Puttin' On The Glitz!

Happy New Year!
What better way to welcome the sparkly new year than with SPARKLES!  So let's put the glitz in our spinning.  I know I've detailed this before, but I decided to to get more photos with more details and turn this into a real tutorial.

"Puttin' On The Glitz"

A tutorial detailing how to add glitter fibers (and other add-ins) to roving without using a drum carder.

1.  Start by pulling a small piece, about 6 to 8 inches long from the end of a roving (Figure 1).

Fig. 1  Section of roving pulled off skein

2.  Take this piece and gently pull it out into a flat rectangular shape and lay it out on a large flat surface (Figures 2 and 3).  

Fig. 3  Section of roving after being pulled into small rectangular batt

Fig. 2  Section of Roving being pulled into rectangle

3.  Sprinkle the top of this small batt with Angelina®, Firestar or other fiber add-ins (Figures 4 and 5).

Fig. 4  Batt with Angelina sprinkled on top.  Angelina appears as small dark threads.  

Fig. 5  Close-up of batt with darker threads of Angelina sprinkled on top

 4.  Roll this small batt into a pseudo rollag with all the glitter or other fiber jnside this rollag (Figures 6, 7,  8).    

Fig. 6, 7, 8

*Note:  Since writing this blog, I learned that a good way to roll up the rollag (Fauxlag, Pseudo-Rollag) is over a dowel rod or Nostepin.

5.  I usually tear the finished rollag in half to make two smaller rollags (Fig. 9).  

Fig.  9

6.  Tease one end of a rollag out and begin spinning from that end (Fig. 10).  The glittery fibers are usually not visible until you actually start spinning.

Fig. 10

This method has the added advantage of not messing up your drum carder with the fine glittery fibers.  You can also prep a whole bag or box full of rollags in advance of your spinning session.  I find this especially fun to do when I am planning to spin in public.  I will often prepare rollags using a straw colored wool or alpaca and gold Angelina hidden inside the rollag.  When I start spinning it looks like I am spinning gold the same way Rumpelstiltskin did in the old fairy tale.