handmade by stefanie

The Tour de Fleece may be over, but I am still spinning through the Louet Spinzilla July Fiber Pack I received earlier this month! Each month between now and Spinzilla , a new discounted fiber pack will be available at louet.com - and if you are coveting this particular assortment of fabulous fibers, you are in luck: there are still some July Fiber packs available here . You may recall when I shared this photo a few weeks ago: From top to bottom: 1/2 lb Optim 100% Merino Top, 1/2 lb Wool/Linen 60/40 Top, 2 oz 100% Cashmere, 1/2 lb Dyed Merino Top in Tawny Gold, 1/2 lb Super Fine Flax Top, 1 lb Grey Gotland Sliver & 1/2 lb Dark Coopworth. Since then, I've spun through about half of the fiber at this point (1.5 lbs, to be exact), and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed each selection so far. I started with a really easy-spinning fiber, the Dark Coopworth (below, middle). It was very light, lofty and a total breeze to work with. My next pick was the wool/linen top (...

Purchased at SOAR: CVM blend roving I met Ellen and Wanda, the two women who run Fiber Curios and Sundries , at SOAR this past October. Their booth was filled with interesting natural fibers and hand-dyed yarns. After chatting with Ellen for a while, it became clear that they had an incredible passion for locally-grown, sustainable fibers. The company is relatively new, having started last year (their  website  says that neither Ellen nor Wanda have given up their day jobs yet!). I was able to interview Ellen via email* to learn more about their dedication to sustainable yarns and fibers and find out what's in store for 2014! Etsy shop purchase: 100% CVM roving + fiber samples Your shop is dedicated to locally grown and sustainable fibers. Tell us why sustainability in fiber production is so important to you and why they should also be important to handspinners! When the issue of sustainability is raised, the reason that is at the forefront in my mind is to dec...