This September in our Fiber of the Month Club, we took our members back to Fiber Art school with 5 unique spinning fibers, a never before seen highlighter dyeing tutorial, a lesson on creating classic tweed yarn, and an introduction to a time-tested technique to get the most yardage out of your wool when hand spinning!

Have you been dreaming of creating your very own yarn? Perhaps you are looking for the next big thing in dyed wool!? Stick around and watch our member unboxings for our September Fiber of the Month Club below, and get a taste of what our members experienced this month! What surprises await when dyeing wool with highlighters? Take a first look at our expectations vs. reality.

Not a member of our Fiber of the Month Club? Click here to learn more!

Take a Closer Look at our September FOTMC

This was the first time, to our member’s surprise, that our club was shipped in a BAG and not a box! The theme of this kit was “Back to School” so naturally, we included everything you’d need for a new fiber adventure in a drawstring backpack! Inside, a brown paper lunch sack with “<3 you” handwritten from mom included 4 oz. of premium undyed, Cheviot wool top. Nestled around the “lunch sack” were 4 vibrantly colored organza drawstring bags filled with 1 oz. of our striking pulled, recycled, Sari Silk Roving. A waterproof pencil case was also included in our September kit, containing a vinyl sticker of our logo turned into a delicious red apple, a chalkboard sheep pin, a bubble gum treat, vinyl gloves, and three Sharpie Highlighters in the colors Pink – Orange – and Yellow.

In addition to all these goodies, members received helpful links to prepare for the featured tutorials, which we will discuss further here, and a tutorial on dyeing wool roving/yarn with Sharpie Highlighters!

Did you receive our September Package? Let us know what you created in the comment section below! Join our Ravelry group to see what other members

Dyeing Wool With Highlighters

You’re seeing it here first, dyeing wool with highlighters! What on earth?! Something right under our nose that’s been waiting to be discovered in the fiber world! Here are some of our expectations vs. reality when dyeing Cheviot Wool with Sharpie Highlighters. But first, you should know highlighters are made up of a valuable component called Fluorescein. This compound is the magic behind our glowing yarn this month!

Fluorescein is a manufactured organic compound and dye. It is available as a dark orange/red powder slightly soluble in water and alcohol and can be extracted from a highlighter.

It is widely used as a fluorescent tracer for many applications. You can find fluorescein sodium in the eye doctor’s office where it is used to diagnose corneal issues. During World War II, German air troops carried small containers of fluorescein in case of parachuting into the sea when shot down. The released chemical would create a vivid marking in the water that could be seen by rescuers. The Gemini 4 spacecraft used this technique when landing in the ocean in 1965! Fluorescein is primarily used as a dye, and can be used to dye yarn! The best part? Fluorescein GLOWS under a black light!!

We weren’t sure what to expect when dyeing wool with fluorescein, through trial and error we learned what to do and what not to do. Take a peek at Rebecca from Chemknits incredibly informative Highlighter Dye adventure/tutorial video to see what we are talking about.

Spoiler Alert! The yellow dye is PH reactive and the orange doesn’t GLOW under a black light?!?

An Introduction to Grist

If you’re a handspinner there is one technique that will greatly widen your arsenal of abilities! That secret weapon is called grist! What is it and why should you know about it? The answer is simple, when properly applied, grist allows you to spin more yardage of yarn at your desired thickness, with less fiber! The ultimate tool to get the most bang for your buck when hand spinning yarn! Grist allows you to create a lighter weight and less dense yarn. Thanks to our dear friend, and spinning guru, Monica Spicker one can understand where grist originated, why you should use it, and a simple at home preparation you can do before you start spinning that gorgeous fiber in your stash. Click here to read all about grist and how to use our Cheviot wool to literally create any thickness of yarn for virtually any project!