I started spinning fiber into yarn about 10 years ago when I took a class using the spindle to spin fiber. I enjoyed spinning fiber so much that thought of a way where I could keep spinning and help people. I hand spin alpaca fiber and make hats for cancer patients locally and around the U.S.. Hats are sent to Albany New York, Atlanta Georgia, St. Judes in Memphis and hospitals in and around Madison Wisconsin. March 2012 I won the local Jefferson Award for making the hats for cancer patients.
It takes about 16 hours to spin approximately 500 yards of alpaca yarn. The time to knit a hat varies from pattern to pattern. Most hat patterns take 4 hours to knit. After knitting the hat I shrink it to size using hot water, agitation, and detergent. I shrink the alpaca hats, because alpaca fiber doesn’t have much elasticity. A felted hat keeps its shape. Once the hat is shrunk and dried and embellish it to make it special for the cancer patient. After a woman loses her hair from treatments she can feel less feminine. A hat that is made especially for her brings back the smile she once had. Since I have started spinning I have made hundreds of hats for people who are going through the battle for their life. Hats are made for all genders, not limited to just females. But, most are made for females.
