12/31/12 88 Exchanges, an angora spinning 01/27/13 exchange 89 Thin, thinner, thinnest, a froghair 02/04/13 spinning exchange 90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13 91 The more I teach, the more I learn 04/26/13 92 Chain plying (navajo plying) 05/31/12 93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13 94 TdF13 day 1 and 2 07/02/13 95 TdF13 days 3 thru 5 07/06/13 96 TdF13 days 6 thru 9 07/09/13 97 TdF13 traveling with baby 07/19/13 98 TdF13 final report 07/30/13 99 Book Review Hand Designs for 09/09/13 Spinners and Knitters 100 Finishing yarn 10/20/13 101 Machine Washing alpaca 01/11/14 102 Spinning alpaca 01/30/14 103 Norfolk Horn 02/11/14 104 White faced Woodland 02/14/14 105 Portland fiber 02/18/14 106 Ravellenic spinning 02/22/14 107 Manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor 03/16/14 108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14 109 Greencastle Fiber event 06/02/14 110 Ky Sheep and Wool Festival 06/25/14 111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14 112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14 113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14 114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14 115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14 116 TdF14 Final recap 08/10/14 117 A Wool Gathering Yellow Springs Ohio 10/04/14 118 Spinailla 2014 11/07/14 119 Fortutous fleeces 11/27/14 Interview with Digitaldurga 120 Roc Day 2015 01/07/15 121 Wool Wash review interview with 02/03/15 Natalie Redding 122 Review of Norman Kennedy's DVD 03/26/15 123 Alpaca in the dyepots 05/16/15 124 Spin In General Chatter 06/30/15 125 TdF15 part 1 07/15/15 126 TdF15 part 2 07/23/15 127 TdF15 final update 08/03/15 128 Washing handspun yarn 09/13/15 129 Spinzilla 2015 Ashford spinning quill 10/22/15 130 This, that and daydreams spin in chat 11/26/15 131 New Year, New spinning 01/07/16 132 A Hand spun hat and a mystery yarn 02/17/16 133 Review of Craftsy, and more knitting 03/30/16 with hand spun yarn 134 Fiber purchases, state fair prep and 06/15/16 Tdf spinning plans 135 Pre TdF and a swap 07/03/16 136 TdF16 podcast 1 08/01/16 137 TdF16 podcast 2 08/15/16 138 TdF16 podcast 3 08/27/16 139 Ravellenics 2016 and State Fair 09/27/16 140 Spinzilla and Natural Dye mordants 12/02/16 141 Spinning New Year's resolutions 02/02/17 Book review Yarn.i.tec.ture A Spinning Sabatical 03/10/17 142 Life Changes,Why Worry? 06/16/17 A conversation with my daughter 143 Counting Treadles for even plying 07/03/17 144 Dyeing with Lichens part 1 07/14/17 145 Dyeing with Lichens part 2 08/19/17 146 Spindle Crane review 10/01/17 147 Spinzilla 2017 Recap 11/02/17 148 Dyeing with Lichens part 3 11/21/17 149 Ten Years of Podcasting 01/25/18 150 Ravellenics 2018 03/28/18 151 Episode 151 Fiber Fairs 04/20/18 152 Episode 152 July 2018 Spin in 07/04/18 153 TdF 2018 part 1 08/17/18 154 TdF 2018 part 2 09/03/18 155 Stitches Midwest 2018 10/09/18 156 Drafting 01/08/19 157 The Pegosa Project Alpaca 03/18/19 158 Post Op Spinning 05/15/19 Book Review Creative Spinning Allison Dayker 159 Finally a Fiber Fair 06/17/19 160 Book review Spindle Spinning 07/02/19 161 TdF2019 part 1 07/28/19 162 TdF2019 part 2 08/24/19 163 Review of a spinning video 09/18/19 found on Kanopy through library 164 Oct 2019 part 1 10/28/19 165 Oct 2019 part 2 Herding the Stash 11/02/19 166 Book Review Anne Field 11/18/19 Beyond the Basics of Spinning

YST Episode 166 Book Review Nov 18, 2019

The book Spinning Wool beyond the Basics is by Anne Field. This podcast is a review of the book.

There are two editions of this book. The first, published in 2010 by Trafalgar Square Publishing is shown here on Ebay. Google book link is here.

The second edition was published by A & C Black Publishers. It seems to be the same book and information, although I have not seen an actual copy of the book yet. It is shown in this link at Alibris.

I talk about her differentiating between four ways to spin, woolen, semi woolen, worsted, and semi worsted. The preparation of the fiber and the actual way it is spun, determines which type of yarn you are spinning.

YST Episode 165 Herding the Stash Nov 03, 2019

This podcast continues from episode 164, for Oct 2019. I talk about a few problems I had to solve during the Spin Together, with my wheel and spinning.

The strange title of this podcast. is all about a major reorganization I did of my fiber.

The 100 year shawl along I mention, can be found as a group on Facebook. That is also true of the other group I am in called 52 Weeks of Sheep.

One of the breeds this group recently studied was Babydoll Southdown, and I talk some in the podcast about this breed's information.

The fiber fair I went to and talk about in this podcast has a web page here, if you want to plan to go next October.

My wonderful door prize at the fiber fair, came from Rock and String Creations.

YST Episode 164 Oct 2019 part 1 Oct 29, 2019

So much happening on the spinning front for me this month, that I needed two podcasts to talk about it all. So this is the first one, and Episode 165 will continue with more spinning goodness.

As promised, some links to people mentioned in the podcast:

A lovely squishy package arrived at my house one day full of Baby Doll South down fiber. It was processed and mixed with lovely mohair and a tiny bit of nylon. The ewe's name is Lily and was white. The ram's name is Ray, and is a lovely silver gray.

This fiber is from Teresa at SpinHistory.com

Wooly Knob Fiber Mill, is only on FaceBook, search for them there.

Fall Apart Farm, McArthur, Ohio has purebreed registered Icelandic sheep. They also can be found on Face

Dream Weaver Fiber Arts where I met Kathy at the Wool Gathering and bought a lovely turkish spindle.

Alpaca Pines Fiber and Mill is the source of the beautiful alpaca I spun during Spin Together. They are in Illinois.

The Spin Together Group on Facebook is now a good choice for replacing Spinzilla, spinning during the first week of Oct. Check it out for next year's spinning.

YST Episode 163 A review of the video World Spinning Techniques Sep 19, 2019

This podcast is very different and so you have a choice.

There is a library based video website called Kanopy. I found a very interesting video on spinning throughout the world. I wanted other spinners to see it too, but they may not have access unless their library card (and their library system) grants access to Kanopy. The reason I do not include a link here, is because it is best to access it from your library's website.

So first, if you have a current library card,go to their website and look for Kanopy, click through to it and set up a free account. Then search and watch the video World Spinning Techniques. If you do watch the video, you really do not need to listen to the podcast. If you can not access the video, then there is a detailed, albeit,verbal description from when I watched the video.

Or do both, I would love to have you listen in to my reactions to all the amazing things I saw in the video.

The picture connected with this podcast has just slight relevance, it is three sample skeins of the alpaca fiber I have been spinning lately. Alpaca is the first fiber talked about in the video.

YST Episode 162 TdF2019 part 2 Aug 25, 2019

I was able to do so much during this Tour de Fleece, it took two podcasts to tell you all about it. See the previous podcast for part one of this two part series.

The first fiber I talk about spinning is called Fake Cashmere, due to it softness. It is however, 100% nylon. I bought my fiber from a dyer whose business is Jazz Turtle.

It seems most people like to spin this fiber blended with other fibers, but I enjoyed spinning it on it's own. Another source for the fiber is Paradise Fibers

The next fiber I worked with was a dyed merino silk batt in the colors purple and green. Listen as I explain how I made color sequencing work for the 2 ply yarn.

On the TdF challenge day, I got out the book charka, not something I have much skill with. I was able to set it up and spin some single on it for my challenge.

I spent many days during the Tdf dyeing fiber, both in locks and in big pots full of fiber. I had the amazing once in a life time experience of dyeing a color I will never be able to repeat, calico locks. This podcast tells you how that happened.

Finally for the state fair entries, I needed an art yarn and chose to spin locks into a yarn. It was a learning experience and I share all I learned to make this yarn.

At the beginning of the podcast I talk about how there will be no Spinzilla this year, but TNNA has provided these two links for spinning fund raisers: Britspin also Spin Her Free and The owner of Purple Lamb Fibers is doing a Spin Together Oct 6 through Oct 12, 2019

Lots and lots of information in this podcast, grab a big chunk of fiber, your spinning tool of choice, and join me.

YST Episode 161 TdF 2019 part 1 Jul 29, 2019

This is the first of a two part podcast, because I had so many projects to tell you about for the Tour de Fleece.

In this podcast I talk about spinning cotton sliver on the Majacraft Aura, not a very traditional way to spin cotton. My challenge day project was finally achieving those beautiful tight rolags on my blending board.

I also completed two skeins. The first was a dyed polworth from Yarn Hollow

The second skein was a gray Horned Dorset fiber, which I got from Dyed in the Wool. I talk a little about the breed too.

I suggest checking out Hilltop Cloud, to get an idea of the type of rolags I was making on the blending board, but when I checked the website they are not currently in stock. A quick search of Etsy brought up these, and these.

YST Episode 160 Spindle Spinning From Novice to Expert Jul 02, 2019

Here is the first of the book review only podcasts I mentioned in a previous podcast. After years of podcasting, I realized that the book reviews will be easier to find if in their own individual podcast.

This podcast reviews the book Spindle Spinning from Novice to Expert by Connie Delaney.

Links to possible sources for this book can be found on Abe Books

Also seen listed on Ebay here

In both cases, the exact listings may no longer be available, but it serves for you to see the book and description, and know how to search for it in those websites.

One last link is to the fiber I talk about in the review, kenaf. The Wiki page for it is here.

YST Episode 159 June 2019 Jun 17, 2019

It's that time of year, and the tents are up and the vendors hopeful as the cycle of yearly fiber fairs continue. I mention in the podcast my 'blue sky' dream of hitting them nationwide some year. A van full of fiber to sell, and be replaced by purchases, sounds just right!

The photo for this podcast shows the Pegosa alpaca fiber I am currently spinning by the lock on my Roberta.

There are lots of links for the podcast, for everyone that I mentioned, be sure to check out the webpages.

The Woolery, which you can find at fiber fairs and their storefront.

Dyed in the Wool. I owe Sandy Ferguson an apology for not mentioning in the podcast, her as an owner of this business too!

The Alien Encounter sock pattern can be found on Ravelry, here.

The Stoltman Family farm only has a FaceBook page, here.

Ohio Valley Natural Fibers is the fiber processing mill I talk about.

Yarn Geek Fibers has this page of dyed yarn and fibers for sale.

Punkin Patch is Equinox Farm home of the crazy sheep lady. There's a good blog on that website, where you can get you fill of photos and good writing. This is the farm from whom I purchased Bullwinkle's fleece.

This blog had one post that showed Bullwinkle, he's the white sheep.

This farm is also part of the breed conservancy program, Shave 'em to Save 'em, for rare breed sheep.

YST Episode 158 May 2019 May 15, 2019

I realize that is an unusual subtitle for a postcast. I recently had a total knee replacement surgery, and for the first 15 minutes or so of this podcast, I do talk about how the healing process delayed my spinning and fiber work for several weeks.

But once the spinning wheels got going again, I had two WIP to talk about, the Pegosa alpaca project was continued and I finished spinning two fibers I had used for a project back in Sept. a babydoll Southdown and a Polworth.

As promised I did one book review at the end of this podcast. It is Creative Spinning, a creative combination of two authors, Alison Daykin and Jane Deane.

The Polworth fiber I spun is from MohairandMore.

The episode of this podcast where I review the breed Babydoll Southdown is here, episode 37.

Please see a separate non podcast page on the blog for a listing of episodes of this podcast that contain book reviews. That way I can list the episode number, and the book title, and keep it updated.

Photo shown with this episode is of the southdown/polworth skeins I finished and talked about in the podcast.

YST Episode 157 The Pegosa Project Mar 18, 2019

It's official! I have joined the ranks of retirees. Now it is time to 'spend' my stash, or as I have decided to call it, my retirement 'fund'.

We start this with a very large blanket of alpaca fiber from an alpaca named Pegosa. The first pound is washed, but not completely processed as I am using it to test various processing methods. This podcast talks about combing with handheld combs, and the yarn that I spun from that top.

Needless to say there will be plenty more to podcast about Pegosa's fiber in the next few months. However I have talked about alpaca in past podcasts too. If you are interested, here is a list of episodes with links:

Episode 35 Washing alpaca

Episode 101 Machine washing alpaca

Episode 102 Spinning alpaca

Episode 108 Dyeing alpaca

Episode 123 Alpaca in the dyepots

One other spinning project completed since the last podcast was fiber from Homestead Hobbyist, a lovely polworth/silk blend.

YST Episode 156 Drafting Jan 08, 2019

Happy New Year! It is always full of thoughts and plans for the spinning projects ahead. In today's podcast I talk about maintaining watch on the drafting zone to make your yarn more intentional. Watching the drafting zone will help you break out of making the same WPI yarn all the time to making art yarns that feature thick and thin singles. All of this is the topic of this podcast.

I have done previous podcasts on drafting if you care to find those and listen to them. Just click on the links to go to them. Episode 26 (woolen and worsted spinning) episode 40 (spinning intentional yarn) and episode 67 (woolen spinning).

Links to things I also mention in the podcast are:

Book of Days, something I came across while looking up distaff day.

Fellviewfibres

The source of the punis I spun, made from wool and silk.

The videos I viewed while researching spinning thick and thin can be found on Youtube by searching the topic.

YST Episode 155 Stitches Midwest Oct 09, 2018

Links to vendors mentioned in the podcast:

Stitches events in general Atlanta Ga event May 30-June 2 2019 Stitches United is on that page too.

Youghiogheny Yarns Keri Fosbrink dyer

Fiberlady bamboo fiber

Buffalo Wool Co Buffalo wool yarn and fiber

Franklin Habit

Shirsty Cat Designs Merino silk fiber

2 Guys Yarn Company

Soak Flatter spray

Lost City knits Denise Bell Applecross Highland shawl Ravelry pattern

Knitted Knockers

knitbahpurl

Stevenbe

Vintage Lace book by Gladys Amedro

The video blogger I mentioned is Quayln Stark and he blogs on youtube. The stitches midwest podcast can be found here

I talk about a fiber processor but failed to mention the name. The farm business is called Alpaca Pines and their website can be found here.

There was a what I called a wood ball winder that I was unable to find online to show you. I have found out since that this item has another use, which is to hold the ball of yarn wound on to it as you knit. So the concept for it I think is to wind the yarn on it from a skein and then let it sit near you as you knit, it will rotate release the yarn. No balls of yarn rolling away from you.

I was not able to find any 1500 yard one dye lot skeins of yarn online, like I saw in the market. I think this concept is a custom dye project, so if interested contact your favorite dyer, see if they can purchase the yarn in the large skein and dye it for you.

YST Episode 154 Sep 04, 2018

In this discussion of what I did during the 2018 Tour de Fleece, I talk about the wool breed Zwartbles, spinning buffalo fiber on a drop spindle and finally a very rare breed of wool, Dor Galen.

The buffalo fiber was included in the Clouds of Luxury from the Etsy store Sericin

The Dor Galen fiber was purchased at a fiber festival several years ago from Sandy Ferguson's Dyed in the Wool

Dor Galen is no longer available, the horned dorset at the bottom of the above linked page is probably a good close substitute.

YST Episode 153 TdF2018 Part 1 Aug 18, 2018

My favorite time of the spinning year, the Tour de Fleece event. As promised, here is the review of what I spun this year.

This is part one of the two part podcast.

A few links. To see photos of all of the lovely fibers and yarns I talked about, go to my group in Ravelry, yarnspinners spin in and look at the TdF2018 thread in the discussions. You must be signed into Ravelry for the link to work.

Links to the fiber artists whose fiber I spun and talked about are:

A Star is Shorn the Etsy store. I spun a superwash merino

Fellview Fibres the source of the wool/silk rolags I spun for the first challenge day.

YST Episode 152 Jul 05, 2018

When I find that a podcast has no specific topic, but many different stories, I call them a spin-in. I also likened this to writing you a letter, dear listener! But mostly it feels like when we gather together with our spinning wheels and spin and talk. One never really knows what the conversations will be.

I catch you up on my recent projects, spinning and otherwise, tell you about a few things I read online, rant a bit about books and bookcases, and end with the promise of lots of spinning to come as I participate in this years TdF on Ravelry.

I took time to update the episode list last month, so if you want to find a specific topic in a podcast, check out that list. It will show the date the podcast was released. Use that date to find the podcast in the archives on this website.

Updated Episode Listing Jun 28, 2018

Epi # Topic Date

1 Using Combs/Shetland 10/28/07 2 Spin In General Chatter 11/13/07 3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07 4 Christmas music only 12/16/07 5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08 6 Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08 8 Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08 9 Washing a fleece 04/02/08 10 Finn and Perendale 04/22/08 11 Book reviews 05/09/08 12 Cotton Dyeing part 1 Chemical 05/30/08 13 Cotton dyeing part 2 Natural 06/01/08 14 Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08 15 Cotton prep and spinning 07/08/08 16 Romney and Targhee 07/31/08 17 Andean Ply, Fleece Picking 08/17/08 Spinning Bulky yarn 18 CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08 19 Wheels and how they work 09/16/08 20 Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08 21 Felting a fleece, faking pelts 10/27/08 22 Alpaca 10/31/08 23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09 25 Cashgora 01/31/09 26 Woolen vs Worsted spinning 02/15/09 27 Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09 28 Dyeing wool Discolored fleece 03/30/09 29 Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09 30 Plying 04/30/09 31 Bamboo and tencel 05/16/09 32 Silk, Soy and Milk fibers 06/01/09 33 Dog hair,Spinning DesignerYarn 06/22/09 Review of Intentional Spinner 34 Carding and Blending fibers 07/07/09 35 Angora rabbits and the heat 07/31/09 Washing alpaca fiber 36 Spinning with a Charkha 08/21/09 37 Southdown,Polworth 09/13/09 Setting up a wheel to spin 38 Selecting a wool fleece 10/10/09 39 Selecting non wool fiber,storing fiber An original ghost story 10/24/09 40 Spinning for a specific yarn 11/21/09 41 Discussing grist 11/29/09 42 Changing yarn size by adjusting 12/18/09 tension 43 Spinners block unlocking creative 01/20/10 juices 44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10 45 Coopworth and Polypay 04/18/10 46 Spinning tools 05/08/10 47 Natural Dyeing book reviews 05/31/10 48 Planning a dye day 06/22/10 49 Carbonized bamboo TdF 07/12/10 history of wheels I own 50 Saran Wrap dyeing 08/14/10 51 Dyeing for specific colors 08/28/10 tertiary color study 52 Natural dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10 53 Front porch spinning Creativity 10/23/10 54 Color Theory with digitaldurga 11/10/10 55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10 56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11 57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11 58 Types of Fiber combs 02/14/11 59 Washing and combing 5 breeds 02/28/11 60 Spinners' single study 04/07/11 Forsyth product review 61 A new Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07011 62 Black Welsh Mountain Clun Forest 05/17/11 63 Lock and fold spinning 06/02/11 64 Oogie McGuire interview BWM breed 07/22/11 65 A podcast for knitters who want to 08/20/11 become spinners 66 Learning the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11 67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11 Special Episode Happy fourth Year YST 10/15/11 Promo podcast for The Spinners Journal 11/05/11 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11 69 Leicester longwool, lincoln longwool 01/07/12 spinning DVD review and Stitches East 70 Drum Carding projects 02/21/12 71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12 72 Support Spindles 04/28/12 73 Chatting with Fiber folks 05/26/12 74 Let the Spinning Begin 07/02/12 Tour de fleece 2012 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning TdF12 07/05/12 76 Listen to your inner spinner TdF12 07/08/12 77 Is it rest day yet? TdF12 07/11/12 78 Two types of plying TdF12 07/15/12 79 How the fiber speaks to me TdF12 07/18/12 80 Fractal spinning and finished yarn 08/02/12 81 The finish line TdF12 08/07/12 82 California Red and combing CVM 08/16/12 83 Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12 84 Positive Spin YST on Stash naming 10/05/12 85 Five year anniversary podcast 10/31/12 86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12 87 A Fresh Start Review of 2012 spinning 12/31/12 88 Exchanges, an angora spinning 01/27/13 exchange 89 Thin, thinner, thinnest, a froghair 02/04/13 spinning exchange 90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13 91 The more I teach, the more I learn 04/26/13 92 Chain plying (navajo plying) 05/31/12 93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13 94 TdF13 day 1 and 2 07/02/13 95 TdF13 days 3 thru 5 07/06/13 96 TdF13 days 6 thru 9 07/09/13 97 TdF13 traveling with baby 07/19/13 98 TdF13 final report 07/30/13 99 Book Review Hand Designs for 09/09/13 Spinners and Knitters 100 Finishing yarn 10/20/13 101 Machine Washing alpaca 01/11/14 102 Spinning alpaca 01/30/14 103 Norfolk Horn 02/11/14 104 White faced Woodland 02/14/14 105 Portland fiber 02/18/14 106 Ravellenic spinning 02/22/14 107 Manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor 03/16/14 108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14 109 Greencastle Fiber event 06/02/14 110 Ky Sheep and Wool Festival 06/25/14 111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14 112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14 113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14 114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14 115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14 116 TdF14 Final recap 08/10/14 117 A Wool Gathering Yellow Springs Ohio 10/04/14 118 Spinailla 2014 11/07/14 119 Fortutous fleeces 11/27/14 Interview with Digitaldurga 120 Roc Day 2015 01/07/15 121 Wool Wash review interview with 02/03/15 Natalie Redding 122 Review of Norman Kennedy's DVD 03/26/15 123 Alpaca in the dyepots 05/16/15 124 Spin In General Chatter 06/30/15 125 TdF15 part 1 07/15/15 126 TdF15 part 2 07/23/15 127 TdF15 final update 08/03/15 128 Washing handspun yarn 09/13/15 129 Spinzilla 2015 Ashford spinning quill 10/22/15 130 This, that and daydreams spin in chat 11/26/15 131 New Year, New spinning 01/07/16 132 A Hand spun hat and a mystery yarn 02/17/16 133 Review of Craftsy, and more knitting 03/30/16 with hand spun yarn 134 Fiber purchases, state fair prep and 06/15/16 Tdf spinning plans 135 Pre TdF and a swap 07/03/16 136 TdF16 podcast 1 08/01/16 137 TdF16 podcast 2 08/15/16 138 TdF16 podcast 3 08/27/16 139 Ravellenics 2016 and State Fair 09/27/16 140 Spinzilla and Natural Dye mordants 12/02/16 141 Spinning New Year's resolutions 02/02/17 Book review Yarn.i.tec.ture A Spinning Sabatical 03/10/17 142 Life Changes,Why Worry? 06/16/17 A conversation with my daughter 143 Counting Treadles for even plying 07/03/17 144 Dyeing with Lichens part 1 07/14/17 145 Dyeing with Lichens part 2 08/19/17 146 Spindle Crane review 10/01/17 147 Spinzilla 2017 Recap 11/02/17 148 Dyeing with Lichens part 3 11/21/17 149 Ten Years of Podcasting 01/25/18 150 Ravellenics 2018 03/28/18 151 Episode 151 Fiber Fairs 04/20/18

YST Episode 151 Apr 20, 2018

Ahhh, tis the season of freshly shorn fleeces. But what if your cupboard is already full?

If you have an answer, come to the Ravelry group and search for Yanrspinnerstales spin in. Join us there for the conversation.

A nice solution to at least organizing your fleece project is The Spinners Journal, a daily spinning book I created to sell. Your purchase supports the archiving of my past podcasts. Thank-You!

YST Episode 150 Ravellenics 2018 Mar 22, 2018

Ravellenics, for those that haven't heard the term, is an event hosted on Ravelry during the Olympics. There are events you can enter projects, and win digital medals. The rules state you start at the opening ceremony and finish by the closing ceremony.

I have done this many years now, every two years. Most years I do a spinning project, but the last two times I have done knitting projects with hand spun yarn.

This podcast talks about three of this years projects for Ravellenics, two completed and one still in progress.

YST Episode 149 Ten Years of Podcasting Jan 25, 2018

It's true, I have been podcasting for 10 years now!

In the first part of today's podcast, I review the book The Weaving,Spinning and Dyeing book by Rachel Brown.

In the second part I give a little bit of the download statistics for the podcast, some listener's comments about spinning in their lives over the last 10 years, and my favorite and least favorite parts of spinning.

I was able to include music with this podcast, thanks for the website Free Music Archive. They have an archive on non traditional birthday music and I pulled the following songs from that:

Another year older by Jazzy-J

Singing Happy Birthday to you by BackyardMusic

It must be somebody's birthday by The Pendulum Swings

I mention a breed sampler shawl made by one listener, the pattern is The Dimpsey Shawl on Ravelry (you will have to be signed into Ravelry for the link to work)

Finally go you my blog and see the medal from Feedspot, for being named number nine in the top spinning podcasts!

Looking for the Spinners Journal? It's here at lulu.com. Thanks for supporting this podcast, with your purchase, and listening.

In top twenty spinning podcasts! Jan 11, 2018

Who knew there were so many spinning podcasts! I have the pleasure of being listed number 9.

YST Episode 148 Lichen Dyeing part 3 Nov 21, 2017

This podcast is the third on lichen dyeing and concludes the project for me. I talk about the ammonia extraction method and dyeing wool with the extract. I also tried a contact dyeing method on some silk and talk about that. The fiber is lovely and I am looking forward to spinning with it next year. The photo shows the corriedale roving dyed with the ammonia extraction method.

Need a special holiday gift, for a friend or yourself? The Spinners Daily spinning journal found on Lulu is a special present and helps support my archiving of all the podcast episodes. Thank you for your support!

Look for my group on Ravelry by searching for yarnspinnerstales spin in group. All are welcome, come and join the conversations.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 147 Spinzilla 2017 Recap Nov 02, 2017

I had a wonderful week, focused on spinning as much yardage as I could. I talk about all those yards in this podcast, plus a few thoughts on spinning on the electric Roberta and also what to do about fiber with high vegetable matter in it.

Looking for a way to keep track of your spinning projects? I have created the Spinners' Journal to help you with that. It was done at Lulu.com, and is a reasonable 12.50 plus shipping. Your purchases help me pay the cost of keeping yarnspinnerstales podcasts archived. Thank-you!

If you have any questions or comments about this or any of the podcasts, join us at the group on Ravelry, Yarnspinnerstales Spin In.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 146 Spindle Crane Review Oct 01, 2017

This podcast has a review of my experience using Akerworks drop spindle tool called the Sprindle Crane. They were a prize sponsor in the Tour de Fleece 2017 on Ravelry, and I had the very good fortune to win this prize!

Akerworks website for further information.

I promised a few links, here's the easiest to find on Youtube.

There is a difference between how the spinner in this video uses the spindle crane, and what I experienced. I did not get the twist to go past the plastic threader when I worked with it. I also used a hanging spindle instead of a supported spindle, although I do want to try the support spindle with it next.

You have to be signed into Ravelry before clicking this link, but once you are it will take you to the thread in my group for discussion of the spindle crane.

YST Episode 145 Dyeing with Lichens Part 2 Aug 19, 2017

This podcast talks about the boiling water method of lichen dyeing. I used the dye pot twice and dye fiber and fabric.

YST Episode 144 Dyeing with Lichens part 1 Jul 14, 2017

I have started the fun project of a lichen dye pot and in today's podcast I talk a little about the history of lichen dyeing, and how and where I collected my lichens.

There's also a TdF2017 update at the end of the podcast.

I had four books in my spinning library to use as references for this information.

The main sources were from the same author, Karen Casselman. The books are: Craft of the Dyer Colour from Plants and Lichens and Lichen Dyes The New Source Book both published by Dover Press.

Two other books that mention dyeing with lichens are:

Your Yarn Dyeing by Elsie G Davenport

Natural Dyes for Spinners & Weavers by Hetty Wickens

YST Episode 143 Counting Treadles for Even Plying Jul 03, 2017

Today's podcast talks about how to achieve even, consistent 2 ply yarn by counting your treadle movements.

Near the end I do talk about the start of the Tour De Fleece and what I hope to spin during it.

If you want to join our discussions and sharing with the YST Team on Ravelry, the best way to find the group is to search under groups for Yarnspinnerstales Spin In. Hope to see you there!

YST Episode 142 Life Changes, Why Worry Jun 16, 2017

Welcome to the newly redesigned web page. If you are looking for previous episodes, look in the upper right hand corner and click on episodes. The quickest way to the most recent and then later, is to click on 'category' and then podcasts. They will load with the new easier to use player.

In the podcast,after a sabbatical from spinning, I am glad to be back. I update the spinning and knitting projects from the past few months, and then have a lovely recorded conversation with my daughter, about why we as humans experience various emotions. We both agree that the meditative experiences of spinning, knitting and weaving are often a way to help in these times.

YST A Spinning Sabbatical Mar 10, 2017

There is a saying in our family for many years: 'Life is too much with us now'. As it implies, I have to step aside from podcasting for a few months, while I deal with family life.

During that time, I am researching dyeing with lichens, and I hope to get some dye baths started. That will be the topic of the podcast, when I return.

Thanks for your patience and Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 141 Spinning New Year's Resolutions Feb 02, 2017

Happy 2017!

It's a new year and that always makes me think about my spinning goals. Along the way, I discovered some specifics about three ply yarn, and plying in general.

I close the podcast with a review of the book, Yarn i tec ture by Jillian Moreno.

YST Episode 140 Spinzilla and Natural Dye Mordants Dec 02, 2016

This podcast closes the 2016 year, with details on my Spinzilla 2016 spinning. Since one of the fibers I spun during that was dyed with natural dyes and the mordants tin and alum, I did a bit of research on those mordants. I end this podcast with that discussion. These are links to some of the things mentioned in the podcast.

The original dye day for the columbia roving was Episode 52.

The Jacob roving I spun was from the Ross Family Farm in Pa.

One good blog post I referenced in the natural dye mordant discussion was written by Alpenglow yarns.

A second post I read and referenced is by Cheryl Kolander of Aurora Silk.

YST Episode 139 Ravellenics 2016 and State Fair Sep 27, 2016

In the first part of this podcast I explain just what is this thing called ravellenics. Then I go into the details of what I did for the event.

First is spinning, and after that, the next knit with hand spun yarn project, the Oslo Shawl.

In the second part of the podcast, I talked about the seven items I took to my state's fair for the spinning category.

A few links for sources of the fiber I used to spin the yarns:

The Painted Tiger

Yarn Hollow fibers

Kundart Spindles The spindle shown on this website is exactly like the one I got!

Photos of what I entered in the state fair can be seen here.

YST Episode 138 TdF16 podcast 3 Aug 27, 2016

Final podcast about what I did during Tour de Fleece this year. I talk about some yarn spun, including two breed studies, Romeldale and Racka. I also dyed two different shetland fleeces, and an unknown breed ewe lamb fleece.

The Romeldale fiber was purchased at DyedintheWool,

The wash and dye product I used while dyeing is available at woolshampoo.

The shop I purchased the drum carder cloth from is no longer in business. However, there are other sources available on Etsy. Just got to that website and search from drum carder cloth.

To see photos of all of my TdF16 projects, sign into Ravelry first and then click this link.

YST Episode 137 TdF16 Podcast 2 Aug 16, 2016

This is the 2nd TdF16 podcasts, there will be one more.

I talk about washing alpaca fiber, dyeing shetland and lamb's wool fiber, and as my challenge day project, spinning banana fiber.

All of the links below are information I found on the internet about banana fiber.

Home processing (something so unavailable to most of us!) is shown in a youtube video by Rix Jennings.

Commercial processing (and very poor audio, sorry) is shown here.

A non verbal commercial processing video. It is long, but if you only have time for one video, I recommend it be this one.

A video of felted banana cloth being made.

I only found one blog that talked about banana fiber, it is Fiber of my Being. There's part 1 and part 2.

Here's on crochet project I found for the yarn (lots of pop ups and ads, sorry).

Finally, Darn Good Yarn, shows banana yarn available on their website.

YST Episode 136 TdF16 podcast 1 Aug 01, 2016

Let the spinning begin. I have the Tour de France on my DVR and fiber ready, it could only be the tour de fleece!

I do much more than spinning, as usual. I have alpaca blanket washing, fiber dyeing, a challenge fiber and challenge processing planned all during these three weeks.

This is the first of three podcasts relating to this year's Tdf.

All information on the sheep breeds that I review are from the book Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius.

The Devon fiber was purchased at Laughing Lamb Fibers.

The 3D printed flat pack bobbins for spinning wheels are available at Akerworks.

YST Episode 135 Pre TdF16 and a Swap Jul 03, 2016

It's tour time again, no not the spinning rock band, but the Tour de France. And that means Tour de Fleece is rolling too. In this podcast I give a synopsis of what I hope to accomplish during the next three weeks.

I also was in a wonderful fiber swap, and I talk all about the box I sent, and the box I got.

A few links for things I mention in this podcast:

My blog is here.

I will try a link to my Ravelry group, please be logged into Ravelry before clicking the link, then it should work. It is yarnspinnerstales spin in, if you want to search groups. It's a very good way to access a listing of past episodes, and I tell you how to find that in the podcast.

The Clouds of Luxury fibers came from Sericin on the Etsy store. You may have to special request the item.

I will be recording podcasts during the TdF but will not be releasing them until after the tour. This will give me time to do more of the spinning I want to do during the tour. See you in August!

YST Episode 134 June 2016 Jun 15, 2016

In the first part of the podcast I fill you in on what Has happened in the last two months. I have spun some yarn, found some fiber that needs processing, and made some wonderful purchases (see links below)

I also talk about my plans to enter items in the State Fair, and some preliminary plans for the Tour de Fleece.

The last part of the podcast is about my recent knit with hand spun project the Kensington Steeked Pot by Gemma Pickford-Waugh. It is shown in the photo for this podcast.

The different fiber breed tops came from Laughing Lamb Fibers.

The blended rolags are from Fellview Fibres and can be found in their Etsy store.

If you are looking for the spinners journal, it can be found here.

YST Episode 133 Mar 30, 2016

This month's podcast has a review of Craftsy and also talks about my finished knitted with hand spun project and plans for the next project.

If you are looking to buy the Spinners Journal I made, it can be found here.

The fiber Three Feet of Sheep is from Frabjous Fibers. Google and buy it from your favorite vendor.

The shawl I plan to knit for Tour de Fleece this year is the Oslo Shawl.

The pattern for the fingerless mitts I knit is Te Ara. You may have to sign into Ravelry to see this link.

The creator of the circular cable needle is Leslie Wind and her website is here.

YST Episode 132 A Hand spun hat and a mystery yarn Feb 17, 2016

My first completed project for this year of knitting with my hand spun yarn was a garter stitch hat made from a cabled yarn from a Jacob fleece. This was a true start to finish project, I bought the fleece raw, processed it, spun it and then knit the hat,

The inspiration for the hat came from the book HomeSpun HandKnit by Linda Ligon. The pattern was the garter stitch cap.

The second knitting project started in Jan 2016 was the Painted Sky Cowl provided free by KnittingFever. I am using a worsted spun 2 ply yarn I also made from the Jacob.

My blog can be found here.

Contact me with any comments (don't just talk to the podcast I can't hear you!) here or on Ravelry as Yarnspinnerstales.

YST Episode 131 New Year New Projects Jan 07, 2016

In this podcast there is news about what I have done with spinning, carding and my spinning wheels over the last six weeks.

I also talk about another big sorting of my hand spun.

And finally the first project for the year of knitting with hand spun has been chosen.

A thank you to Jon Caspi for his music that I use in the opening theme song.

The Unraveling podcast can be found here.

Find my group on Ravelry by searching under groups for Yarnspinnerstales Spin In. Join us there for the discussions about spinning with hand spun and other topics.

The Spinners Journal that I published can be found here.

My blog is here.

Thanks for listening!

Episode listing for content information Jan 02, 2016

I have 8 years worth of podcasts, and it can be hard to find just the one you need. This list will help you. First look at the content to find what topic you want to hear. Then look at the date. On the left hand side of the website, there are archives by year and then the months under the year. Find the year and month of the podcast you want and click there. Then find the episode number and you should have the podcast on the specific topic you want. Enjoy!

Episode number Topic Date

1 Using Combs/Shetland 10/28/07
2 Spin In General Chatter 11/13/07
3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07
4 Christmas music only 12/16/07
5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08
6 Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08
7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08
8 Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08
9 Washing a fleece 04/02/08
10 Finn and Perendale 04/22/08
11 Book reviews 05/09/08
12 Cotton Dyeing part 1 Chemical 05/30/08
13 Cotton dyeing part 2 Natural 06/01/08
14 Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08
15 Cotton prep and spinning 07/08/08
16 Romney and Targhee 07/31/08
17 Andean Ply, Fleece Picking 08/17/08
Spinning Bulky yarn
18 CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08
19 Wheels and how they work 09/16/08
20 Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08
21 Felting a fleece, faking pelts 10/27/08
22 Alpaca 10/31/08
23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08
24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09
25 Cashgora 01/31/09
26 Woolen vs Worsted spinning 02/15/09
27 Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09
28 Dyeing wool Discolored fleece 03/30/09
29 Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09
30 Pyling 04/30/09
31 Bamboo and tencel 05/16/09
32 Silk, Soy and Milk fibers 06/01/09
33 Dog hair, Spinning Designer Yarn 06/22/09
Review of Intentional Spinner
34 Carding and Blending fibers 07/07/09
35 Angora rabbits and the heat 07/31/09
Washing alpaca fiber
36 Spinning with a Charkha 08/21/09
37 Southdown,Polworth 09/13/09
Setting up a wheel to spin
38 Selecting a wool fleece 10/10/09
39 Selecting non wool fiber,storing fiber
An original ghost story 10/24/09
40 Spinning for a specific yarn 11/21/09
41 Discussing grist 11/29/09
42 Changing yarn size by adjusting 12/18/09
tension
43 Spinners block unlocking creative 01/20/10
juices
44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10
45 Coopworth and Polypay 04/18/10
46 Spinning tools 05/08/10
47 Natural Dyeing book reviews 05/31/10
48 Planning a dye day 06/22/10
49 Carbonized bamboo TdF 07/12/10
history of wheels I own
50 Saran Wrap dyeing 08/14/10
51 Dyeing for specific colors 08/28/10
tertiary color study
52 Natural dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10
53 Front porch spinning Creativity 10/23/10
54 Color Theory with digitaldurga 11/10/10
55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10
56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11
57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11
58 Types of Fiber combs 02/14/11
59 Washing and combing 5 breeds 02/28/11
60 Spinners' single study 04/07/11
Forsyth product review
61 A new Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07011
62 Black Welsh Mountain, Clun Forest 05/17/11
63 Lock and fold spinning 06/02/11
64 Oogie McGuire interview BWM breed 07/22/11
65 A podcast for knitters who want to 08/20/11
become spinners
66 Learning the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11
67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11
Special Episode Happy fourth Year YST 10/15/11
Promo podcast for The Spinners Journal 11/05/11
68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11
69 Leicester longwool, lincoln longwool 01/07/12
spinning DVD review and Stitches East
70 Drum Carding projects 02/21/12
71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12
72 Support Spindles 04/28/12
73 Chatting with Fiber folks 05/26/12
74 Let the Spinning Begin 07/02/12
Tour de fleece 2012
75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning TdF12 07/05/12
76 Listen to your inner spinner TdF12 07/08/12
77 Is it rest day yet? TdF12 07/11/12
78 Two types of plying TdF12 07/15/12
79 How the fiber speaks to me TdF12 07/18/12
80 Fractal spinning and finished yarn 08/02/12
81 The finish line TdF12 08/07/12
82 California Red and combing CVM 08/16/12
83 Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12
84 Positive Spin YST on Stash naming 10/05/12
85 Five year anniversary podcast 10/31/12
86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12
87 A Fresh Start Review of 2012 spinning 12/31/12
88 Exchanges, an angora spinning 01/27/13
exchange
89 Thin, thinner, thinnest, a froghair 02/04/13
spinning exchange
90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13
91 The more I teach, the more I learn 04/26/13
92 Chain plying (navajo plying) 05/31/12
93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13
94 TdF13 day 1 and 2 07/02/13
95 TdF13 days 3 thru 5 07/06/13
96 TdF13 days 6 thru 9 07/09/13
97 TdF13 traveling with baby 07/19/13
98 TdF13 final report 07/30/13
99 Book Review Hand Designs for 09/09/13
Spinners and Knitters
100 Finishing yarn 10/20/13
101 Machine Washing alpaca 01/11/14
102 Spinning alpaca 01/30/14
103 Norfolk Horn 02/11/14
104 White faced Woodland 02/14/14
105 Portland fiber 02/18/14
106 Ravellenic spinning 02/22/14
107 Manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor 03/16/14
108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14
109 Greencastle Fiber event 06/02/14
110 Ky Sheep and Wool Festival 06/25/14
111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14
112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14
113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14
114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14
115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14
116 TdF14 Final recap 08/10/14
117 A Wool Gathering Yellow Springs Ohio 10/04/14
118 Spinailla 2014 11/07/14
119 Fortutous fleeces 11/27/14
Interview with Digitaldurga
120 Roc Day 2015 01/07/15
121 Wool Wash review interview with 02/03/15
Natalie Redding
122 Review of Norman Kennedy's DVD 03/26/15
123 Alpaca in the dyepots 05/16/15
124 Spin In General Chatter 06/30/15
125 TdF15 part 1 07/15/15
126 TdF15 part 2 07/23/15
127 TdF15 final update 08/03/15
128 Washing handspun yarn 09/13/15
129 Spinzilla 2015 Ashford spinning quill 10/22/15
130 This, that and daydreams spin in chat 11/26/15

YST Episode 130 This, That and Daydreams Nov 26, 2015

A chatty podcast to close up the spinning year. I review a fiber fair, talk about drum carding and what's on my spinning wheels. Then after a bit of daydreaming, I have a plan for some of next year's projects.

There are no links to mention for this podcast.

I want to say thank you to all my listeners for being there over these last eight years of podcasting. I am truly thankful for every one! Looking forward to many more years of spinning together.

Happy Holidays to one and all, see you on Roc Day.

YST Episode 129 Spinzilla 2015 Oct 22, 2015

The Spinzilla report is actually the second part of the podcast. In the first part, I continue the review of using the Ashford quill spindle, using mohair, angora, hemp, bamboo and cotton.

A few links for things mentioned in the podcast:

Needle Junkies podcast has a link on their website

Spinzilla total yards this years was 5,246,497. See more details here.

Get your free pattern and yarn recommendations and help knit for Knitted Knockers at this website.

Fibers spun on the quill were from the following:

WC Mercantile

Sweet Pea Fibers

Mohair and More

YST Episode 128 The Big Wash up Sep 14, 2015

It seems I really have made many skeins of yarns over the last three years. Since I had the habit of not washing yarns until I was ready to use them, I discovered I had many skeins that really should be washed. In this podcast I talk about the sorting, and washing of these skeins, enjoying the memories of their making.

YST Episode 127 TdF15 Final Update Aug 04, 2015

Besides going over the spinning during the final days of the Tour de Fleece, I discuss several topics in detail.

First is my experience with spinning on a quill set up on my Ashford Traditional. A photo of the quill can be seen here. I also recommend searching Youtube for good videos if you plan to try this too. Here is one that shows a quick method for wrapping the single onto the cop.

Second I talk about spinning Suri alpaca, both on a drop spindle and a spinning wheel.

Last is a discussion of plying and one of my observations and ah ha moments.

YST Episode 126 TdF update 2 Jul 23, 2015

I continue talking about my TdF spinning projects in the first part of this podcast. In the second part, I go over some tips and troubleshooting for an old Ashford Tradition spinning wheel.

The snippet of music today is Wild Mountain Thyme by Big Sea.

The fiber I started spinning on my Ashford wheel is from Chamomile Connection. Check out the website, she still has merino/seasilk listed. And Sheep Street fibers has a fun website to check out too. That is where I got the dyed Shetland fiber I am spinning.

I used this website for information about the seacell fiber.

YST Episode 125 TdF15 update 1 Jul 15, 2015

It's that time again, Tour de Fleece errr France.

First update discusses what I have been doing during the first ten days of the tour. Although the main focus is alpaca, there is one raw fleece processing part too.

The spindle I am using to spin alpaca top came from Linda Dyak, formerly Grafton Fibers, now DyakCrafts.

The three feet of sheep fiber came from Frabjous Fibers.

The wool shampoo I used to wash the fleece came from Namaste Farm's product, found here.

YST Episode 124 June 2015 podcast Jul 01, 2015

There's a few odds and ends of old business at the beginning of this podcast, and then I talk about my trip to the Kentucky sheep and fiber festival in May.

The fiber I have been spinning is CVM batts from Wild Hare Fibers.

I could not find the April fool's joke emailed by the Woolery. Instead, take a look at their blog, it's really interesting.

The new designed drum carder by Majacraft can be seen here.

I must correct something in the podcast, the black merino fiber I got from Ohio Valley is dyed. It is listed here and all there other colors too.

You can find the Fiber Pusher podcast on her website.

And the Transient Wool Merchants podcast is on this website.

A fiber processing mill is in North Carolina, called Echoview.

And there is a grand opening of the store July 1 2015 for a fiber processing mill in Cynthiana Ky, called Heartfelt Fleece and Fiber.

YST Episode 123 May 16, 2015

I tackle yet more of my never ending stash of alpaca fiber and talk about using the wool shampoo to wash suri, and the wash and dye product for a white huacaya alpaca. These are products available from Namaste Farms and can be purchased here.

Music for the show is by Project Grand Slam and is called Spring Dance. Sadly the source for podsafe music. Musicalley, seems to have gone away. It just does not do anything when I go to the site, nor can I find any information about it. I will not link the group today, and certainly thank them publically for putting that music on the site for use. I will continue to investigate into this, but feel the time has come that it is no longer available as a place for listeners to support the musicians that had allowed their music to be listened to in podcasts. It has been wonderful to add music to the podcast over these past years, for I love music as much as spinning. All things change though, and new is always shiny and good.

YST Episode 122 Remembering the Old Ways Mar 26, 2015

This podcast has a review of the DVD titled From Wool to Waulking, with Norman Kennedy. Fulll of knowledge of the old ways of handling, spinning or weaving wool, this DVD is also good for new spinners just learning the craft.

The second part of the podcast is a chatty update of my life and spinning projects.

Music is from Musicalley. The haunting interlude music is by Keldarin and is called Gaelic Shores. The closing song is by John Torres and is titled Here in History.

If anyone is interesting in the video of the stitch I am using to crochet a blanket that I mention in the podcast, it can be found here.

YST Episode 121 Wool Shampoo Review Feb 04, 2015

There are two new products out for those of us that process raw fiber, DRB wool shampoo and the Wash and Dye. I had the opportunity to try both and loved them so much I contacted Natalie Redding of Namaste Farms, the source of these products for an interview. In this podcast, I talk to Natalie, via Skype. In the second part of the podcast I talk about my experiences using both products.

Here's a direct link to the wool shampoo website, where you can buy the products.

Other links for this podcast include: Namaste Farms and Fibery Goodness.

Music in the podcast is from MusicAlley.

The opening interlude music is Nano Flowers by The DJ's.

Deep Space Ocean provides Live Free.

I chose the closing song, Techno Canon by DanMan because it is a great blending of the new meets the old. There is so much of that now in spinning, the new fiber community members bringing improvements to our craft.

YST Episode 120 Roc Day Jan 07, 2015

Rock day or Saint Distaff Day, Jan 7 is the spinner's New Year. I talk about that and my year's plans in this podcast.

Music is from Musicalley and has a new year theme.

Opening song is Happy New Year by Colie Brice

Closing song is It's a New Year's Day with Denise Moser.

Here is a nice website with information about Rock Day.

St Distaff Day, or the Morrow after Twelfth Day is a poem by Robert Herrick. It has been recorded on LibriVox here. I also read the poem in the podcast.

The Spinner's Journal is available on lulu.com and here is a direct link.

YST Episode 119 Fortuitous Fleeces Nov 27, 2014

My daughter joins me, via Skype, to tell about her lucky find in fleeces and what she did with them. Then the story morphs into her experience dyeing silk with henna.

Music is from Musicalley and revolves around the theme 'lucky'.

AJ & The Frozen Tundra Band tells us It's Your Lucky Day Now.

Great Big Sea sings Lucky Me

Stavia closes the podcast with Lucky Day

YST Episode 118 Spinzilla Nov 07, 2014

First in the podcast, some thoughts on the wide variety of niche markets we have in this fiber world. Then I tell about my three Spinzilla projects and how I figured my yardage for submission to their total amounts.

There is more music in today's podcast, and it is from Musicalley

First interlude is from Space Agency and is called Godzilla.

Middle break music is from the FuMP, always a fun romp, and is also called Godzilla (yes just pretend it is really Spinzilla). Since this group has lots and lots of songs, find this specific one by searching Godzilla on Musicalley.

The closing song is by Tracy Jane Comer and is Drive for Miles. I think of it as Spin for Miles since that is one of the measurements used by Spinzilla. Lovely song, whether you are driving or spinning.

YST Just the Facts Nov 2014 Nov 02, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month (more or less). It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own spinner's journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 117 A Wool Gathering review Oct 04, 2014

A Wool Gathering fiber event is at Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs Ohio every year on the third weekend in Sept. I had the fun of attending this year, and give a review of my trip.

Lots of links for things I mention in the podcast:

A Wool Gathering website

TNNA website

Spinzilla website

Spinzilla FAQ

Spinzilla rules for measuring yarn

Woven Thoughts blog

Fiber Optic Yarns

Noah's Landing Yarns

National Custom Spinworks

Ed the Wheel Healer can be contacted at erowe132 @ aol. com

Today's podcast music is from musicalley and is by Jon Caspi and the First Guns. My thanks to them for letting me use this song as the intro to the podcast.

YST Just the Facts Oct 2014 Oct 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Just the Facts Sept 2014 Sep 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode listings with dates released Aug 10, 2014

Beta 10/09/07

Episode 1 Using Combs / Shetland 10/28/07

Episode 2 Spin In 11/13/07

Episode 3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07

Episode 4 Christmas Music 2 episodes 12/16/07

Episode 5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08

Episode 6 Spin In Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08

Episode 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08

Episode 8 Spin In Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08

Episode 9 Washing a Fleece 04/02/08

Episode 10 Spin In Finn and Perendale 04/22/08

Episode 11 Book Reviews: Your Handspinning/ Creative Spinning, Weaving & Plant Dyeing/ The Encyclopedia of Handspinning 05/09/08

Episode 12 Cotton Dyeing Part I Chemical Dyes 05/30/08

Episode 13 Cotton Dyeing Part II Natural Dyes 06/01/08

Episode 14 Spin In Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08

Episode 15 Cotton Spinning/Preparation Techniques 07/08/08

Episode 16 Spin In Romney and Targhee 07/31/08

Episode 17 Andean Plying, Picking a Fleece, Spinning Bulky Yarn 08/17/08

Episode 18 Spin In CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08

Episode 19 Wheels: How they work 09/16/08

Episode 20 Spin In Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08

Episode 21 Felting a Fleece 10/27/08

Episode 22 Spin In Alpaca 10/31/08

Episode 23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08

Episode 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09

Episode 25 Spin In Cashgora 01/31/09

Episode 26 Spinning Woolen vs Worsted 02/15/09

Episode 27 Spin In Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09

Epidose 28 Dyeing Wool / Discolored Fleeces 03/30/09

Episode 29 Spin In Wheels at the Woolery / Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09

Episode 30 Plying 04/30/09

Episode 31 Bamboo and Tencel 05/16/09

Episode 32 Silk, Soy and Milk 06/01/09

Episode 33 Spin In Dog Hair / Spinning Designer Yarns and The Intentional Spinner 06/22/09

Episode 34 Carding and blending fibers 07/07/09

Episode 35 Spin In Helping Angora Bunnies Beat the Heat / Washing Alpaca Fiber 07/31/09

Episode 36 Spinning with a charkha 08/21/09

Episode 37 Spin In breed reviewed: Southdown, Polworth Setting up my wheel before spinning 09/13/09

Episode 38 Selecting a wool fleece part 1 10/10/09

Episode 39 Selecting non wool fiber to spin, storing fiber, original ghost story 10/24/09

Episode 40 Spinning for a specific type of yarn 11/21/09

Episode 41 Discussing grist 11/29/09

Episode 42 Changing the size of your yarn by adjusting tension 12/18/09

Episode 43 Spinner’s block, unlocking the creative juices 01/20/10

Episode 44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10

Episode 45 Spin In Breeds Coopworth and Polypay review 04/18/10

Episode 46 Spinning Tools 05/08/10

Episode 47 Book Reviews Jenny Dean’s Natural Dyeing Books also American Native Plants 05/31/10

Episode 48 Planning a Dye Day 06/22/10

Episode 49 Carbonized bamboo, Tour de fleece projects History of the wheels I own 07/12/10

Episode 50 Dye Day 1 Dyeing with saran wrap 08/14/10

Episode 51 Dye Day 2 Dyeing specific colors, the tertiary colors 08/28/10

Episode 52 Dye Day 3 Natural Dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10

Episode 53 Front Porch spin in Creativity 10/23/13

Episode 54 Color Theory with Digitaldurga 11/10/10

Episode 55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10

Episode 56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11

Episode 57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11

Episode 58 Different types of fiber combs 02/14/11

Episode 59 Washing and combing five different sheep breeds (lock washing in roaster pan) 02/28/11

Episode 60 Spinners’ single study, and Forsyth products review 04/07/11

Episode 61 A New Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07/11

Episode 62 Rare breed review, Black Welsh Mountain and Clun Forest 05/17/11

Episode 63 Lock and Fold Spinning 06/02/11

Episode 64 Interview with Oogie McGuire Black Welsh Mountain Sheep breeder 07/22/11

Episode 65 A Podcast for knitters who want to become spinners 08/21/11

Episode 66 Learning curve for the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11

Episode 67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11

Special Episode - Happy Fourth Year, YST! 10/15/11

Promo podcast for Spinners Journal, a how to use it podcast 11/05/11

Episode 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11

Episode 69 Four reviews (Leicester longwool, Lincoln wool, a spinning DVD and my trip to Stitches East) 01/07/12

Episode 70 Drum Carding Projects 02/21/12

Episode 71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12

Episode 72 Support Spindles 04/28/12

Episode 73 Chatting with the Fiber folks 05/26/12

Episode 74 Let the Games Begin (Tour de Fleece 2012) 07/02/12

Episode 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning (TdF 2) 07/05/12

Episode 76 Listen to your Inner Spinner (TdF 3) 07/08/12

Episode 77 Is it Rest Day yet (TdF 4) 07/11/12

Episode 78 Two types of plying (TdF 5) 07/15/12

Episode 79 How the Fiber Talks to Me (TdF6) 07/18/12

Episode 80 Finished Yarn and Fractal Spinning (TdF7) 08/02/12

Episode 81 The Finish Line (TdF8) 08/07/12

Episode 82 Ravellenic review part 1 Breed review California Red and combing CVM two ways 08/16/12

Episode 83 Ravellenic review part 2 Breed review Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12

Episode 84 Positive Spin: YST on Stash naming 10/05/12

Episode 85 Five Year Anniversary podcast 10/31/12

Episode 86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12

Episode 87 A Frest Start Wrap up of 2012 spinning 12/31/12

Episode 88 A Good Exchange Review of a past angora exchange 01/27/13

Episode 89 Thin thinner thinnest: Review of a froghair spinning exchange 02/04/13

Episode 90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13

Episode 91 YST The more I teach the more I learn 04/26/13

Episode 92 Sometimes you make a yarn sometimes you don’t: Chain plying 05/31/12

Episode 93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13

Episode 94 TdF13 Days one and two 07/02/13

Episode 95 TdF13 days three through five 07/06/13

Episode 96 TdF13 days six through nine 07/09/13

Episode 97 TdF13 Babies and bobbins:traveling and spinning 07/19/13

Episode 98 TdF13 Final report 07/30/13

Episode 99 Book review Hand Designs for Spinners and Knitters 09/09/13

Episode 100 Finishing Yarn 10/20/13

Episode 101 Machine Washing Alpaca 01/11/14

Episode 102 Spinning Alpaca 01/30/14

Episode 103 Norfolk Horn fiber review 02/11/14

Episode 104 White faced Woodland fiber review 02/14/14

Episode 105 Portland fiber review 02/18/14

Episode 106 A day off and Spinning Misc Ravellenic spins 02/22/14

Episode 107 Final British rare breeds review manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor

03/16/14

Episode 108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14

Episode 109 Greencastle Fiber event review 06/02/14

Episode 110 Ky Sheep and Wool festival review 06/25/14

Episode 111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14

Episode 112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14

Episode 113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14

Episode 114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14

Episode 115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14

Episode 116 TdF14 Final recap 08/10/14

YST Episode 116 TdF14 Final Recap Aug 10, 2014

If you are interested in joining the YST Ravelry group, you can find it by getting on Ravelry, and going to the groups search box. Search under Yarnspinnerstales spin in and it should give you the link you need to find us.

Music today is from MusicAlley. The opening song is Things Will be Better Next Year by Wil Maring. The closing song is One More Year by Brett Mikels

YST Just the Facts Aug 2014 Aug 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own spinner's journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in my podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 115 TdF14 Update 5 Team Support Spindlers Jul 31, 2014

TeF14 is over but the updates continue. This last one is for Team Support Spindlers.

Fibers used are from the following sources:

Moonwood Farms Dyed milk

Wonders Mohair dyed adult mohair

WeloveThor dyed merino

Spindles used are from these sources

Sistermaide

Royale Hair

Today's music is Mountains End by Phillip Woo. It can be found on MusicAlley

YST Episode 114 TdF14 Update 4 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace Jul 26, 2014

The Tour de Fleece continues, and I review another of the Ravelry Teams that I have spun with during the Tour de France.

Music is from MusicAlley. The beginning interlude is from djoc and is called Blink and you will miss them. The end song is Twinkle Black Sheep by Johnny Only

You can find me on Ravelry as Yarnspinnerstales, and the group for this podcast is called Yarnspinnerstales spin in group. See you there!

YST Episode 113 TdF14 update 3 Team Majacraft Jul 21, 2014

A short podcast today about the fiber I am spinning on the Majacraft Aura for the Tour de Fleece in Ravelry.

Music is from Musicalley and the song Celtic Mystery is by Tigertail.

My Blog is here.

The Spinners Journal is a great way to keep track of your TdF spinning and other projects. Check it out!

YST Episode 112 TdF14 update 2 Team Painted Tiger Jul 16, 2014

Today's podcast is an update of my Tour de Fleece spinning for the team Painted Tiger. The website for this dyer of fiber and yarn is here.

The fiber I am spinning is a Portuguese wool top explained by Ashland Bay blog.

Therefore, tigers are the theme of the music, found on MusicAlley. The interlude music is by Sinfonoa Electronique and is Tiger on the Loose II. The end music is by Briareus and is called Tigers.

My blog can be found here.

YST Episode 111 Preparing for TourdeFleece 2014 Jul 09, 2014

Music is from Music Alley and includes:

Snowball fight by Tv's Kyle

Preparations for takeoff by Matthew Hall

YST Just the Fact podcast July 2014 Jul 02, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this informnation here and release it once a month. If you need the information,just listen in. If you don't,you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 110 sheep and fiber fest review Jun 25, 2014

I went to the Lexington Ky Sheep and Fiber festival in May, and this podcast is a review of that great trip. Here is a link to the vendor list.

A few specific links for vendors I mention in the podcast:

The Ross Farm Fibers Dyed in the Wool

A Yarn Well Spun Rock and String Creations

I mentioned the video for Dirty Jobs, where Mike goes to Ohio Valley woolen mill.

The Ravelry pattern is the Ten Stitch Blanket by Frankie Brown. The link may or may not take you to it, Ravelry requires you to be signed in to see it.

Finally music for today's podcast is from Music Alley and is by Rachel Barton Pine. It is a violin medley of Scots tunes.

YST Just the Facts June 2014 Jun 02, 2014

I forgot to hit publish! Sorry about that. So here it is on June 2nd. The promised podcast is below this one on the webpage.

This is a short podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episdoes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 109 Fiber event review Jun 02, 2014

The Greencastle Fiber Event is held every April, second weekend. I went this year and this podcast talks about what I saw.

I promised many links, here they are:

General vendor listing

Ohio Valley Fibers

Little Barn fiber (website seems unattended right now)

Sistermaide

Susan's Fiber shop

A description of the Ashford blending board

Lace Maker The Bedford College of Lace Making Stephen Bowman

Music is from MusicAlley. it is a version of a classic, Scarborough Faire by Brobdingnagian Bards

YST Just the Facts May 2014 May 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 108 Dyeing Alpaca Apr 25, 2014

Alpaca comes in many lovely natural colors, but also does very well in the dye pot. I talk about two ways that I dyed some alpaca fiber with acid dyes in this podcast.

If you would like a good source for dyeing alpaca with natural dyes, check out www.jennydean.co.uk

I will have pictures of the dyed alpaca on my blog

Music in today's podcast is from Musicalley with spring color theme. The interlude music was TPIA Spring Colors and the ending song was Hint of Dawn by Kendra Springer.

YST Just the fact April 2014 Apr 01, 2014

All the information about the podcast, where to find episodes and what they are about as well as other facts you would like to know from the podcasts.

YST Episode 107 Final British Rare breeed reviews Mar 16, 2014

I review the last two breeds from the sampler purchased from Hilltopcloud etsy store. The breeds are Manx Loaghtan and Hill Radnor. To see more pictures of this fiber and yarn go to my blog.

Music for the show continues the snow theme used during this series, in honor of the Winter Ravellenic event. Today's song is from Music Alley and is by Emile Menasche. It is call Watercolor Winter.

YST Just the facts March 2014 Mar 02, 2014

This is a ten minute podcast that I will release on the first of each month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own spinners' journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in the YST podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 106 A Day off and Spinning Feb 23, 2014

Still spinning as part of the Ravellenic2014 event but I took a break and did a few different yarns. I also talk about putting a new drive band on your spinning wheel.

Music is from Music Alley and today's song Winter Empire is by Dan-O

A mention of a previous podcast in this one is referring to Episode 73, when I interviewed some fiber folk.

Photos can be found on my blog

YST Episode 105 Portland wool review Feb 18, 2014

The review of British rare breeds continues with one of the current rarest beeds, the Portland. I focus some on worsted and woolen spinning with this sample.

To understand better just how your spinning wheel works, try listening to episode 19 How does that wheel work.

Music is from Music Alley and today's song, Winter is by Sara Spade.

Photos for this fiber can be seen on my blog

YST Episode 104 Whitefaced Woodland wool review Feb 15, 2014

The reviews of the British Rare breed sheep continues in this episode.

The fiber came from Hilltopcloud.uk.com

Music is from Musicalley and todays song called Winter is by Jakki Jelene

Photos of the yarn can be found on my blog

YST Episode 103 Norfolk Horn fleece review Feb 11, 2014

This is the first of several episodes that will be reviewing British rare breed fleeces. I am doing this project during the Ravellenics. This episode covers the Norfolk Horn breed.

Music is from Music Alley and in by Jon Schmidt, a powerful paino piece called Winter Wind.

The website I mentioned for sheep breed info is sheep101.info

YST Just the facts podcast Feb 2014 Feb 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me, and how to get your very own spinner' journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, just listen in. If you don't, you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 102 Spinning alpaca Jan 31, 2014

Adventures with alpaca continue in this podcast as I talk about combing and carding alpaca and then spinning it.

Music is from Music Alley with today's song by Tim Oneal, called January.

YST Episode 101 machine washing alpaca Jan 11, 2014

A new year brings a new fiber experiment, alpaca fiber washed in a washing machine. This episode tells all about that, and my fiber new year's resolutions in a YST while I spin.

Music is from Music Alley and includes a bit from Atomsplit with the Resolutions six feet long song, and the closing song from J.E.L.L.i with a not so traditional version of Auld Lang Syne. My theme song is provided by Jon Caspi.

Photos for this episode can be found on my blog.

YST Just the facts Jan 01, 2014

This is a 10 minute podcast that I will release on the first of every month. It has all the information about how to find specific episodes, where to contact me and how to get your very own Spinners' Journal.

I listen to many podcasts and get tired of hearing the podcaster's information over and over before we get to the podcast. I have decided that to avoid that in this podcast, I would put all this information here and release it once a month. If you need the information, it is here. If you don't you can just wait for the next podcast.

Happy spinning!

Episode listings with dates of publication Dec 26, 2013

Beta 10/09/07Episode 1 Using Combs / Shetland 10/28/07Episode 2 Spin In 11/13/07Episode 3 Raising Angora Rabbits 12/01/07Episode 4 Christmas Music 2 episodes 12/16/07Episode 5 Spinning Angora 01/18/08Episode 6 Spin In Border Leicester and BFL 02/02/08Episode 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece 02/16/08Episode 8 Spin In Cheviot and Corriedale 03/02/08Episode 9 Washing a Fleece 04/02/08Episode 10 Spin In Finn and Perendale 04/22/08Episode 11 Book Reviews: Your Handspinning/ Creative Spinning, Weaving & Plant Dyeing/ The Encyclopedia of Handspinning 05/09/08Episode 12 Cotton Dyeing Part I Chemical Dyes 05/30/08Episode 13 Cotton Dyeing Part II Natural Dyes 06/01/08Episode 14 Spin In Cormo and Montadale 06/20/08Episode 15 Cotton Spinning/Preparation Techniques 07/08/08Episode 16 Spin In Romney and Targhee 07/31/08Episode 17 Andean Plying, Picking a Fleece, Spinning Bulky Yarn 08/17/08Episode 18 Spin In CVM and Maine Island Sheep 09/01/08Episode 19 Wheels: How they work 09/16/08Episode 20 Spin In Navajo Churro and Jacob 09/30/08Episode 21 Felting a Fleece 10/27/08Episode 22 Spin In Alpaca 10/31/08Episode 23 Drop Spindles 12/20/08Episode 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk 01/25/09Episode 25 Spin In Cashgora 01/31/09Episode 26 Spinning Woolen vs Worsted 02/15/09Episode 27 Spin In Tunis and Karakul 03/14/09Epidose 28 Dyeing Wool / Discolored Fleeces 03/30/09Episode 29 Spin In Wheels at the Woolery / Spaelsau and Icelandic 04/23/09Episode 30 Plying 04/30/09Episode 31 Bamboo and Tencel 05/16/09Episode 32 Silk, Soy and Milk 06/01/09Episode 33 Spin In Dog Hair / Spinning Designer Yarns and The Intentional Spinner 06/22/09Episode 34 Carding and blending fibers 07/07/09Episode 35 Spin In Helping Angora Bunnies Beat the Heat / Washing Alpaca Fiber 07/31/09Episode 36 Spinning with a charkha 08/21/09Episode 37 Spin In breed reviewed: Southdown, Polworth Setting up my wheel before spinning 09/13/09Episode 38 Selecting a wool fleece part 1 10/10/09Episode 39 Selecting non wool fiber to spin, storing fiber, original ghost story 10/24/09Episode 40 Spinning for a specific type of yarn 11/21/09Episode 41 Discussing grist 11/29/09Episode 42 Changing the size of your yarn by adjusting tension 12/18/09Episode 43 Spinner’s block, unlocking the creative juices 01/20/10Episode 44 Fiber Fairs 04/05/10Episode 45 Spin In Breeds Coopworth and Polypay review 04/18/10Episode 46 Spinning Tools 05/08/10Episode 47 Book Reviews Jenny Dean’s Natural Dyeing Books also American Native Plants 05/31/10Episode 48 Planning a Dye Day 06/22/10Episode 49 Carbonized bamboo, Tour de fleece projects History of the wheels I own 07/12/10 Episode 50 Dye Day 1 Dyeing with saran wrap 08/14/10Episode 51 Dye Day 2 Dyeing specific colors, the tertiary colors 08/28/10Episode 52 Dye Day 3 Natural Dyeing with walnut leaves 09/28/10Episode 53 Front Porch spin in Creativity 10/23/13Episode 54 Color Theory with Digitaldurga 11/10/10Episode 55 Color Theory part 2 11/10/10Episode 56 Blending the Tertiary colors 01/10/11Episode 57 Blending Hackle 01/29/11Episode 58 Different types of fiber combs 02/14/11Episode 59 Washing and combing five different sheep breeds (lock washing in roaster pan) 02/28/11Episode 60 Spinners’ single study, and Forsyth products review 04/07/11Episode 61 A New Wheel Majacraft Aura 05/07/11Episode 62 Rare breed review, Black Welsh Mountain and Clun Forest 05/17/11Episode 63 Lock and Fold Spinning 06/02/11Episode 64 Interview with Oogie McGuire Black Welsh Mountain Sheep breeder 07/22/11Episode 65 A Podcast for knitters who want to become spinners 08/21/11Episode 66 Learning curve for the Aura and beaded yarn 08/21/11Episode 67 Spinning Woolen 10/05/11Special Episode - Happy Fourth Year, YST! 10/15/11Promo podcast for Spinners Journal, a how to use it podcast 11/05/11Episode 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners 11/16/11Episode 69 Four reviews (Leicester longwool, Lincoln wool, a spinning DVD and my trip to Stitches East) 01/07/12Episode 70 Drum Carding Projects 02/21/12Episode 71 Digital Sheep 03/31/12Episode 72 Support Spindles 04/28/12Episode 73 Chatting with the Fiber folks 05/26/12Episode 74 Let the Games Begin (Tour de Fleece 2012) 07/02/12Episode 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning (TdF 2) 07/05/12Episode 76 Listen to your Inner Spinner (TdF 3) 07/08/12Episode 77 Is it Rest Day yet (TdF 4) 07/11/12Episode 78 Two types of plying (TdF 5) 07/15/12Episode 79 How the Fiber Talks to Me (TdF6) 07/18/12Episode 80 Finished Yarn and Fractal Spinning (TdF7) 08/02/12Episode 81 The Finish Line (TdF8) 08/07/12Episode 82 Ravellenic review part 1 Breed review California Red and combing CVM two ways 08/16/12Episode 83 Ravellenic review part 2 Breed review Ryeland and Salish 09/17/12Episode 84 Positive Spin: YST on Stash naming 10/05/12Episode 85 Five Year Anniversary podcast 10/31/12Episode 86 Katahdan review and porch spin in 12/10/12Episode 87 A Frest Start Wrap up of 2012 spinning 12/31/12Episode 88 A Good Exchange Review of a past angora exchange 01/27/13Episode 89 Thin thinner thinnest: Review of a froghair spinning exchange 02/04/13Episode 90 Plying with commercial yarns 03/16/13Episode 91 YST The more I teach the more I learn 04/26/13Episode 92 Sometimes you make a yarn sometimes you don't: Chain plying 05/31/12Episode 93 Preparing for TdF 2013 06/25/13Episode 94 TdF13 Days one and two 07/02/13Episode 95 TdF13 days three through five 07/06/13Episode 96 TdF13 days six through nine 07/09/13Episode 97 TdF13 Babies and bobbins:traveling and spinning 07/19/13Episode 98 TdF13 Final report 07/30/13Episode 99 Book review Hand Designs for Spinners and Knitters 09/09/13Episode 100 Finishing Yarn 10/20/13

Episode 101 Machine Washing Alpaca 01/11/14 Episode 102 Spinning Alpaca 01/30/14 Episode 103 Norfolk Horn Fiber review 02/11/14 Episode 104 White faced Woodland fiber review 02/14/14 Episode 105 Portland fiber review 02/18/14 Episode 106 A day off and Spinning 02/22/14 Episode 107 Final British Rare Breeds review Manx Loaghton and Hill Radnor 03/16/14 Episode 108 Dyeing Alpaca 04/24/14 Episode 109 Greencastle Fiber Event review 06/02/14 Episode 110 Ky Sheep and Wool Festival 06/25/14 Episode 111 Preparing for TdF14 07/09/14 Episode 112 TdF14 Team Painted Tiger 07/16/14 Episode 113 TdF14 Team Majacraft 07/21/14 Episode 114 TdF14 Team Farm Fiber Marketplace 07/26/14 Episode 115 TdF14 Team Support Spindlers 07/31/14 Episode 116 TdF14 Final Recap 08/10/14

Episode listings Dec 26, 2013

Beta Episode 1 Using Combs / Shetland Episode 2 Spin In Episode 3 Raising Angora Rabbits Episode 4 Christmas Music 2 episodes Episode 5 Spinning Angora Episode 6 Spin In Border Leicester and BFL Episode 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece Episode 8 Spin In Cheviot and Corriedale Episode 9 Washing a Fleece Episode 10 Spin In Finn and Perendale Episode 11 Book Reviews: Your Handspinning/ Creative Spinning, Weaving & Plant Dyeing/ The Encyclopedia of Handspinning Episode 12 Cotton Dyeing Part I Chemical Dyes Episode 13 Cotton Dyeing Part II Natural Dyes Episode 14 Spin In Cormo and Montadale Episode 15 Cotton Spinning/Preparation Techniques Episode 16 Spin In Romney and Targhee Episode 17 Andean Plying, Picking a Fleece, Spinning Bulky Yarn Episode 18 Spin In CVM and Maine Island Sheep Episode 19 Wheels: How they work Episode 20 Spin In Navajo Churro and Jacob Episode 21 Felting a Fleece Episode 22 Spin In Alpaca Episode 23 Drop Spindles Episode 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk Episode 25 Spin In Cashgora Episode 26 Spinning Woolen vs Worsted Episode 27 Spin In Tunis and Karakul Epidose 28 Dyeing Wool / Discolored Fleeces Episode 29 Spin In Wheels at the Woolery / Spaelsau and Icelandic Episode 30 Plying Episode 31 Bamboo and Tencel Episode 32 Silk, Soy and Milk Episode 33 Spin In Dog Hair / Spinning Designer Yarns and The Intentional Spinner Episode 34 Carding and blending fibers Episode 35 Spin In Helping Angora Bunnies Beat the Heat / Washing Alpaca Fiber Episode 36 Spinning with a charkha Episode 37 Spin In breed reviewed: Southdown, Polworth Setting up my wheel before spinning Episode 38 Selecting a wool fleece part 1 Episode 39 Selecting non wool fiber to spin, storing fiber, original ghost story Episode 40 Spinning for a specific type of yarn Episode 41 Discussing grist Episode 42 Changing the size of your yarn by adjusting tension Episode 43 Spinner’s block, unlocking the creative juices Episode 44 Fiber Fairs Episode 45 Spin In Breeds Coopworth and Polypay review Episode 46 Spinning Tools Episode 47 Book Reviews Jenny Dean’s Natural Dyeing Books also American Native Plants Episode 48 Planning a Dye Day Episode 49 Carbonized bamboo, Tour de fleece projects History of the wheels I own Episode 50 Dye Day 1 Dyeing with saran wrap Episode 51 Dye Day 2 Dyeing specific colors, the tertiary colors Episode 52 Dye Day 3 Natural Dyeing with walnut leaves Episode 53 Front Porch spin in Creativity Episode 54 Color Theory with Digitaldurga Episode 55 Color Theory part 2 Episode 56 Blending the Tertiary colors Episode 57 Blending Hackle Episode 58 Different types of fiber combs Episode 59 Washing and combing five different sheep breeds (lock washing in roaster pan) Episode 60 Spinners’ single study, and Forsyth products review Episode 61 A New Wheel Majacraft Aura Episode 62 Rare breed review, Black Welsh Mountain and Clun Forest Episode 63 Lock and Fold Spinning Episode 64 Interview with Oogie McGuire Black Welsh Mountain Sheep breeder Episode 65 A Podcast for knitters who want to become spinners Episode 66 Learning curve for the Aura and beaded yarn Episode 67 Spinning Woolen Special Episode - Happy Fourth Year, YST! Episode 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners Episode 69 Four reviews (Leicester longwool, Lincoln wool, a spinning DVD and my trip to Stitches East)Episode 70 Drum Carding ProjectsEpisode 71 Digital SheepEpisode 72 Support SpindlesEpisode 73 Chatting with the Fiber folkdEpisode 74 Let the Games Begin (Tour de Fleece 2012)Episode 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning (TdF 2)Episode 76 Listen to your Inner Spinner (TdF 3)Episode 77 Is it Rest Day yet (TdF 4)Episode 78 Two types of plying (TdF 5)Episode 79 How the Fiber Talks to Me (TdF6)Episode 80 Finished Yarn and Fractal Spinning (TdF7)Episode 81 The Finish Line (TdF8)Episode 82 Ravellenic review part 1 Breed review California Red and combing CVM two waysEpisode 83 Ravellenic review part 2 Breed review Ryeland and SalishEpisode 84 Positive Spin: YST on Stash namingEpisode 85 Five Year Anniversary podcastEpisode 86 Katahdan review and porch spin inEpisode 87 A Frest Start Wrap up of 2012 spinningEpisode 88 A Good Exchange Review of a past angora exchangeEpisode 89 Thin thinner thinnest: Review of a froghair spinning exchangeEpisode 90 Plying with commercial yarnsEpisode 91 YST The more I teach the more I learnEpisode 92 Sometimes you make a yarn sometimes you don't: Chain plyingEpisode 93 Preparing for TdF 2013Episode 94 TdF13 Days one and twoEpisode 95 TdF13 days three through fiveEpisode 96 TdF13 days six through nineEpisode 97 TdF13 Babies and bobbins:traveling and spinningEpisode 98 TdF13 Final reportEpisode 99 Book review Hand Designs for Spinners and KnittersEpisode 100 Finishing Yarn

YST Episode 100 Finishing Yarn Oct 20, 2013

From the ways to make a skein to the why and how of washing it, this podcast is all about finishing your hand spun yarn.

Music is by Mano Reza and is called The Time Needed to Finish. It is found on Musicalley.

I reference many books for the research I did for the podcast. The list is verbal on the podcast, here is a written list:

Big Book of Handspinning Alden Amos
Joy of Spinning Carol Kroll
Spinning Merino and Super Fine Wools Margaret Stove
Handspinning Eliza Leadbeater
Handspinners Guide to Selling Paula Simmon
Spinning Designer Yarns Diane Varney
Creative Spinning Alison Daykin and Jane Deane
The Intentional Spinner Judith McKenzie Mccuin
Spinners Book Of Yarn Designs Sarah Anderson
Spin Off Summer 1991 The Ideal Yarn Blocker Susan Gonzalez
Spin Off Summer 2007 Wet Finishes for Yarn Judith McKenzie Mccuin

YST Episode 99 Book Review Sep 09, 2013

Sweaters by Hand Designs for Spinners and Knitters by Helene Rush and Rachael Emmons is the subject of todays book review podcast.

Music is from Music Alley, a timeless classic by Dust Rhinos, Wild Mountain Thyme.

YST Episode 98 TdF 2013 final update Jul 30, 2013

Week three and the final week of the TdF found me washing more fleece, and finally spinning some yarn.

Photos will be on my blog.

Music is from Music Alley Interlude music is Someday by Stan Williams. Closing song is Waiting for Someday by Lee Alexander

The Spinners Journal, is the book I created to help you keep track of all of your spinning projects. Check it out!

YST Episode 97 TdF catch up report Jul 19, 2013

Homelife, work, travel, but still spinning!

Music is from Music Alley. The song is Day by Day and is composed and performed by Vitor Cunha.

YST Episode 96 TdF13 Days 6 to 9 Jul 09, 2013

A quick update of my fiber persuits during days six through nine of the Tour de Fleece.

Todays's music interlude is Five More Minutes by Brandon Wolfe and can be found on Music Alley. I couldn't resist the title. After all knitters are always saying, let me just finish this row, but we spinners' really can't get away with 'let me finish this bobbin'. So....Five Minutes More.

YST Episode 95 TdF day 3,4 and 5 report Jul 06, 2013

The real challenge came along with Monday, combining these TdF goals along with the day job!

Today's music is Wheels by inglas and can be found on Music Alley.

YST Episode 94 TdF Day 1 and 2 report Jul 02, 2013

We're off and spinning fiber into yarn as the cyclist tour France. I have set daily goals and hope to release reports periodically during the TdF.

Music today is Mountains by Katy Pfaffl and can be found on MusicAlley.

YST Episode 93 Preparing for the TdF Jun 25, 2013

Once again Team YST is planning to spin every day of the Tour de France for Ravelry's Tour de fleece. Come join all the fun and cheerleading and inspirations.

I talk about the decision to do lots of fiber processing for this year's challenge. Just a hint, there's lots of Shetland!

Music in todays podcast is by Dan Montgomery and is called Spinning My Wheels, appropiate! It can be found on Music Alley.

You can find me on Twitter here which will give the links to the audioboos I will try and publish daily during the TdF. Or go to Audioboo and search for YST to find them.

YST Team for Tour de Fleece Jun 07, 2013

We'd all love as many of you listeners to come and join us on Ravelry for the annual Tour de Fleece June 29th through July 21st. Team Yarnspinnerstales can be found at the Tour de Fleece group under the wild card team thread, or search the groups for Team Yarnspinnerstales and you should find it. See you there!

YST Episode 92 Yarn and a book review May 31, 2013

Not all of my experiments with spinning work, and in the first part of this podcast I talk about my recent attempt and non success making a yarn.

The review is for the book The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson.

Music in today's podcast can be found on Music Alley The interlude is from Spin Win It by Ex Norwegian. The closing song Learning to Balance is by Daniel McCormick.

YST Episode 91 What I learned Apr 26, 2013

A follow up on the skein plied with commercial yarns. I split each type and washed one half in order to compare and see if it made any significant difference in the yarns.

The second part of the podcast is a ramble about what I learned about myself as a spinner, as I prepared a fiber swap box for a swap partner.

Music is from Music Alley. The theme song is by Jon Caspi and the First Gun. An interlude around the word twist included music by Filip Marian and M C Robin. A second interlude was Fantasy for Two by Michael Van Laar.

Closing song is The Learning Curve by Paul Rose

YST now has a Twitter account, and I have started posting three minute audios through Audioboo as tweets.

YST Episode 90 Plying with commercial yarns Mar 16, 2013

The why and hows of plying your handspun singles with commercial yarns.

Music is from Music Alley and includes an interlude called Yarn by Cyrusfx and the closing song Mistreating Yarn Blues by Jacob Haller.

Photos of the yarns can be found here on my blog.

YST Episode 89 Thinnest threads Feb 04, 2013

This podcast episode is another review of a spinners' exchange. This time the challenge was to spin as fine a thread, fondly known as froghair spinning. In the podcast I review what the spinners and myself learned with this challenge.

Music is from Music Alley and has the theme 'thread'. The interlude is Hyperthread by Podcast Troubadour. The closing song is Threads of Time by Jennifer Avalon.

YST Episode 88 A Different Exchange Jan 27, 2013

Today's podcast reviews a time when a dozen different spinners all decided to spin angora and share their samples with each other.

Music is from Music Alley and is very nicely named All Things Rabbit by Michael Bellar.

YST Episode 87 A fresh start Dec 31, 2012

Goodbye 2012! It was a good year for spinning projects and other things in my life. This short podcast talks about how I look at the new year.

Music is from Music Alley provided by various musicians who willing share their music with podcasters. In return, I hope you give them your support, if you like their music.

Theme song: Spin-A song for all children by Jon Caspi

Interlude: A Fresh Start by The Havenots

First ending song: It's a New Years Day by Denise Moser on the Cyber PR Label

Second closing song: Happy New Year by Colie Brice

Best wishes for a wonderful new year to my listeners!

YST Episode 86 Porch spin in and breed review Dec 10, 2012

The first section of the podcast is a review of the Katahdan breed, also called the hair sheep. Because these fleeces contain a large amount of hair like fiber, I also discuss the process known as dehairing. Carolina Homespun is one of the mills that currently has a machine to do this process, and they show it being done in this Youtube video.

I mentioned previously talking about pygora, and that I would list the episode link, but right now I can not find that I actually did talk about this fiber....I may have to remedy that soon!

Music is from MusicAlley The new theme song is Spin-A Song for Children of all ages by Jon Caspi and the First Guns. Ordinary Day is sung by Great Big Sea The closing song, to get us all in the holiday spirit is The Christmas Song, in a very special way by the Limey Birds

YST Episode 85 Five Years Oct 31, 2012

This podcast is the five year mark for the Yarnspinnerstales podcast. In this episode I review some of it's history and also some of it's future.

To celebrate this anniversary, I have started using a brand new theme song found on Music Alley by Jon Caspi and The First Gun It is called Spin..a song for children...of all ages.

I also play Spinning by The Fast Sails.

YST has taken a big jump into 'the future is now' and now is available on the Stitcher app for your smart phone or Ipad

YST Episode 84 Positive Spin Oct 05, 2012

Today's episode talks about putting a positive spin on that fiber stash we all own.

The yarn in today's photo is some I spun from Natural Obsession. I talk about the final process of plying this yarn in the episode also.

Two links for finding things I mention in the podcast. My blog is here and here is the Spinners Journal, the book I created to help you keep track of all the process of creating your hand spun yarn.

Music is from Music Alley and features Whitney Kelly with Autumn Air and at the close Jack Jezzro Autumn Leaves.

YST Episode 83 Ravellenic review part 2 Sep 17, 2012

Two more breeds' fleeces are reviewed in this podcast that were part of my Ravellenic challenges for 2012. The first is Ryeland and the second, not really a breed at all but a location, is Salish. Both wools turned out to be wonderful for spinning woolen with carded batts.

Pictures of the resulting yarns are on my blog, for Ryeland and for Salish.

If you are interested in the many breeds of rare sheep a good website is the OK EDU website.

Cowichan Knitting is from the Vancouver Island area and was originated by the decendents of the Salish First Nation people of the area. A good article on the history is found in Wikipedia here

This video shows a spinner spinning in the traditional style for Cowichan knitting.

If that link doesn't work, go to Ravelry, sign in, and then go to groups. Search groups for Cowichan Inspired. In that group go to the thread 'Spinning Yarn for sweater WIP' and post 30 has the video embedded in it.

Music is from Music Alley. Wren Ross does Baa Baa Black Sheep and Guardian Mind Mix does Native Sky at the close.

YST Episode 82 Ravellenic project review part 1 Aug 16, 2012

New name but old event that Ravelry has done this for years. The idea is to challenge yourself with goals to start at the beginning of the Olympics and finish with the close. I chose to join the spinning team and selected five projects to complete. I was able to finish four of them and review two of those in this podcast. Each required washing of raw fiber, processing by combing/carding and then spinning a skein to review. The first is a rare breed I have not reviewed before, California Red Sheep. The second was a different type of challenge, I took CVM and combed the fiber with two different methods to see if it made a difference in the skeins.

If you would like to listen to the rare breed review of CVM it can be found in episode 18 of this podcast.

If you would like to see the pictures of these two and the next podcast's two projects they can be found on my blog.

Music in the podcast is provided by Wren Ross through Music Alley.

YST Episode 81 The Finish Line Aug 07, 2012

It's the podcast for the finish line of the 2012 Tour de Fleece! A short but very satisfying recap for all of our spinning during the tour.

Music is from Music Alley and is a very appropiately named The Finish Line by Steve Parsons.

YST Episode 80 Finished Yarn and Fractal Spinning Aug 02, 2012

This is the third and final week of the Tour de Fleece, and I must say there's not much finished yarn in my projects, but there definately is for Digitaldurga.

I also discuss the technique of splitting and spinning dyed roving called fractal spinning. Here's a link to a discussion of the technique in Knitty.

Music is by the artist Will Kriski and is called Kerrys Jig, found on Music Alley.

YST TdF An Explanation Jul 20, 2012

I started these frequent updates on the Tour de Fleece spinning projects, and found I was so chatty in most of them that I have used up my allotted storage space. Not to worry though, for the MB archive thirty days from when they are uploaded. After Aug 1st, I will start having space open up again, and Digitaldurga and I will continue with the updates.

I do apologize to the team for not crossing the finish line with them in these podcasts, but be assured I will be along shortly. Meanwhile, carry on with all the wonderful spinning!

Thank you to Green Druid for the music which is called Night Dance and can be found on Music Alley.

YST Episode 79 How the Fiber Talks to Me Jul 18, 2012

How do decide just how a fiber should be spun? I talk about this and the continuing Tour De Fleece spinning projects in this podcast.

In today's music you hear the usual podcast intro and at the end the rest of the song, Spinning Wheels by Clare Dowling, found on Music Alley. A big thank you to her for sharing this song, so appropiate for the podcasts' intro music!

YST Episode 78 Two types of plying Jul 15, 2012

We are more then half way through the Tour de Fleece, and so it seems time to make some yarn from all those singles we have been spinning. In this podcast two types of plying are described, chain (navajo) plying and working with a plying ball.

Music is by the artist Caledonix and is called Braveheart-Came Ye Oer Frae France. The music was provided by the artist on Music Alley.

YST Episode 77 Is it the rest day yet? Jul 11, 2012

The Tour de Fleece spinners have been spinning ten days now and are looking forward to the day of rest. This update covers the three days right before that.

The music is from Music Alley and is by the group Great Big Sea (who have lots of songs on Music Alley for you to buy and support these great musicians.) Today's song is French Shore.

YST Episode 76 Listen to you Inner Spinner Jul 08, 2012

This is the third installment of the daily updates for the Tour de Fleece spinning event.

Be sure to check out the different threads posted on Ravelry to see my fibers and yarns as well as many others by all the great spinners.

Music is from Music Alley (which seems to be working again) and is Jillian LaDage Midsummer Night.

YST Episode 75 The Wheel Keeps Spinning Jul 05, 2012

Here's the second Tour de Fleece update podcast. Today Digitaldurga (ravelry name) joins me with her updates too.

Mohair I talk about is from Majora Acres

Natural Obsessions fiber can be found here

Music is from Music Alley and is the song Feather Lullaby by Tangential Cold

YST Episode 74 Let the Game Begin Jul 02, 2012

Daily Tour de Fleece updates, that is the new experiment I am doing for this podcast. All during the Tour de France cycling event, Ravelry members, especially spinners, get out their spinning wheels, set goals for themselves, and keep those wheels spinning as much as possible. I love this event and use it to challenge myself back into spinning something everyday. This year I decided to add the goal of short podcasts about each day's spinning, combining several together into a podcast. So here we go go go....

I mentioned past podcasts and to find those go to the archives on this page, find the date and episode number, if you'd like to listen to them again. The big dye days are in Aug and Sept 2010 and are episodes 50,51 and 52. The spinning woolen episode is number 67 and is found in the Oct. 2011 archive.

Music today is from MusicAlley and the interlude music is the instrumental version of Lullaby for a Weary World, by Julia Ecklar

YST Episode 73 Chatting with the fiber folks May 26, 2012

Straight from the meet up at a fiber festival we have interviews of three phat fiber folks. Don't know about Phat Fiber? Listen in to learn, and then go to their website or find the Ravelry group by searching groups for phat fiber sampler box. The indie dyer in the meet up is found at NaturalObsessions fiber and is a wonderful source for non wool fibers. The fiber producer of the group is found at her Etsy shop or at Fluffington Farms blogspot site. The fiber festival I went to is the Indiana Fiber and Music Fest. The fiber I was spinning was from The Painted Tiger.

The music in today's podcast is from the podsafe music site MusicAlley. The first song is Rumba Lullaby by Hathead. The second song was Lullaby in Loveland by Boho Chapeau. The closing song is Lullabyes Baby by Zaccheri Gray.

YST Episode 72 Support Spindles Apr 28, 2012

Two sections of the post for support spindles, a book review and a discussion of my recent experience spinning angora on my three support spindles.

The book Fleegle Spins Supported is available here.

A YouTube video of me spinning cotton on the Royale Hare brass support spindle is found here and the spindle is available to order from her Etsy shop here. I apologize for saying on the podcast that the spindle was not readily available, I did not look up the link until after I did the recording, my bad!

The music in today's podcast is by singer/songwriter Emma Wallace who I found on MusicAlley. The piano piece is called Interlude, and the closing song is Support for my Argument.

My blog with photos can be found here.

Finally the Spinners Journal, a place to record all the processes of any of your spinning projects can be purchased here. Thanks for your support of this podcast by purchasing the journal!

YST Episode 71 Digital Sheep Mar 31, 2012

OK so I'm playing on words with today's podcast title. I do two sheep breed reviews, Columbia and Rambouilette. Then I talk about the explosion of spinning information going digital. Hence, digital sheep.

A few links: Closing song is by Triple6RFusioN and is called First Day of Spring. You can find this and other music played on the podcast at Music Alley.

My blog is here and if you are looking to buy the Spinner's Journal, click here.

Spinning daily is where you will find all the good digital stuff.

YST Episode 70 Drumcarding Feb 21, 2012

It's actually magic, taking washed but clumped fiber, putting it through the drum carder and getting fluffy batts ready to spin. It's a spinning project I only do now and then, after accumulating those piles of fleeces and other fibers ready to blend. Then I spend several months, in an hour here and there, creating the batts. After that, the fun begins, as I get to spin them and see what those blends will look like in yarn.

In today's podcast, I talk about my recent drumcarding projects, as well as some information for those spinners that may want to buy a carder, or have one that they still haven't worked up the nerve to use.

I will be putting pictures of the fiber, before and after on my blog.

Music in the podcast is from Music Alley and includes Proof of Love by Old Man Luedecke, also February by The Distants.

The Spinners Journal, a book I wrote to help you to document your carding or any spinning project is available to buy at this site.

YST Episode 69 Four Reviews Jan 07, 2012

There are four reviews in today's podcast, two rare sheep breed's fiber, a spinning DVD and my trip to Stitches East.

The Oklahoma State University's website is a good place to start if you are looking for information on any animal including rare breed sheep:Breeds of sheep There are many wonderful resources for sale at the Interweave press website, books, ebooks, DVD, videos, books and magazines.Interweave pressThe specific DVD I review in this podcast "Spinning for Lace" by Margaret Stove is found at this link:Margaret Stove DVD linkFor information for your own trip to a Stitches convention, check out the Knitting Universe website:The Knitting Universe Prism yarns is also available at many yarn storesTeacher at Stitches Creative Director at Prism yarns is Laura Militzer Bryant and she taught the class on Intentional Patterning with Hand dyed Yarns.The spindle like the trindle I bought can be found at this Etsy store: TrindlemanNeed to get your spinning projects organized? Then my Spinner's Journal is just what you need!

YST Episode 68 Interviews with two scholar spinners Nov 16, 2011

Janilee and Chris are both post graduate students at the Manchester England college. Both are spinners and weavers, but have two different concepts for their doctorial thesis. I was able to interview each and had a wonderful time talking to them. Listen in, and learn about early weavers and spinners, and the modern day archeological study of them.

Interlude music in today's podcast is from Music Alley and is by the group Celtic Stone. The title is Drowsy Maggie.

Looking for a link to buy my Spinner's Journal? It's on Lulu here.

YST A Spinner's Journal promo podcast Nov 05, 2011

A Spinner's Journal, your own place to record all of the processes of the projects that turn fiber into yarn.

I am a note taker, list maker by nature, and for all the years I've been spinning, those notes are on many different pieces of paper. I found I still like to refer back to them, and decided I needed a better system for taking my notes. And if I needed it, I bet other spinners do too. So I created the Spinner's Journal and it's now finally available for sale.

I've given some details about the journal in this short promo podcast. Take a listen to see all the wonderful features of the journal.

The journal is available here. Or if you want to go to my blog yarnspinners dot blogspot dot com, you'll find a link button on the right hand side of the page.

Music in today's promo is from Music Alley and is called Drowsie Maggie by Celtic Stone.

Happy fourth year YST Oct 15, 2011

This month celebrates the fact that I have been doing this podcast for four years. If you've listened since the beginning, THANK YOU! If you just found me today, WELCOME!

The best thing about podcasts is their longevity. Oh some podcasts are very linked to current events and may outdate, but information about spinning is always fresh. Someone is always just learning to spin, or dye fiber, or wash a fleece. And if they look at my archives and the titles, they will probably find a podcast to help them with that process.

If you are on Ravelry, a quick and easy way to see the topics of each podcast is to go to the yarnspinners spin in group. There is a sticky thread in the posts with the topics listed.

The birthday music today is from Music Alley and includes:

Team Smile and Nod with Happy Birthday you matter Jason Silver with Happy Birthday and Mario Ajero with Happy Birthday Chopin Ballade

YST Episode 67 Spinning Woolen Oct 05, 2011

Fluffly, that's what woolen spinning is all about. You spin from fluffy batts, and you spin a lofty yarn.

The Yarnspinnerstales Spin In Ravelry group has been practicing this spinning technique this month. I joined them and talk about my experiences spinning woolen on each of my wheels in this podcast. I also give some suggestions to help you get going with this wonderful way of spinning. I also will be posting photos of what I spun for this challenge on my blog.

I was in the mood for more music in today's podcast too, all with the theme of letting go, a very necessary technique when spinning woolen. All music is from Music Alley with thank yous to these special musicians:

La ura Clapp with Just Let Go

LeRoots with Got to Let Go

The Hosts with So Hard to let go

To make my sample yarn, I decided to use sample batts from two of my Phat Fiber boxes. These small batts were just the right size to practice the technique and came from the following vendors:

The Critter Ranch a super soft batt, no fiber content marked but was probably llama or alpaca.

Maude and Me an alpaca and angelina batt

The Enchanted Knoll These were not samples but several large batts gifted to me by a listener (thank you again!) Lovely forest greens and black these are listed as superwash wool, recycled sari silk and sparkles. The photo you see with this podcast is a small sample of what the 2 ply yarn will look like when I am done. spinning

YST Episode 66 Learning curves and beaded yarn Aug 21, 2011

I am talking again about the new Majacraft Aura wheel and my learning process as I've spun on it. Although you may not have this specific wheel, you can listen and apply some of my ideas to any wheel that you would like to expand in your spinning skills.

The second section discusses my crazy idea of putting beads in the yarn before I knit, and how I finally got that idea to work. The photo here shows that yarn on the bobbin of the Aura.

The music today is a bit different than normal as I recently discovered there are some techno tunes I really enjoy. So I've included a techno interlude called Hestor is Amused by Johnjack. If techno is really not your thing, the interludes are short and I give you a chance to turn the podcast off before the end song. But I really urge you to listen, as I do like the song, Pas De Deux by Lee Negin.

All of today's music is from Music Alley with my extra thank you to Clare Dowling for my use of her Spinning Wheels as the podcasts intro music.

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 65 The one for knitters who want to be spinners Aug 21, 2011

Today I decided to podcast to potential spinners, and entice them into the fold, so to speak. So the podcast is all about taking that first step or two. Before long you will be a spinner too.

I also included a review of a very good magazine to start you on your way, Knit and Spin by Interweave Press.

Music in today's podcast is from Music Alley The interlude is called Music for an unborn podcast and is by Michael van Laar The closing song is by Cat Malojian Only You. And a big thank you to Clare Dowling for her perfect song for the opening of all my podcasts, Spinning Wheel.

YST Episode 64 Interview with Oogie McGuire Jul 22, 2011

The Black Welsh Mountain sheep is the only naturally black wool and has been prized for that quality for hundreds of years. Still being raised today, it's prized by handspinners and today's podcast talks to one of the very knowledgable breeders of this breed.

Shown here in the photo with a cape made from her sheep's wonderful black wool, Oogie McGuire raises the sheep at her farm Desert Weyr. She graciously let me interview her about raising this wonderful breed of sheep.

YST Episode 63 Spinning a lock of fiber, spinning from the fold Jun 02, 2011

Spinning a lock of wool is the traditional way to get a very thin yarn. That is because you can pull a small number of fibers out of the lock, and give the drafting zone a very thin prep of fiber. In this podcast I review how each of five different breeds of sheep's locks spun and how I made my decision whether to continue to prep the fiber for spinning by lock washing.

The five breeds discussed are Cormo/Border Leicester, Corriedale, Romney, Cormo and an unknown ewe lambs fleece.

This is one time a video is worth many podcast words, so I have posted a video showing me spinning from the lock on Youtube. You can find it here.

There's a second part to the podcast, discussing spinning from the fold. This technique is often used with angora, and I've discussed why and how to spin from the fold.

Interlude music is by Kevin Wood, and is called 'Twilight of Hope"

The closing song is by Lisa Redford and is called "Hope Never Dies"

Both can be found on the podsafe music network.

YST Episode 62 Rare Breed Reviews May 17, 2011

Two rare sheep breeds and their fleeces are reviewed in this podcast, the Black Welsh Mountain sheep, and the Clun Forest. The lovely sheep photo shown here are those Clun Forest sheep.

Thanks to Ken and Oogie at Desert Weyr for their breeding of Black Welsh Mountain sheep. Oogie was an internet aquaintance and part of the rare breeds exchange I did many years ago. She provided the samples of fiber from this breed that I talk about in the podcast.

The book by Deborah Robson The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, is shown here on Amazon.

Music in today's podcast is from Music Alley Thank you to Wren Ross for the very appropiate It Had to Be Ewe.

The closing song is by Marina Tihvinskaya and is called Celtic Song, but is not what you expect at all! Enjoy! Marina writes: "please let your listeners know that my website is www.marinatihvinskaya.net and the name of the album is My Favourite Dependence."

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 61 A New Wheel May 07, 2011

It only happens now and then in a spinner's life, the decision to buy a spinning wheel. I had that chance last month, and am now the happy owner of a Majacraft Aura. I talk about my story of finding the wheel, and what I have learned in the few weeks of owning it.

A big thank you to Clare Dowling for her Spinning Song, that I've used for the pod cast's opening for all these years.

The closing music for today's podcast is by William Saunders and is called Chasing Daylight.

If you'd like to join us in the spinning technique spin along, go to Ravelry, search for the group Yarnspinnerstales spin in, and find the specific threads for each month's technique. With done a single study, lock spinning, and spinning from the fold.

YST Episode 60 Spinning single study and Russian paddle combs Apr 07, 2011

We spin singles all the time, but seldom use them that way. If you think about it though, if you can learn to spin singles that behave well enough to work with, how much better you plied yarns would be! That was the idea behind the spin along study in the group on Ravelry for yarnspinnerstales. So for the month of March we all tried four different study exercises with spinning singles. In the first part of this podcast I talk about my experiences as well as some of the other spinner's comments.

For the second part of the pod cast I talk about a DVD that shows all the ways to use the Russian paddle combs made by Andrew Forsyth at Woolcombs

The music today is by the artist Blake found at Music Alley (Podsafe music network).

YST Episode 59 Washing and Combing five sheep breed locks Feb 28, 2011

How to decide whether to comb or card a fleece once it is washed, is the topic of today's podcast. I also do a hands on recording of the packet process I use to wash wool locks and then review the results of that project.In the closing I invite listeners to join the Ravelry group for Yarnspinnerstales, for our first spin along. In March we are going to investigate spinning singles and knitting with the yarn.Music in today's podcast is from Music Alley.Interlude music is by George Winston and is called Be My Valentine Charlie BrownThe closing song is by Vanessa Peters and Ice Cream on Mondays and is titled, The Maybe Love SongUntil later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 58 Different Types of Fiber Combs Feb 14, 2011

Fibers combs all are designed to give the spinner lovely top to spin. But with such a wide variety of type of combs available to the spinner, how does one decide which is right for them? That is the question I talk about in this podcast, discussing things I know from experience, and from internet research.

One interesting webpost I discovered was about a person's attempt to recreat an old Icelandic comb, which was probably used both from human and animal hair. That site can be found here.

Several web sources to purchase combs are:

Forsyth Combs

Woodland Woolworks

Susan's Fiber Shop

The music today is from Music Alley

The interlude is by Blake and is called The Hungarian Love Song

The closing song is by Debbie Cunningham and is the jazz classic, My Funny Valentine

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 57 Blending Hackle Jan 29, 2011

This unusual and pointy looking object really is a useful tool for blending. On the hackle is both merino top and dyed angora, being blended into a wonderful top. In the podcast I talk about the process for using this tool.

I decided not to make a video, even though with this tool it is very helpful to see someone using it. I made this decision because there are already several good ones by other fiber artists on YouTube. I recommend Bluemtnhandcrafts videos. The first of three is here.

The music in this podcast is from Music Alley formerly the Podsafe music network. The interlude music is by The Rev Jimmie Bratcher and is called Grammy's House. The closing song is Over Coffee and Tea by The Simple Carnival.

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Epidode 56 Blending the Tertiary color Jan 10, 2011

In this last podcast on working with color in your spinning, I take the fiber I dyed in the six tertiary colors and discuss how to blend and spin them for a shawl. There are many options, and I must admit I have not made my final decision. But I certainly had a good time exploring the possible comibinations and found some lovely multicolored yarns along the way.

I did take some photos along the way, and will have those posted on my blog Yarnspinners. The photo here is just one of those, showing the fiber blended from two sets of three different colors.

The first part of this podcast is actually reviews of the two books I have used as references for this project. First is Color in Spinning, by Deb Menz. The second book is Dyeing to Knit, by Elaine Eskesen.

Music in the podcast is from the podsafe music network (Music Alley). The interlude music is by Gokul Salvadi and is titled Color Blindness. The closing song, (indulge me for my love of the blues) is by Doug Macleod and is called Sheep of Different Color.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 55 Color Theory for spinners part 2 Nov 10, 2010

Talking about color turned into such a long conversation for my daughter and I that we had to make it into two podcasts. Here is part two of that discussion.

For many years I just picked a dyed fiber because I loved the colors, spun it, and wondered what the yarn would look like when I was done. Now armed with some of the tools found with the color wheel, I have a better chance of not only knowing what will result, but maybe changing something to make it look more like I want.

The photo on the posts for episodes 54-55 is a yarn spun by my daughter (photo used with her permission). In the podcast she explains how she was able to keep the nice stretch of contrasting colors. Those contrasts were very aptly named for the Shel Silverstein poem, HugOWar.

Since our conversations were so long, there was not much music in these two podcasts. Instead I used the music of Clare Dowling, who's Spinning Wheel song has been the theme song for this podcast over three years. A big thank you to Clare for sharing this song with podcasters and their listeners on Musicalley (formerly the podsafe music network.)

Until later-happy spinning!

YST Episode 54 Color Theory for Spinners part 1 Nov 10, 2010

Color is one thing spinners seem to either love or hate. This podcast is the first part of a conversation between my daughter and I on color theory and how spinners can apply those theories to the vibrant fibers they spin.

YST Episode 53 A Front Porch Spin in Oct 23, 2010

Talking and spinning can go hand in hand, even if it's via microphone for me and an mp3 player for you.

I do a recap of the last few months, including a wrap up of the Tour de Fleece spinning, and entering skeins into the state fair. And speaking of state fairs, this podcast has captured some of the stars of the barns, as I stroll along and look at the sheep. I ran into a new breed for me Dorper Sheep, take a look!

There's a yarnspinnerstale too, on creativity.

Along inbetween is some good music from the podsafe music network

A short interlude comes from Tim Foley with Monkeyshine, called Back Porch.

And keeping with the porch theme, My Back Porch is by Brian McRae

In the podcast I mention a blog, Hyperbole and a Half, and I want to make sure others can find it and enjoy it as much as I did!

YST Episode 52 Walnut Leaf and Indigo dyeing of fiber Sep 28, 2010

The last part of the three part fiber dyeing series discusses my experiences with using walnut leaves (and mordants) to produce the lovely colors shown in this photo. I also talk about making and using the 'quick' version of an indigo dyepot, a totally magical dyeing experience, since the fiber comes out of the pot one color and turns blue as it sits in the air.

I also spend a bit of time talking about just how fiber feels after it's been dyed and dried, how not to felt it, and how to get it back in shape for spinning.

Music in today's podcast is from the podsafe music network

The interlude music is called Living Color by Doug Astrop

The closing song is So Color Me by Tenth Hour Calling

Thanks to all my wonderful listeners for your comments, suggestions and questions!

Until later....happy spinning.

YST Episode 51 Dyeing the tertiary colors Aug 28, 2010

Part 2 of the three part series on dyeing discusses dyeing wool with acid dyes to a specific color. I challenged myself to try and create the color wheels tertiary colors with dyes, and found some failures and successes along the way. Listen in as I talk all about all of that experience.

Music for today's podcast continues with the theme of color and is from the podsafe music network.

The interlude music is by Psykosoul and is called Coloring Outside the Lines.

The closing song is by Matthew Ebel and is called Every Color.

Enjoy and happy dyeing!

YST Episode 50 Pour and Wrap dyeing Aug 14, 2010

Part one of a three part series on dyeing fiber. Listen in as I explore the saran wrap method of putting color on just part of your fiber. Shown here in the photo is a Cotswold roving, gray in color with russet and purple dyes applied with the method.

And since dyeing is of course all about color, today's music has the theme of color. The music is from the Podsafe Music network and includes these musicians:

Eric Strom with Oh the Colors

Marie Crehan with the hauntingly lovely Orange & blue

A thank you to these musicians for sharing these songs for podcasters, if you loved the music, please check out their other songs and support them.

YST Episode 49 A Chatty Spin In Jul 12, 2010

Sitting and spinning just seems to go along with sitting and chatting. So today's podcast is three different sections, all on topics that I love to talk about.

First segment is a fiber review of carbonized bamboo. It's what I am spinning while recording the podcast. The next section is about my plans for the Tour de Fleece spinning challenge. If you are not familiar with this, more information can be found on Ravelry. The idea is to challenge yourself as a spinner during the time that those bikers are spinning their wheels in the Tour de France. I took the challenge to spin some everyday. Pictured here is the dyed polworth roving that is one of my major projects during this challenge.

The last topic was a request, and is a bit of history on my three spinning wheels, how I got them and why.

In between is some wonderful music from the podsafe music network. The first song is Black Coffee.d by Stephanie J Hager. Next is Limerick Rake by Celtic Reboot . And yes, your ears do not deceive you, I played this group last podcast too.

The podcast is closed with the wonderful voice of Alyssa Anjelica James with Laughter in the Distance.

To those expecting a podcast on Dyeing, it will come next. Meanwhile grab your favorite spinning tool, fiber and relax with me as we spin.

YST Episode 48 Planning a Dye Day Jun 22, 2010

Throwing dye and wet fiber into a dye pot can be fun, and is certainly one way to color your fiber. But if you are like me and end up with many different rovings, dyestuffs and techniques, a bit of planning before the dye day will help. That's the topic of today's podcast, as I get ready for a big dye day of my own.

The music in this podcast is from the podsafe music network.

The interlude melody is Everything Begins by Dan O.

The closing song is by Sunburn in Cyprus and is called In the Sunshine, Lazy Hammock instrumental.

Also as a reminder, Yarnspinnerstales Spin In group on ravelry has a tour de fleece group. Come join us and spin every day while the Tour de France is on.

Until later....happy spinning!

YST Episode 47 May spin in 2010 May 31, 2010

Book reviews! Three books on dyeing with natural dyes are reviewed in this podcast. And since it is a spin in, there a yarnspinnerstale as well.

As promised, here are the links, thanks for your patience!

Jenny Dean is the author of two of the books I review, The Craft of Natural Dyeing, and Colours from Nature, A Dyer's Handbook. Her blog is full of her natural dyeing projects and her books and dyestuff are available at D & K Crafts.

The second book reviewed is Dyes from American Native Plants, A Practical Guide by Lynne Richards and Ronald J. Tyrl. Here's a link for it on Amazon (if the link ever goes away just search for the book title).

The music used in today's podcast was found by searching the podsafe music network for the word 'everyday' the theme of the yarnspinnerstale.

Interlude music was Same Lunch Everyday by this group.

The closing song Every Day gets Better is by the Smith Bros.

Until later, happy listening and happy spinning!

YST Episode 46 Spinning Tools May 08, 2010

Spinning tools: Do you have them? Do you need them? For this podcast I talk about the tools needed for three areas of the yarn creation process, tools for fiber prep, tools for spinning yarn, and tools to handle that yarn.

The wonderful music for today's podcast is from the podsafe music network.

Interlude music is by Celtic Reboot and is called Aufbruch/Am Feuer.

The closing song is by David Wilcox and is Open Hand the title track to his album.

I used three books from my library as references in this podcast:

Alden Amos Big Book of Spinning

Carol Kroll The Whole Craft of Spinning

Paula Simmons Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry

Thank you to these authors for their great books.

YST Episode 45 Spring Spin In Apr 18, 2010

Coopworth and Polypay are two sheep breeds reviewed in this podcast. And since spring is here in all it's glory, the spin in is held on the front porch. Grab your MP3 player, fiber and favorite spinning tool and join me for some spinning without a purpose, spinning, just because.

A big thank you to the Milk and Honey Farm for the use of their adorable picture of polypay lambs on this blog and the Itunes photo.

All music is from the podsafe music network. A special thank you to Wren Ross for her wonderful It had to be Ewe.

The interlude is by Triple6fusion and is call First Day of Spring.

The closing song is by the Dust Rhinos and is called Breathe a Little Slower.

YST Episode 44 Fiber Fairs Apr 05, 2010

Fiber Fairs! My true first sign that spring is here. In this podcast I talk about both sides of those events, attending as a buyer, and also as a seller.

And if you don't have the chance to go to a local fiber fair, and have the urge to shop after listening, check out my Artfire store at Zavagant Studio.

Music today is from the podsafe music network and includes

Bonny Morgan's wonderful version of Scarborough Fair

Dorchester Fair by The Legendary Ten Seconds

Happy Spring and happy spinning!

First things first Feb 14, 2010

An unplannned spinning sabatical while my day to day life gets rearranged. During this time I will be taking care of a post surgery husband, looking for part time work in my old career and in general not finding the time to spin. Since a podcast often takes 8-10 hours of my time, I have decided to take a three month break from podcasting. But I will be thinking about the podcast, and evaluating if it will come back in the same format or use this time for creating a new format.

Meanwhile, a big thank you to all the listeners worldwide, for your time over these two years. Your comments have been the incentive to not only keep podcasting, but find it fun.

As a thank you to Clare Dowling for the use of her Spinning Wheel in bits and pieces over these years, I have ended the podcast with the song in its entirety. Her music and all music I have used over these years can be found at the podcast music network.

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 43 Spinner's Block Jan 20, 2010

Thawing the ice of spinner's block, or any block to the creative energy takes different things for different people. What helps you get back to spinning, when it's been way too long? I discuss a few of my ideas in the first part of this podcast.

The second segment is a review of a great spinning DVD by Insubordiknit called Sit and Spin. Ah, but she teaches so much more than just spinning plain old yarn, as she covers various techniques for creating artyarns. You can (and should) find her DVD here on her website for purchase.

Music in the podcast is from the podsafe music network and was picked with the theme creative energy.

The interlude music was by DJOC and is Sean Boyle's Creative Burst.

The closing song is by Charlie Bobus and is called Creative Energy

YST Episode 42 Spinning Wheel Experiments Dec 18, 2009

Two spinning wheels and the same experiment, spinning a specific diameter of yarn by changing only the tension on the wheel. The first wheel used is the Roberta electric spinning wheel and I talk about that experience in the first part of this podcast. In the second part I record the experiment as I am trying it on my Haldane spinning wheel. In both cases I found that it really does work, and can change the way you look at your spinning wheels' capabilities.

Photos of the samples spun on both spinning wheels can be seen on my blog. And if you want to try it yourself, the same fiber is for sale at my artfire store, Zavagantstudio as well as other wonderful fibers for spinners and handspun yarns for knitters.

And it's Christmas, well almost and I can not pass by the opportunity to share some of the music I found and loved for the season. All music comes from the podsafe music network Music Alley and is full of the season's wonderful sounds.

Opening song is Carol of the Bells by Inner Splendor Celtic Christmas.

Interlude song is by a husband and wife harpist team, Two Harps who play Twelve Days of Christmas.

The closing song is We Wish you a Merry Christmas by Rusty Bladen.

And there's a bonus track, by the great music collective the FuMP called Santa's going to telecommute the Christmas.

Happy Holidays, and happy spinning!

YST Episode 41 Understand Grist Nov 29, 2009

Got grist? If not, this podcast will help you understand just what this spinning term means, how it is figured and why it's an important part of spinning a specific yarn.

This episode continues the discussion of spinning a certain type of yarn, regardless of the fiber you choose. This time we are not going to just copy a commercial yarn, but start from nothing but the idea of spinning yarn for socks.

A very important link on the web was mentioned in the podcast and it can be found here. It is the work of Llyn Payne, and is a listing the the characteristics such as YPP and WPI of commercial yarns using the standard numeric system available on ball bands. From this information we can find the target range of these figures to use in our calculations for creating similiar yarns.

I would like to take a moment to explain a calculation that I mention in the podcast that did not get enough explanation. The discussion was covering how to determine the amount of fiber needed to spin a project (in our example we were saying socks) The formula uses grist, weight length and the number 16 (oz to lbs conversion). It looks like this:

G=(M/W)L

where G=grist M=16 for US weight or 1000 for metric W=weight and L=length

Normally this calculation is used to figure grist (because we have the weight and length already) If we want to find out how much fiber to buy to make a certain yards of yarn at a certain grist we can do some algebraic magic and solve for W. I did this in the podcast without really explaining how I got the amount. Here's the actual calculation:

If I want to spin 450 yards of 2 ply sock yarn and look up in the above chart to see that sock yarn has a range of 1675 to 2100 YPP (which is the grist and I will take an arbitrary middle of the range figure 1800) it would be solved like this:

1800=16/W(450)

16/W=1800/450

16/W=4

Multiply both sides by W

16=4W

4=W

This means W (your weight of fiber needed) is 4 oz I very conveniently choose a number that worked out evenly, it will not always do that, and the spinner should always round up to be sure to have enough.

A big thank you to my daughter who was in college more recently than myself and so could remember how to solve algebra equations.

Music today is from Mevio a podsafe music network. The interlude music was by Kumpania Algazarra and is called Skabicine. The closing song is Hardly Enough by WAZ

As always a big thank you to Clare Dowling for the spinning song.

YST Episode 40 Spinning Specifically Nov 21, 2009

It was suppose to be yarn for socks, but.... How often do we say that as spinners. If you have found a specific project that you want to make from hand spun yarn, and you want some tips on how to spin the yarn the right size, listen to this podcast.

My blog can be found here.

I now have a website studio on Artfire which is called ZavagantStudio. I have lovely fibers ready to spin, and even a sampler box of fibers, that allow you to spin a variety of fibers. And for the knitters and weavers that listen in who haven't learn to spin yet, I have my handspun yarn for sale. Please take a few minutes to check the studio and my products.

All music today is from Mevio's Music Alley formerly the Podsafe Music Network.

The wonderful interlude music is by Alimagne and is called Solo.

The closing song, Let's Eat Home is by Linda Baker

YST Episode 39 Storing fiber Oct 24, 2009

This podcast continues the discussion of how to buy fibers for spinning and then store them. I first talk about what to look for when purchasing the non wool fibers, like alpaca, mohair and angora. The second part goes into how to store your fibers until you are ready to wash the fleece or spin them.

I have more photos of a recent fleece that I was prepping for storage on my blog.

I could not ignore the holiday though, and since it is Halloween, my yarnspinner tale is an original ghost story I tell just for this podcast. It is called The Haunting of Sara Jane.

A big thank you to Clare Dowling for her Spinning song used in the podcast intro. All music is from the podsafe music network now known as music alley. Musicians in today's podcast include:

New Band demos with Halloween

the delicate art of noise pollution with Spooky Funk

If you are a spinner or knitter and would like to support this podcast please check out my Artfire studio. I have fibers for spinners, and handspun yarn for knitters available for sale at that site.

YST Episode 38 Selecting a Wool Fleece to buy Oct 10, 2009

Buying a fleece straight from the sheep is the true starting point for many spinners. In this podcast I talk about thinking through the process before you actually go shopping, and then what to look for when you are finally ready to buy.

I would like to include references to two books that I mention in this podcast:

Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry by Paula Simmons

In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier

Music is from the podsafe music network and was the instrumental Change of Autumn by Brian Turner.

As promised: a listing of sheep breed based on the softest possible micron count (the number listed after the name of the sheep):

Sheep breeds softest to roughest listing

Reference In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier

Fine wools Merino 18 Rambouillet 19 CVM 21 Cormo 21 Polworth 21 Romeldale 21 Targhee 22 Polypal 22 Bond 23 Columbia 24 Corriedale 26

Down Breeds Shetland 23 Southdown 23 Clun Forest 25 Montadale 25 Tunis 25 Black Welsh Mountain 26 Ryeland 26 Shropshire 26 Suffolk 26 Cheviot 28

Longwools Blue faced Leicester 24 Texel 26 Gotland 28 Perendale 28 Teeswater 30 Wensleydale 30 Romney 33 Cotswold 34 Coopworth 35 Lincoln 36 Border Leicester 37

YST Episode 37 Sept 2009 Spin In Sep 13, 2009

The wonderful fluffy sheep is one of the breeds I talk about in today's spin in podcast, the Polworth. I also discuss the Southdown sheep breed.

I've put in a small segment for beginner spinners on just how I fiddle with my spinning wheel when starting to spin a new to me fiber.

And if it is a spin-in then there must be a story, and today's yarnspinnertale is about sense of humor.

Here's the promised links!

Here's a good link for more information about the Polworth sheep.

I have a group on Ravelry, listed as yarnspinnerstales spin-in. Search in the groups box and come join the group.

I have a fiber sampler box of 10 different fibers for sale in my Artfire store, ZavagantStudio. Check it out now and then, I will continue to add items for sale there over the next two months.

All music is from Mevio's Music Alley (formerly the Podsafe Music Network). Today's theme: Humor!

The first song is by Marc Gunn, a podcaster of Celtic Music (The Celtic Music Podcast Show) and writer of very funny songs, often about cats. Today I chose What Do You Do With a Catnipped Kitty.

The very unique 'singing' of the Miranda Rights is called the Miranda Lullabye, and is sung by Paul and Storm.

The show closes with The Recycle Song by Bill Bates.

As always, a big thank you to Wren Ross for Baa Baa Black Sheep and Clare Dowling for Spinning Wheel.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 36 Spinning on a Charkha Aug 21, 2009

It's like a spinning studio, in a book size box. That's how the charkha spinning wheel is described in the podcast. Along with many fun stories involving spinning on this unique spinning tool, we also try to give you specifics on just how to spin on one yourself.

Every now and then it seems that the pictures really will speak louder than the words, so to help you understand just what we are talking about we have posted a video on Youtube. Here's a direct link for it. You have to pick which to do first, listen to the podcast, or watch the video...just don't do them both at the same time!

I have lots of links about charkhas. You can find lots more through Google I am sure. If you want to join the discussion, come on over to Ravelry and join the Yarnspinnerstales group there. We'd love to hear from you.

Thank you to Elaine Benfatto for her DVD Charkha Spinning: Tips and Techniques, which I review in the podcast.

Thank you to Jonathon Bosworth, for making not only the charkha we talk about, but many other lovely spinning tools.

Thank you to Gokul Salvadi for all the music in today's podcast. The interlude was Plucked Sitar and the closing song was Traibal Dance. His music can be found at Music Alley, formerly the Podsafe music network.

Here's lots more links

http://www.markshep.com/nonviolence/Charkha.html

http://www.journeywheel.com/content/section/6/107/

http://www.charkhafiberbook.com/

http://ssbjecharka.blogspot.com/2009/03/spin-sing-and-power-e-charkha-way.html

http://www.mielkesfarm.com/charkha_vid.htm

http://www.charkha.biz/Charkha/tools.htm advertises tuned indian charkha

http://www.woolery.com/pages/charkhafr.html has video I reviewed

http://www.paradisefibers.net/CHARKHA-SPINNING-TIPS-DVD-p/999131.htm also has video

http://halcyonyarn.com/spinning.php has video

http://www.yarnbarn-ks.com/CHARKHA-SPINNING-TIPS-DVD/productinfo/VS-DX417/ has video

http://www.dyegarden.com/2009/05/cigar-box-charkha-building-and-dye.html building a cigar box charkha

http://www.woolworks.com/Shop/Videos/Spinning has video

http://fiberdrunk.blogs.se/2007/09/16/charkha_plying_solution~2990381/ cool upright kate

YST Episode 35 July 2009 Spin In Jul 31, 2009

It's July and the spinning is easy. Grab your fiber and favorite spinning tool and listen in as I talk about washing alpaca fiber, keeping angora bunnies cool in the heat.

Music used in today's podcast in from Music Alley, formerly the podsafe music network. A big thank you to all the musicians that put there music out there for us to hear, we love you for it!

Summerfeeling is the name of the interlude music and it's by Dreamweaver.

Triple6fusion played Night of the Dancing Guitars.

The wonderful closing song for the podcast is by John Voorhees.

Don't forget to check out my new Artfire store Zavagantstudio. Fibers with lots of luxury for spinning are currently available.

There are not really any photos for this podcast, but feel free to check out my blog anyway.

Happy spinning!

YST Episode 34 Carding and Blending Fibers Jul 07, 2009

This podcast talks about carding with handcarders, or a drumcarder. Not only is it a wonderful way to get your fiber ready to spin, it is also a very useful tool for blending fibers or colors.

Carding with handcards is shown on this video. We made this video when we were podcasting about cotton, but the concept of carding is the same, and I thought it would be good to include the link again.

There was a big announcement quietly made in this podcast: My new online shop! This shop will be a place for selling fibers and other creative pursuits that catch my fancy. You can find it at ZavagantStudios at the Artfire website.

If you want to see other carding that I have been doing, check out my blog.

The music used in today's podcast is from a podsafe music network, mevio (formally the podsafe music network site).

The interlude music is Summer by General Fuzz.

The closing song is Midsummer Night by Robert Walker.

And as always a big thank you to Clare Dowling for the spinning song that I use as my podcast theme song.

Happy blending!

Episode listing to number 33 Jul 07, 2009

A big thanks to Ravelry's Kashimama, for putting this list together for our Ravelry group's reference. I thought it would be a good idea to put the list here and occasionally update it to keep it on the current page.

Beta Episode 1 Using Combs / Shetland Episode 2 Spin In Episode 3 Raising Angora Rabbits Episode 4 Christmas Music 2 episodes Episode 5 Spinning Angora Episode 6 Spin In Border Leicester and BFL Episode 7 Skirting a Shetland Fleece Episode 8 Spin In Cheviot and Corriedale Episode 9 Washing a Fleece Episode 10 Spin In Finn and Perendale Episode 11 Book Reviews Episode 12 Cotton Dyeing Part I Chemical Dyes Episode 13 Cotton Dyeing Part II Natural Dyes Episode 14 Spin In Cormo and Montadale Episode 15 Cotton Spinning/Preparation Techniques Episode 16 Spin In Romney and Targhee Episode 17 Andean Plying, Picking a Fleece, Spinning Bulky Yarn Episode 18 Spin In CVM and Maine Island Sheep Episode 19 Wheels: How they work Episode 20 Spin In Navajo Churro and Jacob Episode 21 Felting a Fleece Episode 22 Spin In Alpaca Episode 23 Drop Spindles Episode 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk Episode 25 Spin In Cashgora Episode 26 Spinning Woolen vs Worsted Episode 27 Spin In Tunis and Karakul Epidose 28 Dyeing Wool / Discolored Fleeces Episode 29 Spin In Wheels at the Woolery / Spaelsau and Icelandic Episode 30 Plying Episode 31 Bamboo and Tencel Episode 32 Silk, Soy and Milk Episode 33 Spin In Dog Hair / Spinning Designer Yarns and The Intentional Spinner

YST Episode 33 June Spin In Jun 22, 2009

It's Spin in time, grab your fiber and listen in as the podcast reviews two spinning books and later a yarnspinnerstale about best friends.

The books in the review this podcast are Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney, and the newly released book by Judith Mackenzie McCuin.

I have a group on Ravelry now, come join us! Here's a direct link, or you can go to Ravelry, click the groups tab and search for yarnspinnerstales, you should get a link to connect to the group.

It seems that the Podsafe Music Network now has a new name (and probably new owner). Although it will be hard not to call it that, because that's been it's name forever. However when you go to the home page you will see it is now called Mevio. Whatever it's called, the music is still available to podcaster's and therefore for your listening pleasure also.

Summer is officially here, and so the music has summer as it's theme.

Peaches in the Summertime is by Iona Leigh a repeat artist for the podcast.

Summer with a New Piano is the lovely instrumental by Allan Metts

A brief reprise was Summer Thing by Mathechew Studios

And the closing song, My Best Friend is by Spaghetti Cake

YST Episode 32 Silk, Soy and Milk fibers Jun 01, 2009

Spinning non wool fibers, part two. The protein non wool fibers are the topic of today's podcast which includes silkworm silk, soysilk, and milk fiber. The photo shown here is dyed soysilk.

Some more photos of the fibers we talk about are on the blog here.

Music today is from the Podsafe Music Network and includes the following musicians:

Opening song: If Everybody Loved the Blues by Mean Gene Kelton and the Die Hards.

The interlude music was a portion of Chris Harper's Deep Blue Sky.

Closing song was What More Do You Want? by Maria Daines

Bonus track is Cowboys and Aliens by Jeff Ronay

YST Episode 31 Bamboo and Tencel May 16, 2009

Bamboo and Tencel, those shiny, slippery, shiny, ecofriendly, shiny, nonwool, shiny fibers (did I tell you that they are shiny?) are the topic of today's podcast. Another spinner joins me today to talk about why these and other non wool fibers are all she spins. If you have wanted to try these fibers (did I tell you that they are shiny?) this is the podcast to help get you started.

We refer to lots of things on the internet, so here's a listing of what I hope is all the links:

The youtube video of spinning tencel can be found here.

Digitaldurga has a non wool fiber group on Ravelry called Garden Spinning. Join her there if you want to discuss anything about today's podcast, or anything relating to these fibers.

Cotton was not included in today's podcast even though it is a cellulose fiber because there are three podcasts that cover cotton. You can find those podcasts under the names: Cotton Dye Day (episode 12), Dyeing Cotton Naturally (episode 13), and Spinning Cotton (episode 15).

The Bamboo, Tencel and Targhee/bamboo blend fibers discussed today were provided as sample by Natural Obsessions.

The non wool July sample box mentioned is from www.phatfiber.com. Phatfiber provides a monthly box of samples of fibers and yarns from vendors. Each box is based on a theme and for July 2009, the theme is non wool.

A very non inclusive listing of links that I found for sources for this fibers:

www.woolery.com www.twistoffateyarns.com www.paradisefibers.net www.yarnandfiber.com www.woolworks.com www.grittyknits.com www.mandacrafts.etsy.com www.thepaintedsheep.etsy.com www.fiberoptic.etsy.com www.windrose.etsy.com www.dyeingforcolour.etsy.com

Music on today's podcast was provided through the Podsafe music network. Get ready for the funk!

The opening song was by Polarity and is called Jammin Inya Jammies.

The interlude music was by Electric Submarine and is called Goats Seldom Shave.

The podcast closes with a wonderful version of Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone by Busterman.

YST Episode 30 Plying Apr 30, 2009

There's a misconception in the spinning community that if you know how to spin a yarn, you know how to ply. In this episode I talk all about the whys and ways of putting single strands of handspun yarn into complex yarns.

I would like to thank the following authors for writing their books and thus helping me pass along what I learned from them in my podcast:

Alden Amos: Big Book of Handspinning

Margaret Stove: Handspinning Dyeing & Working with Merino and Superfine Wools

Diane Varney Spinning Designer Yarns

Music in the podcast is from the Podsafe Music Network

The interlude music is by Kelvin Bear and is called The Mist

The ending song is by Iona Leigh and is called Blackbird

As always a big thank you to Claire Dowling for the spinning song I use as the intro to the podcast.

YST Episode 29 April 2009 Spin In Apr 23, 2009

Road Trip! In the yarnspinners tale today I talk all about a trip to visit the wonderful spinning and weaving store The Woolery.

Speaking of traveling, one of today's sheep breeds is all the way from Norway. Spaelsau is an old Norweigen breed with a double coated fleece and I have the opportunity to work with some of the fiber. Close in nature to that breed and more readily obtainable, I also talk about the Icelandic breed in today's review of sheep breed fleeces.

If you want to visit the Woolery's website, you can find it here.

Pictures of the yarns I spun, and of the friction wheel I saw at the Woolery can be found on my blog.

All music today was provided by Marc Gunn and found on the podsafe music network. As a podcast listener, I also enjoy Marc's podcast, The Irish and Celtic Music podcast. You can find that on ITunes.

Thanks for listening!

YST Episode 28 Dipping in the Dyepots Mar 30, 2009

Dipping in the dyepots, because I am in the mood for color. But there's a second reason and I talk all about what to do if you have a yellow and discolored fleece. Dye it of course!

I have posted a number of photos on my blog that show the original fleece, the dyed fiber and even a few batts carded from the fiber. Be sure to take a look.

The music comes again from the podsafe music network. If you like what you heard, click on the links for the musicians and support them. Thank you also to Claire Dowling for her Spinning Song used as my opening theme music.

The Sugar People with In the Color Blue was the snippet opening music for the dyeing discussion.

Sandro G Masoni provided the interlude music during the show with Soft Spring Rain

Ax did a lovely short instrumental piece called Pure Romantic Spring Feelings

And the podcast closes with a song from the group bobby blue call Sunshine Ode to Spring.

And so we have safely sung spring into my part of the world again. Soon it will be time for podcasting from the front porch.

YST Episode 27 Almost Spring Spin In Mar 14, 2009

Spring is fickle and comes and goes, but the spinning goes on anyway.

Today's podcast has discussions on two rare breeds of sheep, the Tunis and the Karakul. And later, as I spin on some cashgora, I talk about the unnamed spinners and her influence in my fiber life.

All music today has a spring theme and is from the podsafe music network.

Sounding for all the world like a 1940's tune, Tom Waits sings You Can Never Hold Back Spring.

The interlude music between the yarnspinner tale today is Steps to Spring by Ishmail Abatay.

The podcast closes with the song Winterspring by the Ampersands.

Of course, I must thank Wren Ross for Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Clare Dowling for the Spinning Song.

YST Episode 26 Woolen or Worsted Feb 15, 2009

Woolen spun or worsted spun, as spinners we hear the terms all the time. But do you really know the difference? If someone put fiber in your hand and asked you to spin it into a worsted yarn, could you? Listen in on this podcast as I explain the difference, and actual techniques.

Edit to add list of books:

I realized I mention several books in the podcast as sources of my information and that I should probably give the names of the books here for your reference.

Merino Handspinning Dyeing and Working with Merino and Superfine Wools by Margaret Stove.

The Alden Amos Big book of Handspinning

The Whole Craft of Spinning by Carol Kroll

And of course there is music, bouncy enough to make you toes tap. All music is from the Podsafe Music network, and I want to send a specific thank you to the following musicians for sharing there songs on that site.

Opening music is by Cubaxd and is called A Folk Song without a Name.

Kurveball gives us lovely musical advice to let go and Leave It Behind.

And to close, for all of you that suffer as I do right now, with a winter cold, Eddy Delbridge sings a soothing going to sleep song, called The Prone Zone.

Enjoy!

YST Episode 25 Jan 2009 Spin In Jan 31, 2009

It's a good day for snuggling up with some warm fiber and spinning. In today's podcast I talk about an unusual fiber cashgora. And later, while spinning this fiber, I have my yarnspinner tale about balance.

All music in the podcast today has the theme of snow, and I would like to give a big thank you to the following musicians for sharing their songs with us on the Podsafe Music Network.

Snow by The Standalone

Snowman by the Egerton Boys

Snow by Comfortable

Snow Angel by Laura Hughes

And a final thank you to Clare Dowling for the Spinning Song and Wren Ross for BaaBaa Black Sheep.

YST Episode 24 Spinning and Dyeing Silk Jan 25, 2009

Slick and shiny top, or interesting and challenging hankies, whatever form of silk fiber you have can be spun and dyed into wonderful yarn. Today's podcast talk's all about my experiences with spinning and dyeing silk.

I refer to a number of links online during the podcast, so here they are, all conveniently gathered for you in one post.

Sources of fiber and dyes:

Tweenway Silks

Cheryl Kolander with peace silks (Aurora silk)

Silk Things for the instant silk 'teacup' dyes

Paradise Fibers for country classic dyes (or google country classic dyes)

YouTube videos:

Preparing a silk hanky to spin demonstrated by me

An interesting video of cocoons being reeled

A page of the well known WormSpit silk blog, showing how silk hankies are made

Last but not at all the least, the music in today's podcast. All music is from the Podsafe music network. Songs in order of appearance are:

Silk Route by Satya

Coffee by Liveloop

Changka by Don't be a Stranger

YST Episode 23 Drop Spindles Dec 20, 2008

Happy Holidays listeners! The main part of this podcast is all about drop spindles. I talk through the basics of how to spin with one, and then talk about the different spindles I have, and what fibers they spin well.

There's a yarnspinner tale too, although it's an indulgent list crossing off session of holiday happenings.

As always, there's music to bebop along with as you work or drive, with a holiday theme. I hope you find the music as enjoyable as I did.

All music is from the Podsafe Music Network. Today's podcast opens with, What Child Is This? - Greensleeves - classical guitar Christmas instrumental by Derek K Miller.

Next Winzenried a.k.a. Hollywood Drunks gives us an upbeat version of Carol of the Bells.

Pink Christmas by The Moneyshot Cosmonauts is between the segments and the podcast is closed by Hipcola with Winter Wonderland.

OK so it's a cliche...but talk to you next year! Thanks for listening.

YST Episode 22 October Spin In Oct 31, 2008

My first year anniversary podcast! For this spin in, the fiber animal is, for once, not a sheep. Instead alpaca fiber is discussed.

Also, a bit of audio indexing, as the year of podcasting here is reviewed. Finally, spinning really did happen, and all day. Hear all about a day at a fiber fair.

Music for this podcast is from the podsafe music network. There is lots of wonderful music in this podcast. Check out these websites and give them your support, for sharing their music with the world.

Interlude music is Talking by rob

Great vocal song by Sarah Donner called Suffragette

Lovely background music called Autumn Stream by Adam Zampino

Closing female vocalist Caren Kennedy with Just Talking

Closing male vocalist Dropkick with Listen to You.

Thanks for listening! Today, all last year, and the year to come.

YST Episode 21 Felting Fleece Oct 27, 2008

Felting fleece is something we spinners fear right? Not always. What if you think outside of the box, and felt fleece to your advantage?

The photo shows one time Yarnspinner thought outside of that fear of felting a fleece. Listen to the podcast to learn all about how a non spinnable fleece was felted into a lovely wool pelt.

On the more practical side, fleece batts can be shape felted into anything, as long as you have a form to serve for shaping. The next example talked about in the podcast is a felted hat.

There are many more photos on this blog, be sure to take a look at those photos of the process explained in the podcast.

All the music in the podcast is from the podsafe music network. Since it is so close to Halloween, the tunes are intentional a bit spooky. A big thank you to all the musicians that shared their music. Be sure to check out links for the websites of those that you like.

Vampire Organ by Jeff Rosiana was the spooky intro.

Spooky Fractal Magic by Embertime and Spooky by Podcast Troubadour Jeff Shields both provided the interlude music.

Windy October Day by Roland Blum is the podcast's closing song.

Thanks for listening!

YST Episode 20 September Spin In Sep 30, 2008

The September Spin In podcast continues with two more rare breeds of sheep, the Navajo Churro and the Jacob breeds.

And Yarnspinner talks about just why there is so much stash!

Pictures of the sheep breed samples can be found on the blog.

And be sure to check out the new way to contact Yarnspinner, at the new site drop.io.

Music is from the Podsafe music network. This podcast has an autumnal theme, with A Taste of Autumn by Ensemble Variable, and Autumn Colors by Ritchie Hernandez.

Thanks for listening!

YST Episode 19 How the Wheel Spins Sep 16, 2008

Do you really know how your spinning wheel works? Knowing how it works will help you spin the yarn you want, instead of just spinning whatever happens type of yarn.

It's September, and that means back to school. So we hit the books and learn about three different types of flyer bobbin systems used in spinning wheels. Once you figure out what type of wheel you are using, you can then understand how to make your wheel work for you.

There's lots of information on this podcast, so to give us a bit of a break, I am using music from the group CatzintheHatz. Here's a link to their music:

http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=b588c2cc09c7fe6855202a2901643905

And to close the podcast, there's a wonderful parody song, Wake Me up When this Math Class is Done, by the group fump:

http://www.thefump.com/

As always all music is from the podsafe music network.

Thanks for listening!

Episode 18 August Spin In Sep 01, 2008

Summer is slipping away, and so this month's Yarnspinners Tale is about summer memories. But there's lots more in the podcast, as I review two rare breeds of sheep, the CVM and Maine Island Sheep.

All music is from the podsafe music network. I used five different musicians this podcast, all with music around the theme of summer.

The opening song, that said goodbye to summer is by Danny Fong.

The interlude music for the sheep breed discussion is a song called Sweet Summer Memories by Steven Cravis.

A wonderfully summer song, Fireflies, is sung by JJ Grey and Mofro.

The wonderful guitar strumming behind my recap is by Tripple6fusioN (who I have played before) with Picking Memories.

And last, and best of all for the wonderful female vocals, is The Simple Things with The Moon is Torn.

The photo above is the pink superwash yarn that I have been spinning over the last several months of podcast spin-ins. It really is lovely, and I still have about 2/3 of a pound of fiber left. Lots more of that yarn to spin.

Photos of the sheep breed review can be found on my blog.

Thanks for stopping by, and for listening!

YST Episode 17 Tips and Techniques Aug 17, 2008

Ribbons and not medals are what you win when you let your yarn be judged. In keeping with the spirit of the Summer Olympics in one segment of this podcast I talk about how to find competitions to enter your spinning and how to prepare the skeins to be judged.

Three other segments also share some of the hints and tips I have after several weeks of experimenting with different techniques. One segment talks about what to do when you end up with singles on one bobbin and you want to ply that yarn. The method is called Andean plying and is easier to do than to explain!

A third segment talks about picking a fleece. Now this is not talking about the actual selection of a fleece, but the process that allows the locks of washed fiber to be opened so that vegetable matter or short nubs of fiber can be removed. It makes a big difference in the yarn you spin when you take the time to do this step, as I relearned this week.

And finally, the biggest challenge of all to many experienced spinners: spinning a bulky yarn is discussed. It's a yarn you either love or hate, but either way, it's good to know how to spin it.

Be sure to check out my blog to see some photos of the topics discussed in the podcasts.

Since this podcast is an eclectic mixture of topics, I have an mixture of music too. As usual, all music is from the podsafe music network and below are links to the specific musicians.

First a special thank you to Claire Dowling for the spinning intro music.

Interlude music called Summer Meadow is by Jim Richmond.

Saffire and the Uppity Blues Women sing for us Don't You Tell Me.

The music behind the thank yous is Butterfly Seranade and is by Tripple6Fusion.

And to close the show, a lovely blues vocal that just sings of summer, Watermelon Time by Marcia Ball.

Thanks for listening!

YST Episode 16 July Spin In Jul 31, 2008

Spinning and the Summer Olympics, an unexpected pairing. Unless of course you have been hanging out on Ravelry and have heard all about the knitting olympics. Yarnspinner takes on the challenge and tells you all about it in this podcast.

Also there are two breed fleece reviews, the well known Romney, and the unfamiliar, but very American Targhee.

All music is from the podsafe music network.

Providing the interlude with a jazzy summer feel is Boom Boom Beckett. Since the musicians website is in Italian, here is a link on the music network that will allow you to buy their music.

The music closing the podcast is provided by Douglas Spotted Eagle. He has a website on My Space, or you can go to the music network for his music here.

Thanks for listening!

YST Episode 15 Spinning Cotton Jul 18, 2008

Episode 15 is all about preparing and spinning cotton. Joining me in the podcast are some of my spinning friends with some very good explanations of just how they do this. And also something new to the show this time: videos!

First as promised a very special spinning movie. Currently it is on YouTube, to save me some MB storage space here. The Spinning Movie is set to music from Kelvin Bear, who I found on the Podsafe Music Network. This artist does not seem to have a website, so here's a link to his music.

Now for some instructional videos.

These are for folks with DSL access.

Carding cotton and making punis

Support spindle spinning cotton

Setting up a charkha and spinning

Here are the same videos, at reduced bandwidths for dialup:

Carding cotton and making punis

Support spindle spinning cotton

Setting up a charkha and spinning cotton

This is all a grand experiment for me, and you may find that because I had to use Windows Movie Maker for editing, that they will only play in Windows Media Player. If you do not have that media playing software, you should at least be able to view the Spinning Movie on Youtube, and well as the Cotton Carding and Support spindle spinning cotton.

Enjoy!

All music for this podcast is from the Podcast Music Network.

Brian McRae song July Moon provided the interlude music.

Ben Willmott ends the podcasts with the song Fireworks.

This was a fun podcast to make, and I hope you have as much fun listening to it.

Happy Spinning!

YST Episode 14 June Spin In Jun 20, 2008

Spinning on my front porch, means cool morning air, birdsong and the occasional cow mooing in the background. But the topic of the yarnspinnerstale this month is very cool, as I tell all about my recent cruise to Alaska with Seasocks 08.

Before that though, I discuss two sheep breeds from my rare breed sampler: Cormo and Montadale. The photo is from some of the cormo spun from combed top pulled through a diz.

Music for this podcast is from the Podsafe Music Network. New music artists include:

Janet Spahr with Rosemary

Damh the Bard with Lady of the Silver Wheel

And special thanks to Wren Ross for letting me use Baa Baa Black sheep with the sheep fleece reviews, and to Clare Dowling for the opening Spinning song.

A few links I said I would include are:

Amy Singer her webpage is here. Amy taught a shawl Plug and Play class on the cruise.

Crissy Gardner, and Heather Ordover each taught in the Heels, Heels, Heels classes.

And Brenda Dayne, talking all about her experiences podcasting, was the highlight of the trip, for this podcaster.

Finally, I issue an Olympic challenge. I did this for the winter Olympics, and the blog entry is in the archives from my blog. But I am in the mood to do something different this time, and talk about that in the podcast. I hope you will join me in August as I watch the Olympics and take on your own Olympic spinning challenge. You have a bit of time, but don't dally, the challenge starts 08/08/08.

Happy summer solstice!

Setting up Podcast Alley feed Jun 05, 2008

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-7264bcb4e6a5567c840d2f8e246679ac}

Cotton Dyeing Naturally Jun 01, 2008

Part 2 of the cotton dyeing discusses how I dyed the roving using a natural dyestuff. And a very unusual dyestuff too.

There are photos, and a detailed description of the process on my blog.

I've included two songs in today's podcast, both from the podsafe music network. Be sure and check out the musicians webpages if you like the songs.

Copper Box played Need a Little Squeezin It's a great tune, and is featured on their website too.

Clare Dowling of Moot Music opens every podcast for me with her spinning song, and for this podcast, closes with Go With the Flow.

Hope you have enjoyed these two podcasts of dyeing cotton. Comments are always welcomed here or on my blog. And if you use Itunes, and could look me up there, searching under Yarnspinners Tales, leave a review. It'll help more spinners find me.

Until next time, hope all you fiber colors are wonderul.

YST Episode 12 Cotton Dye Day May 30, 2008

Dyeing Cotton Part one.

In today's podcast I am joined by my local spinners/knitters for a day of dyepots, fiber and fun. Cotton fiber, specifically and the project was all for a fiber swap starting in the Ravelry group, Garden Spinning.

Please be sure to check out the blogs for each of the dyers, for lots of pictures.

Anita, Andrea, and Viki. Yarnspinners blog is here.

Here's a few key points about what we learned:

Cotton needs to be soaked very thoroughly in soda ash water, to take up the dye well.

Dyes created specifically for cotton need to be used. These are the old formula Cushings union dyes or any dye specifically created for tie dyeing.

Solar heating or low tech variations with a heating pad work well to set the dyes. Temperatures need to be around 100 degrees.

Cotton takes a very long time to dry, needs lots of dry heat or breeze to dry and looks pretty compacted until it does dry.

A good thumping on the cotton, once it is dry will fluff it up and make it ready to spin.

There's lots more on the podcast! So much more, that I had to divide the podcasts into two parts. So continue on with episode 13 to hear the rest of the story.

Music for the podcast is from the podsafe music network. Clare Dowling provides my opening theme, and the interludes today are by Dan Tharp.

YST Episode 11 May 2008 May 09, 2008

A bit of change in the format this time, change is good, right?

In this episode I review three books that include spinning information, and I share with you about a real live outside spin-in that I joined.

Since this is not a hands on, technical podcast this time, just think of this as time to catch up on your spinning projects. The podcast will be back to its usual format in a couple weeks. Meanwhile, enjoy the chat and music of this show.

All music is from the podsafe music network.

The interlude music, Blacksmiths Dance is by Eastern Blok

The ending song is Coffee Man by Calvin Owens

Until later, happy spinning!

YST Episode 10 April Spin In Apr 22, 2008

April is not only about spring, but many other things on this month's spin in podcast. I talk about the fleece from two rare breeds of sheep, the Finn Sheep and the Perendale. And as usual there is lots of music, and a Yarnspinner's Tale.

Today's music comes from the Podsafe Music Network. I encourage you to check out this website as well as the websites for any of the artists used on today's podcast.

Special thank you's go to Clare Dowling and Wren Ross for use of their music to introduce segments in the podcasts.

The music behind the spring poem was provided by Monica Herzig.

The song Memory Lane was done by Elliott Smith.

Hardly Enough is from WAZ.

And the show closes with music from the group Parker Street Cinema.

Until the next podcast, hope all of your memories are well spun.

Booting Spammers Apr 08, 2008

Just a note to say I had to set the comment function for this website to moderate, because the spammers finally found me. So for all of you lovely listeners that take the time to leave me comments, be patient, your comment will show up soon as I OK it. I know no one wants to see the spam in the comments either.

Yarnspinner

YST Epidode 9 Washing a Fleece Apr 02, 2008

Spring Cleaning time, means fleece washing time.

Join me as I talk through the process of converting this fleece straight off the shetland sheep into a beautifully clean fiber, ready to comb or card.

Pictures of everything I talk about are located on my blog, Yarnspinner Tales.

All music today can be found on the podsafe music network.

The Eggerton Boys are back in this show with the appropriate, Bath Time.

Jimmy Nicholas sings The House Cleaning Blues. His records hang out with over Texas Bluesman at this label.

And the closing surprise piece, was done by these artists.

Hope the show helps you along with any of your spring cleaning chores this month, whether you are washing windows (you do, really? Can you come to my house?) or fleece.

See you in a couple of weeks for a spin-in show.

YST Episode 8 February Spin In Mar 02, 2008

It's the month of hearts and pink. It's still wintery here, but spring is in my heart. Join me as I sit by the fireplace and spin and talk about my history with the internet. After all, without this vital interactive web, you would never be able to hear this month's Yarnspinners Tale.

There are other pictures on my blog Yarnspinners.

All music in the podcast came from the podsafe music network. Be sure to go to this and the musicians websites and support them for their generous sharing of music for this podcast.

My Heart by Norman Hedman Tropique provided the toes in the sand feeling. http://normanhedman.com/

Wren Ross does a song that just made me laugh out loud and I hope you find it just as much fun. You'll recognize the song, but not the words! Her website is http://www.wrenross.com/

The podcast closes with just a modern lovesong in honor of Valentine's Day, The Love Song you Always Wanted. http://www.deadheartbloom.com/html/news.htm

A big thank you to all that have left comments here, and on my blog. It truly feels like a gift to read your comments.

Spring will be on it's way by the next podcast, and I think it will be time to open up the windows and get out the dyepots. I hope you will join me then too. Until then, happy spinning.

Skirting a Shetland Fleece Feb 16, 2008

If skirting a fleece makes you think of running to your nearby clothing store, you really need to listen to this spinning podcast. Find out just how you take a five pound raw fleece and get it ready for the wash.

Today's music found on the podsafe music network, is provided by:

MDL with Acoustic Heart

Tom Smith with Stupid Belated Valentine

The next podcast will be a spin-in, with lots of heart related music in honor of the month of February, as well as some yarnspinnerstales. See you then, and thanks for listening.

January Spin In Feb 02, 2008

In today's show I talk about two sheep breeds, and lots of snow.

I have added a segment to the spin-in shows to share with the listeners my spinning studies of different breeds of sheep. This started out as rare breed sheep only, but expanded into just about any breed that I have had a chance to sample fleece. Today's two breeds are Border Leicester, and Blue Face Leicester.

All music in the show is from the Podsafe music network.

The first musical interlude is Snowfall by Rada Neal.

Snow's No Fun At All is song by the Danny Daughtridge Trio.

Dreams of a Snowman, was used as the musical interlude during yarnspinner's tale, and was provided by: No Plastic Inside.

And TV's Kyle is back again, with Snowball Fight.

The next podcast will be about just how I take that great big fleece from the sheep and sort it in preparation to washing it.

Thanks for listening!

Spinning Angora Jan 18, 2008

Did you know that angora rabbits come in dyelots? I talk about this and many other hopefully helpful explanations of how to process and spin that angora fiber you bought (and have stashed forever).

All the music in this podcast is provided by Clare Dowling through the podsafe music network. She sings with a group known as The Moot, so that is the webpage to which you will be directed. I featured her and her music in this show, because I am using her song Spinning Wheel, as my opening theme song. The interludes between parts of the show are from her Acoustic Blues, and the show ends with Misunderstood.

To view the photos I talk about in the podcast please go to my blog.

Next show will be the spin-in for the month, see you then!

Nontraditional Christmas 2007 Dec 16, 2007

Not even a picture of decked out everygreens, jolly fat men dressed in red velvet or winter globe snow scenes. Not a bit of spinning here, neither fiber nor tales. Just lots of holiday music which will hopefully add a bit of zing to your holiday MP3 player. Welcome to the non traditional seating of the holiday manor.

A very big thank you to all of the musicians that allow their music to be shared on this podcast. All music is from the podsafe music network

Please visit the musicians websites and buy their music if you like it. It would be like dropping a little something into their Christmas stockings.

Christmas Here on Mars by Bubble

A Guy Named Nick by Jim Merillat

A Harry Potter Christmas by Joel Kopischke

Joy-Kinda Holidayish by Charlie Crowe

Oh Come All Ye Faithful by Uncle Seth

Robot Ad by PeeperRadio Theater

Ya, You Betcha Christmas by Gary Sundblad

Santa Claus is Freaking Me Out by Lord Weatherby

Carol of the Bells by Admiral Twin

I'll Be Home for Christmas by Twisted Sister

Let It Snow by Winzenried A.K.A. Hollywood Drunks

Socks and Underpants by TV's Kyle

Santa's Story 06 by Andy Buscemi

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Chris Barker

Jingle Jangle by Larry Seyer

Christmas 2007 Traditional Dec 16, 2007

Christmas...it's all about traditions, at least in this podcast. Oh were you looking for somthing about spinning? Well the only thing spun, are two yarnspinners tales, the first about playing with someone else's toys and the second about her Christmas traditions. To keep with the theme, there is lots of music in, of course, a traditional style.

All music is from the podsafe music network

And because I want to send a big thank you to all the musicians that kindly shared some holiday music for us, here are their website links. Go and buy some music from them, their landlords will thank you.

The opening song was It's Christmas Time by Bree Noble

Feels Like Christmas is by: Rusty Bladen

Santa is Coming to Town is by: Andy Buscemi

A Round for Christmas is by: Jim Goodrich

Rise up Shepherd and follow is by: Cat Jahnke

Oh Holy Night is by: The New Autonomous Folksingers

And we close with, Carol of the Bells by: thehipcola

If you heard a strong chorus of Hallelujah! it's because I think I have finally worked out a better audio quality for my voice. I hope you think so too!

Angora Podcast Dec 01, 2007

Join me in my barn today, and learn how to harvest the wonderful fiber angora from a rabbit. And there's a few rabbits in the music hat too!

Musical interludes in the barn are from:

Dancing in November by Monika Herzig

For our music break, we pulled these rabbits out of the hat:

Run Rabbit/The Chase by Brain Buckit

Bunny Boiler Pablo Eskimo

And we close with some country bluegrass from the Smithsonian Archives:

Rabbit in a Log by The Stanley Brothers

And as always a thank you for my spinning wheel theme song by Clare Dowling.

All music can be found at the podsafe music network

Next month's podcasts will both be mostly music podcasts, set up for your listening whether you find time to spin, or knit on those have to be done by Christmas socks. Talk to you then!

November Spin-In Nov 13, 2007

Grab your favorite spinning tool and fiber and join me as I spin some yarn, and tell you a few yarnspinners tales. And of course, play music, lots of wonderful autumnal type music all to be found at the Podsafe Music Network.

Check out the following artists and their music: their spouses will thank you!

Spinning My Wheels by Dan Montgomery

Cheetham Hill by Junction Pool

Autumn Colors by Ritchie Hernandez

Autumn by Quinn

Autumn Leaves by Egerton Boyz

With special thanks to Clare Dowling for her Spinning Song used as my Intro.

YST Episode 1 Combing Shetland Fleece Oct 28, 2007

Big Scary Five Pitch Combs and Halloween music, Oh MY!

Join me on my front porch and listen to my detailed explaination of how I use base held large combs for making top from Shetland wool. Then enjoy some Halloween music from the Podsafe music network, while either trying your own combing, or just enjoying the music.

A few pictures of the combing process have been posted on my Oct 27th entry of my blog.

All podsafe music used can be found here.

Websites for the musicians in the podcast are:

Well I Wouldn't Call them Demon by DeepSeaDust

Frankenstein's in the Mood by Beau Hall

Halloween by The Coffinshakers

Halloween is Awesome by Hyper Nonsense

And special thanks to Clare Dowling for her Spinning Song used as my Intro music.

Join me in several weeks for a spin along, as I light a fire in my living room fireplace, and talk and spin on one of my wheels. See you then!

YST Episode Beta 1.0 Oct 09, 2007

Welcome to the first podcast for Yarnspinners Tales. This is a beta test of everything involved to put together a podcast, and I go into some of the details, plus talk a little about the format for future podcasts. And in between all that, there is some music that I have enjoyed and hope you will too. Just try and make it through the day without rehumming the Refrigerator Blues!

The next and official first episode of Yarnspinners Tales will be about combing fiber with large pitch combs. So grab your combs and fiber and join me.

All music in this podcast is from the Podsafe Music Network. If you liked what you heard, go to the website and support the musicians. Their spouses will thank you!

Special thanks to Clare Dowling for her song Spinning Wheel, my intro theme song.

Refrigerator Blues by 77South

Cyndi by Podcast Troubadour

Goodbye Time by Bluesman Tom Malafarina