{"product_id":"spokane-hand-dyed-merino-roving-braids-hmlloyd-mercantile","title":"Spokane Hand Dyed Merino Roving Braids (100g) by HMLLOYD MERCANTILE","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand dyed merino roving braids with Spokane-inspired colorways, dyed in small batches in Spokane Valley, Washington by indie dyer HMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC.\u003c\/strong\u003e Each braid is 100 grams (3.5 oz) of soft 21.5 micron merino wool top, hand dyed in the braid with professional acid dyes. They are made for handspinning, and they also work well for felting and fiber blending. Paradise Fibers stocks them at our Spokane shop, a few miles from where they are dyed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFiber:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100% merino wool\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFineness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 21.5 micron (soft enough to wear next to skin)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePreparation:\u003c\/strong\u003e combed merino top, sold as a braid (spinners often call this roving)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100 g (3.5 oz) per braid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDye method:\u003c\/strong\u003e hand dyed in the braid with professional acid dyes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColorways:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 (Pavilion Lights, Garland District, Monroe Street Bridge, Lilac City, Kendall Yards Night Market)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDyer:\u003c\/strong\u003e HMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC, Spokane Valley, WA, USA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrice:\u003c\/strong\u003e $30 per braid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Spokane colorways\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery colorway is named for a Spokane landmark or neighborhood. The colors below describe the braids in our photos. Hand dyeing means each braid is a little different.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePavilion Lights:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep teal, charcoal gray, plum and blackberry purple, with flashes of bright turquoise and magenta. Named for the lit-up Pavilion in Riverfront Park, a landmark from Spokane's Expo '74 World's Fair.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGarland District:\u003c\/strong\u003e coral pink, soft peach, teal, sunny yellow and green. Named for the historic Garland District in north Spokane, known for its vintage neon signs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMonroe Street Bridge:\u003c\/strong\u003e chocolate brown, rose pink, plum and deep purple. Named for the historic concrete arch bridge over the Spokane River falls in downtown Spokane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLilac City:\u003c\/strong\u003e turquoise, aqua, deep teal, cobalt blue and violet. Named for Spokane's nickname, the Lilac City, celebrated every May with the Lilac Festival.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKendall Yards Night Market:\u003c\/strong\u003e orange, golden yellow, lime green, red and bright violet. Named for the summer evening market in the Kendall Yards neighborhood above the Spokane River.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat these braids are good for\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHandspinning:\u003c\/strong\u003e fine merino top drafts smoothly on a spinning wheel or drop spindle. Split the braid lengthwise and spin end to end for long color repeats, or strip it into thin sections for shorter, marled changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFractal and chain-plied yarns:\u003c\/strong\u003e dyed-in-the-braid color sections are ideal for fractal spinning or chain plying (Navajo plying) to keep the colors distinct.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWet and needle felting:\u003c\/strong\u003e merino felts readily, so these braids also work for nuno felting, wet felted pieces and color accents in needle felting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFiber art and blending:\u003c\/strong\u003e use a braid on a blending board or drum carder, or for wall hangings and weaving accents.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the dyer: HMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC is a small independent fiber studio in Spokane Valley, Washington. From its local studio it offers hand dyed roving and yarn, handspun yarns and handmade soaps, and it is a vendor at the Spokane Fleece and Fiber Festival. These Spokane colorway braids are dyed locally and sold through Paradise Fibers, a fiber arts supplier in Spokane since 1997.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA note from the dyer on color:\u003c\/em\u003e All braids are dyed with professional acid dyes. We strive to keep production consistent, but the nature of hand dyeing means that from braid to braid and from batch to batch there will be differences in color, saturation and hue. We do not use batch or lot numbers, but our colorways stay the same.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs this roving or top?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is combed merino top, where the fibers are aligned in one direction. Many spinners and shops use \"roving\" for any unspun fiber braid, so you will see both terms used for this product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow much yarn does a 100 gram braid make?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt depends on how fine you spin. As a rough guide, one 100 g braid of merino spun and plied to fingering weight often makes about 350 to 450 yards, and worsted weight often makes about 150 to 220 yards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs this merino superwash?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not labeled superwash, so treat it like standard merino: it will felt with heat, soap and agitation. Wash your finished yarn gently in cool or lukewarm water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs this fiber good for beginning spinners?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, with a little patience. 21.5 micron merino is fine and slippery, so it drafts best with a light touch and a bit more twist. Many new spinners find it easier to start with a coarser wool, then move to merino.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShould I buy multiple braids for a larger project?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. There are no dye lots, so if you need more than one braid of the same colorway for a sweater or large shawl, buy them together and alternate braids as you spin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere are these braids dyed?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are hand dyed in Spokane Valley, Washington, USA by HMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC, and they ship from the Paradise Fibers shop in Spokane, WA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eShop more\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hmlloyd-mercantile-llc\"\u003eAll HMLLOYD MERCANTILE fiber\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/multi-color-merino-wool-top\"\u003eMulti color merino wool top\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hand-painted-roving-and-fibers\"\u003eHand painted roving and fibers\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/merino-wool-fiber\"\u003eMerino wool roving\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dyed-wool-roving\"\u003eDyed spinning fiber\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n","brand":"HMLLOYD MERCANTILE LLC","offers":[{"title":"Pavilion Lights","offer_id":45547637833904,"sku":"HML-PL12","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Garland District","offer_id":45547639374000,"sku":"HML-GD23","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Monroe Street Bridge","offer_id":45547639406768,"sku":"HML-MSB1","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Lilac City","offer_id":45547639439536,"sku":"HML-LC5","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Kendall Yards Night Market","offer_id":45547639472304,"sku":"HML-KY45","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1169\/5498\/files\/IMG_3035.jpg?v=1788220495","url":"https:\/\/paradisefibers.com\/products\/spokane-hand-dyed-merino-roving-braids-hmlloyd-mercantile","provider":"Paradise Fibers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}