Fiber Art Earrings with Precious Stones and Glass

So, I made earrings today for the craft fair in a week and a half. The problem is I  might keep them! I like these multi-green ones with aventurine the best.

Amethyst and Acrylic?!

One thing that is unique about these fiber art pieces is the fiber I used to make them---it's acrylic!

I used Lion's brand Homespun. I know quite a few knitters and fiber artists that really don't like this particular yarn, and I can't blame them, it bunches, is to textured you can't see any pattern your knit, and the tension is wacky. It also comes apart.

But wait, it also comes apart!

 

I should clean these up a bit  more.

There are three reasons why I still choose to work with this yarn:

1.Pretty colors! So many colors merged into one yarn, so bright and beautiful. And washable!!!!
2. It's very soft and warm and light
3. You can take it apart!






By gently pulling on the plying strand I can separate it from the poofy  acrylic "roving." But was surprised to find two more threads in the second ply! This took a more gentle extraction, and the leftover "roving" is very soft and easy to pull apart.

Because acrylic won't felt, the other challenge I had was how to secure the ends of the fibers after I had wound them around the eye pin. Elmer's Glue All, anyone?

Then I wrapped the same thread I had just pulled out of the yarn around the created fiber bead. It was designed to match!

Handmade Drop Spindle and Getting Addicted to Fiber Arts

I have many friends who spin and knit and do lots of fiber art, and it's very addicting. And contagious! These days, painting and fiber art are all I want to so, much to the detriment of my day job.

My friend also let me try out one of her drop spindles and taught me how to use it. I need a lot of practice to make anything that resembles yarn! But I learned a lot in the process. Fiber art, from sheep to sock, takes a LOT of time. If you paid the artist for their time for making you a pair of socks from hand spun, hand-dyed yarn, you would be paying at least a hundred dollars.


This is what I started out with. I found a hook later.

Because you tend to spend so much time with your spindle, I decided to make mine pretty. I started by burning a design in it with my soldering iron. This cuts the fibers in the wood to prevent the ink from spreading to a place I don't want it to when I stain it with india ink.










And I dyed it very brightly!!!
It's beautiful, and still I miss the simplicity of the natural wood. O well, I'll have to make more!
I dyed the stick that will be glued to the bottom as well. It's a tealish green. The picture you see here is the top disk while it is still drying from a second coat of varnish. I don't want the yarn to snag on the wood, or get colored by the ink stain. I will give it at least four coats. The varnish (polyurethane) will also bring out the ink stain and grain of the wood and make it pretty.

More pics when it's done!



UPDATE:
Here it is!