Category Archives: Handspun Yarn

Back from OFFF-On the Mend & Spinning Again!

Carbon Fiber Needles, Fiber, Handspun Yarn, Home Life, Spinning

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, OFFF  was quite eventful this year.  Set up on Friday went smoothly.  I share a booth with the Duncan Drum Carders.  After a few hours the booth was ready.

OFFF booth 2013
New Hue Handspuns and Duncan Carders

Lucky for me I live only 20 miles from the Canby Fairgrounds where OFFF is held, but the trip home that night wasn’t so lucky for me.  North bound I-205 was stop and go traffic the whole way.

I was looking forward to getting home to celebrate my 27th wedding anniversary with my husband.  Little did I know that we would be spending most of the evening in the emergency room…….  A distracted driver plowed into the back of my truck!  I ended up strapped to a back board and had a lovely ride to ER in the ambulance.  My dear Hubby met us at the hospital.  After a few hours and what seemed like hundreds of x-rays they determined  nothing was broken.  I was finally  turned  loose with prescriptions for pain meds and muscle relaxants.

My truck wasn’t hurt, and lucky for me I just have to deal with  sore muscles for a few weeks. I was pretty loopy on the pain meds, and unable to drive, so Will drove me down and picked me up from OFFF both days.  I wasn’t able to spin at all on Saturday.  Sitting upright in my chair and selling fiber was challenging enough!

The weather during OFFF was pretty nasty with the wind and rain.  Several outside vendor’s tents were blown over and some decided it was best to head home.  Lucky for me, we have an inside booth.

Despite the rain, wind, and the trip to the ER, it was a good show.  I got to see some old friends and make some new ones…..even if I was a bit out of it, and can’t remember names:)

I’m now back at home resting up and working on my  “Just Add Knitter Kits”  The last label has been made.

Brick-O-Brack
New Hue & Newhouse Just Add Knitter Kit tag

hopefully by the next posting  the first Neck Warmer Kit will be available!

I’m getting ready for Spinzilla !  I am on Team Storey Publishing.  Now to  line up enough fiber to spin during the week long event.  The goal  I’ve set for myself is to spin 20,000 yards in 7 days! now I just have to find enough fiber to spin……

Until next time, Happy Spinning and Knitting!

Cheryl <^..^>

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival Bound!

Carbon Fiber Needles, Dyeing, Fiber, Handspun Yarn, Home Life, Spinning
Bam Huey Fiber
Bam Huey Fiber Drying for Oregon Flock and Fiber

The past week has been all about getting ready for Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival !   I haven’t had the time to make  plying videos because I have been dyeing up a storm,  putting the finishing touches on a new pattern, and developing the New Hue & Newhouse  “Just add Knitter” Kits.

The truck is packed and I am heading out to set up for Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!  See you there.

Oregon Flock and Fiber
New Hue Handspuns booth at Oregon Flock and Fiber

Today is also a very special day….. Twenty Seven years ago today this is what I was doing!!!!

Will and Cheryl Newhouse 9/27/86
Will and Cheryl Newhouse 9/27/86

Now off to Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!!!!!

Spinning, Spinning, Spinning!!!

Fiber, Handspun Yarn, Spinning

The fiber has been weighed, prepped, dyed, dried, and now at last it is time for Spinning, Spinning, Spinning!!!

Let’s start off with my absolute all time favorite picture of me spinning……  What could be better than Spinning, watching football, with a glass of homemade Mead, and a nice warm fire?!?!?!

Drowning in 14 pounds of fiber to be spun.
Drowning in 14 pounds of fiber to be spun.

This was my monthly shipment of 14 pounds of Crown Mountain Farms fiber.  Remember way back  when CMF first started selling their handspun Sock Hop Yarn?  That was me spinning up about 60 skeins of the stuff every month.  I did this for a few years along with creating singles for Tanglewood Fiber Creations, and spinning my own line of yarns.  When I decided to focus on  my own yarns and retired from CMF spinning it did give me a little ego boost when it took several spinners to replace me:)

Now days the picture of me spinning looks a little different.  Treadling away  8-18 hours a day for years took it’s toll on my body.  The tendons that connect my foot to ankle have so many tears and scars that even 5 minutes of treadling is impossible for me.  Months in braces and other contraptions couldn’t  get my legs back to treadling , I thought I was going to have to give up my favorite activity and walking……….

BUT this is me spinning now!

Cheryl Newhouse Spinning at Sock Summit 2011
Cheryl Newhouse Spinning at Sock Summit 2011

I now use Miss Mini for all my work.  I tried several electric spinners, burned up lots of them, hated others, then at last I found Hansen Craft Mini Spinner !  I will do a complete review on the mini spinner in a future post, but for now go check them out!

I have a few videos on youtube and hope to make some more soon.  I do 90% of my spinning by spinning across the top.  It saves me from having to split fiber or do any pre drafting.  These two videos are examples of  spinning across the top. Spinning across the top Baa Baa Huey and Spinning across the top Bunny Patch .

To say that I Love Spinning is an understatement. From the first minute of my first  lesson 18 + years ago I knew that this is what I was destined to do. The drive and need to spin has not diminished over the years, only grown stronger.  Now I just need to  work on making  a living at it!

My next fiber show  Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, is coming up soon.  I am busy with the dye pots,  and putting the final touches on the  New Hue & Newhouse  “Just Add Knitter” kits.  I hope to have some pictures of the completed kits in the next posting when I chat about plying.

until then,

Happy Spinning and Knitting!

Cheryl  <^..^>