The Spinner's Basket

Here I, your host the Spinning Fairy, will gush about all things fiber-related. There will be tutorials on basic spinning; tips for spinning different fibers; and advice on how to care for your yarns once you've spun them up. I'll showcase different spinning methods, from history and across the world; and I might even try some of them! I'll do articles on Meet the Fleece, showcasing different types of fibers--and, when possible, the animals providing said fibers. There will

The Wizard of Purple Pony Farms Mohair is a fleece that doesn't get a lot of attention. Merino is cheaper, and often softer; alpaca is fluffier and more luxurious. And mohair...well, it comes with some challenges. Petra, from Purple Pony Farms. And chickens. To start with, mohair comes in two varieties: the soft, fluffy undercoat, and the wiry guard coat. One is very pleasant, almost luxurious. The other is more... penitential. A word I do not use lightly, as I will later e