Back to carding, and other updates

With getting back into fleece, I ended up getting really back into drum carding this year.  I'd never quit, but I kept pushing it to the side, telling myself oh one day I'll work through this pile, and a project or two would creep to the finished stack but really not much was done.

But at the end of last year I felt really called to get back into it, I couldn't even say why.  I started looking around and picking up more blendables, and making more.  I had fun, and so I made a few more.  I got better, and faster, and made more.  I put a few on etsy, and they started disappearing.

In March or so, I took my first drum carding class, an online one (paid access though), to advance my own techniques.  It was by Esther Rodgers (jazz turtle) and I noticed she was using a strauch in the class.  I kept researching and realized that for the types of batts I really liked to spin, a Mad Batt'r was going to do a lot better job.  I hadn't for sure made up my mind, but after Maryland Sheep and Wool I finally decided to just hope it was the right choice, and purchased a double wide one (so I could make full 4+ oz batts).

The excitement was tangible, the box it came in was HUUUUGE!



I did a few test batts to get any leftover grease off, the batts were gigantic.  I could fit 5-6 oz on if I actually tried.  Best of all it would pull on enough that I could really "sandwich" fancy add-ins and create a really textured airy batt, perfect for what I love!  It really revolutionized my technique too, it wasn't nearly as limited as far as how or what to feed into it so I could be more creative.  And my batts just became more interesting and I enjoyed it more.

I started blending batts for wraps, working in fancy fibers with the wool to create absolutely unique blends here in house.

We Shadows was one of the first actual batts I did on the Mad Batt'r, using commercial black merino, loaded up with sari, camel/silk, and tussah.  I loved it so much I scrapped all my plans for Tour de Fleece and spindled this.  It is one of my favorite yarns to date even!  The width of these batts though is massively impressive.  Working with my little single-wide is even more frustrating now that the world has opened up so much as far as volume and texture.

Carl and I have done sets in the past but this has allowed us to play even more with combining elements, and it's been fabulous! 

I always love gradients, dyeing and blending them, and the width gives me more space to play with gradual gradations and more color inclusions.

At this point I honestly think the Batt'r is the best investment in my fiber arts discovery and business I could've made.  Strauch has totally won me over (and no, they didn't pay me to write this or even know I exist, I'm just that smitten with my new toy).