Dec 05

Dec 05,

So, what have I been doing? It's ages since I updated this blog, so here we go. This is a sample of the work I've completed in the past 3-4 weeks. I started the typically Peruvian crafts while on a textile and cultural tour of Peru with Puchka Tours. It was wonderful. I'm going to use the embrodered piece on some clothing...but have to work out what. The cap is a bit small for an adult, and doesn't have ear flaps..... plenty of room for improvement there as far as tension goes. Backstrap weaving is just wonderful. I love it. Can't wait to start something much wider. The felt hat was made because the price being paid for alpaca fleece here in Australia is really bad, and so I've decided to use up as much as I can, rather than be paid peanuts for top quality fleece. It does felt easily and quickly. The difference between the felt in this hat and the sample shown in an earlier entry (the white piece) is that I actually carded this fleece prior to laying it down; using much better quality fleece( I used the skirt rather than belly and leg hair which has heaps and heaps of guard hair.) than what I used in the white felt, and ....that's about it. Even though I used crappy fleece in the white sample, it still felted quickly, and the texture is "textured"! I guess if I want to make better quality items, I have to do it better....... I was happy with the hat. I also made a beret and that turned out well too. I used silk, mohair, and wool as decoration/relief on the hat.