Spinning again.

Yeah, so now that I can do a fairly decent job at it, I find myself addicted to spinning while watching tv and my knitting progress has suffered terribly for it. All I've done lately is spin and spin.

Ah, yes, I have also been busy with my drum carder carding some unwashed suri alpaca that has been fun to process. I am thinking I will never buy unwashed again, because washing it in batches in a bucket in my bathroom has really been, um, interesting? I had a massive alpaca hair clog when one lock escaped and immediately spiraled down the drain. The drum carder is SO fun. Although I have learned a valuable lesson when I got bitten by the slicker. Damn that thing is sharp!! I accidentally poked my finger on one of the spikes and man was it more effective than any lancet ever made. My finger bled and bled. *Note to self - don't poke finger on slicker.* When I got it I was totally hoping I could get the kids to crank the handle and push in the fiber, but now I don't even want them to stand near the thing, not to mention putting their precious little fingers anywhere near it. All I can see is the slicker munching their hand and shredding up their skin. It terrifies me. I am sure it will be a subject for nightmares to come.

So far I have made 2 suri alapaca batts. They are silky and luxurious. The carder couldn't be easier to use. My learning curve has been steep. Lesson 1, don't hold the fiber tightly as it feeds under the licker because then it wraps around the licker instead of rolling onto the drum and then you have to pick it off and that is dangerous. Lesson 2, when they instructions say "small amounts" they mean small amounts and not smallish large amounts or it gets tangled up and the fiber doesn't roll onto the drum smoothly and more fiber gets wrapped around previously mentioned evil licker. Lesson 3, They give you a flicker card for a reason, using the flicker card or a comb makes a more even bat that doesn't have the ends of the locks still bunched up. Lesson 4, keep your damn fingers away from evil licker drum.

Well, off to sit and spin.