Reminder - New England Textile Arts SPA Knit & Spin - Doubletree Hotel, Portland ME http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewEnglandTextileArts/

Email from Marianne Billings, asking me to mention *her* local fiber festival. Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival Mother's Day Weekend, Washington County Fairgrounds, Lake Elmo, MN http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org/

Claudia's spinning retreats - http://www.countrywool.com section on the front page for "Weekend Retreats"

Northeast Handspinners http://northeasthandspinners.org/ The Gathering Nov. 3 to 5, 2006 Loon Mountain, NH http://northeasthandspinners.org/html/nha-events.htm

Also got an email from another listener who had problems downloading the mp3 file.  If you need help setting up computer/ itunes/ ipod (or another mp3 player), please feel free to contact me.  I may be able to help.

http://www.noipodrequired.com/

Email from Lesley Prior regarding her Bowmont Fleece.  Leslie is at http://www.devongoat.co.uk/  By the time I emailed her with some questions, about 4 hours later, it was all sold out!

Nancy Zeller of Long Ridge Farm - http://www.longridgefarm.com/ Contacted me about CVM fleece.

New podcast from Alex Anderson - Alex Anderson Quilt Connection - heard about it on Annie Smith's "Quilting Stash" podcast, and found it in iTunes already.  Alex Anderson's podcast can also be found at http://www.alexandersonquilts.com/podcast/index.phpm

Podcast User Magazine http://podcastusermagazine.com/ THere is also one in production that will be coming out in print at http://id3mag.com/

Public Service Announcement from blind & visually-impaired podcasters at http://www.blindaccessjournal.com petition at http://blindwebaccess.com

Promo for Phedippidations - http://www.steveRunner.com

Interview with Helen Thelen  http://www.baycolonyfarm.com

IAGARB  http://iagarb.org/

giant rabbits http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4690000/newsid_4694200/4694270.stm http://www.local6.com/news/3547722/detail.html

Contact info: Voicemail # (508) 635-4416 Gizmo Project, Skype - "fibercast" email

Request for intros from listeners

Intro from 6620 West
http://6620west.com

Regular blog and steek pictures
http://fiberarts.typepad.com

New England Textile Arts' SPA Knit & Spin weekend, Doubletree Hotel, Portland Maine, Feb. 18 & 19
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewEnglandTextileArts/

Brenda Dayne of Cast-on Podcast
http://cast-on.com/

Rhonda of the Knitting News Cast
http://knittingnewscast.blogspot.com/

The newest rising star among the crafting podcasts -
Whit Larson at About Time.  Wonderful! 
http://www.about-time.us/

What to do with raw fleece?

First of all, you have to find raw fleece.  What do you want?
What do you want to do with it?

Fiber Festivals
Farm days/ farm visits
Online vendors

What kind of fleece?
Sheep wool - heavy grease / low grease
alpaca / llama
mohair - angora goat
angora rabbit
cashmere

Sheep wool -
washing - HOT water

Washing mohair:

http://www.fiber2yarn.com/selection.htm

Washing alpaca / llama / anything else that's low to no grease -
lukewarm water, less soap

drying

preparing to spin -
carding - hand cards or drum cards
combing
flicking
grab a handful and go

http://www.icanspin.com