50mm

JWise Photo of the Day

Combing Churro fleece prior to being able to spin it into yarn

Yesterday I purchased a new Canon 50mm 1.4 lens, this is one of the first photos I shot with it. You are looking at Churro fleece being combed. Combing fleece is the step taken after the sheep have been shorn and the fleece washed. Combing aligns the fibers which are instrumental in preparing the fibers to be spun. With the fibers aligned, they are able to wrap around each other allowing them to lock together when being spun so the spinner can make a strong yarn. Caroline is combing this particular fleece before she spins it into yarn for our friend Celia – the Barn Goddess. The lens was bought for those low-light scenarios and with the idea that it would make for a nice lens when shooting video on my HDSLR.

Threading

JWise Photo of the Day

Caroline Wise threading her homemade 4-shaft counter balance loom

Here’s my wife, Caroline Wise threading her 4-shaft homemade counterbalance loom. She’s on her way to making her first cloth with a purpose, cloth that will be in the form of kitchen towels. Previously, she made a test piece of cloth, but that was just to determine if the loom worked and if she could figure out the process.  It was just a little more than 3 years ago that Caroline and her mom Jutta took a Navajo rug weaving class with Sharie Monsam over at Fiber Factory in Mesa, Arizona. Since that time, Caroline has developed an ever greater interest in weaving and the fiber arts in general.