Waste not.... What??
Waste. Let's talk about waste.
Whether you like it or not, it's a part of processing raw fiber into something suitable for spinning.
I wish that 100% of what comes off an animal could be used completely by every hand spinner. I do believe in general, because of home processing, my waste output is lower than fiber mills. Still, I have bags and bags of fiber waste, angora, mohair, alpaca and wool, that will never become yarn. Matter of fact, it never becomes anything but trash.
I am a picky spinner and skirt heavily. I don't like anything below 3" inches, 2.5 perhaps for the finer wools. I generally comb or flick for a worsted prep, spin a worsted yarn, and I find short fibers shed out. I'm not a fan of short fiber preps. I prefer the texture of the fibers to match, so I will also grade and sort, leaving any thing too soft or two hard aside. I don't spin art yarn, don't like neps. I do like textured slubs, but not from neps, but from different thicknesses inserted into a smooth single.
I don't felt. Oh yes, I've tried. Probably every Youtube tutorial, every blog. Every fiber. I can stir a crock pot and the fiber doesn't felt. I had a special felting blend sent to me for felted soap: 35 minutes later, and I could just pull the wool off and spin it. Nope. And I think I have enough hobbies already.
Sure I could use it as stuffing, if I ever made things that require stuffing. Honestly, the kinds of shorts I dispose of, from raw fleeces, generally have stuff in their I wouldn't use to stuff a scarecrow (well, maybe not).
Someone suggested mulch. Ah no. My garden beds are covered with a creeping ground cover. I dare those weeds to peek through.
I tried to send it away for postage only. No takers.
So after musing over all the ideas that were tossed out to me, it just became obvious that I have no intention of using this waste. To me is is just waste. Still, I feel a little guiltiy throwing it away, so I keep it. On the shelf above my desk sits a box of Jacob waste. In a tub in my closet, there's a bag of Alpaca wastes. In a bowl under my sewing machine there's 4 oz of Angora rabbit waste.
Oh what a waste!!!
What do you do with yours?
I wish that 100% of what comes off an animal could be used completely by every hand spinner. I do believe in general, because of home processing, my waste output is lower than fiber mills. Still, I have bags and bags of fiber waste, angora, mohair, alpaca and wool, that will never become yarn. Matter of fact, it never becomes anything but trash.
I am a picky spinner and skirt heavily. I don't like anything below 3" inches, 2.5 perhaps for the finer wools. I generally comb or flick for a worsted prep, spin a worsted yarn, and I find short fibers shed out. I'm not a fan of short fiber preps. I prefer the texture of the fibers to match, so I will also grade and sort, leaving any thing too soft or two hard aside. I don't spin art yarn, don't like neps. I do like textured slubs, but not from neps, but from different thicknesses inserted into a smooth single.
I don't felt. Oh yes, I've tried. Probably every Youtube tutorial, every blog. Every fiber. I can stir a crock pot and the fiber doesn't felt. I had a special felting blend sent to me for felted soap: 35 minutes later, and I could just pull the wool off and spin it. Nope. And I think I have enough hobbies already.
Sure I could use it as stuffing, if I ever made things that require stuffing. Honestly, the kinds of shorts I dispose of, from raw fleeces, generally have stuff in their I wouldn't use to stuff a scarecrow (well, maybe not).
Someone suggested mulch. Ah no. My garden beds are covered with a creeping ground cover. I dare those weeds to peek through.
I tried to send it away for postage only. No takers.
So after musing over all the ideas that were tossed out to me, it just became obvious that I have no intention of using this waste. To me is is just waste. Still, I feel a little guiltiy throwing it away, so I keep it. On the shelf above my desk sits a box of Jacob waste. In a tub in my closet, there's a bag of Alpaca wastes. In a bowl under my sewing machine there's 4 oz of Angora rabbit waste.Oh what a waste!!!
What do you do with yours?
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