Share a hobby you’ve picked up recently — what got you into it?

I have gotten interested in making my own yarn. I have an Angora rabbit and he is so sweet. I trim off his hair when it gets over three inches long and I plan to purchase some sheep wool and combine it with the rabbit hair to make my own super soft yarn. I have been saving it up the rabbit fur for the last year and researching equipment. I plan to take a couple classes this autumn to learn how to take it from harvest to a finished skein of yarn.

Before I got into doing loom knitting and other yarn projects, I really loved the idea of having a farm with alpacas. I think they are the sweetest and funniest farm animals I have ever met. Their fur is amazingly soft. My daughter got into pet rabbits and I learned about wool rabbits. Much easier to keep a rabbit than a farm with alpacas. My rabbit is a wonderful companion that lives in our home. I just so happen to gather his super soft fur. It is probably the softest of all the animal wools.

I have gone to fiber expos for a few years learning about the process and seeing all the different finished products. It is amazing what people are able to do. I would very much like to make my own small batches of yarn for my own projects.

Making something yourself from products you make is such an incredible experience. You learn about your hobbies from such a fundamental level that you understand the work, time, and patience that went into it. It allows you to see how impressive other peoples’ works are.