How to make a Teddy Bear.
The Arrow Acres Farm way.
Step 2- in the spring you will need to shear your alpaca.
Step 3- Have your kids help carry the fleece out of the barn.
Step 4- now you will have to wash the fiber.
Fill your sink with the hottest water possible. Then add soap, then place the fiber in the soapy water and let rest for 30 minutes.
Then move the fiber to the rinse. You can see the water on the left is so dirty. This batch needed to be washed twice. So a total of 2 washes and 4 rinses. The fiber needs to go into water the same temperature that it is leaving. So you will need a thermometer. Start out with the hottest water possible.
Put washed and rinsed fiber in salad spinner to draw out water. You can also use your washing machine, but I like to keep the dirt out of my washing machine.
Step 5- Lay the fiber out to dry.
Step 6- Card the fiber.
Card until all the fiber is smooth and all the fiber is going in the same direction.
Draw fiber off the drum carder and wrap into birds nets.
Step 7- With a drop spindle make your yarn.
Step 8- Wash your yarn to set the twist and to get any additional dirt out of the yarn. Then let it dry.
Step 9- Knit
Step 10- Assemble your bear and have your son test it out.
Happy Knitting, Andee
You do know that most of us start out at the Knit step, I'm sure. LOL
ReplyDeleteI forgot to include the picture of my boys destroying our house with their toys during the whole process. My husband is convinced someone has picked up our house and shook it like a snow globe and put it back down. But I think it is all worth it. Thanks Honey for letting my hobby take over the kitchen. Andee
ReplyDeleteAnn- your comment made me laugh. Love it! I too start at the knit step. Thank goodness for sisters that love the other parts!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete(Stopping by from the Yarn Along.)
I love this post!
ReplyDeleteHow come I didn't expect to see that alpaca there?!
beautiful!!! thank's for sharing your experience!!
ReplyDeleteeli