“I am woven pieces of all the places I’ve been, and all the people I’ve loved.”
We could easily go to any big superstore and pick from the walls of brightly colors synthetic, acrylic, or polyester yarns to weave with. But you would be missing a huge part of the joy in creating this kind of craft. For me that joy comes from experiencing the entire process, starting with the natural resources offered to us by the Creator and left in Mother Earth’s care. A weaving can’t exist without the fibers in it, so we’ll start there.
What are FIBERS? By definition, fibers are “slender strands of elongated filament, capable of being spun or twisted into thread, yarn,or rope.” Your hair is a fiber. And when you divide it into small bundles, braid it together into patterns, that can be likened to a form of weaving.
Natural fibers come from two sources; plants or animals. Most of us are very familiar with cotton as a plant fiber. However there are others, such as Hemp, Jute, and Linen (flax). These are all plants and used to make different products. Animal fibers usually involve their fur or hair. Wool comes from sheep, but there’s also Alpaca and Mohair (goat). and then there’s Silk that is produced from the silk worm.
Once you’ve collected the natural fiber material, you’ll have to process or prepare it before turning it into yarn. In our next session we will discuss the steps necessary to prepare your fibers.
Cotton Boll and seeds
Sheep Wool Feece
