Mielke's
Fiber Arts, LLC Your Central Wisconsin source for weaving,
spinning, knitting, crocheting, tatting, bobbin lace, felting, dyeing, and
locker hooking equipment, books, and supplies.
The New Plant Fiber Sampler:
With one ounce each of the four fibers: Soy Silk, Bamboo Top, Carbonized Bamboo,
and Ramie.
Read more about these fibers below, and on the ramie
page.
Soy Silk, Natural: $1.85 an
ounce or $14.50 per 1/2 lb. #589100
Soy Silk is made from the waste of the Tofu manufacturing process... making it environmentally friendly and very cutting edge! This amazing fiber is soft, lustrous, and a pleasure to spin, knit and weave.
It's getting rave reviews from our customers worldwide.
Using your Acid or Natural dyes, you can create amazing colors with Soy Silk. The colors wick into the fiber immediately and are bright and strong.
Spin Soy Silk alone or blend it with your favorite wool. Jonelle recommends 25% fine wool to add memory and bounce but maintain the delightful softness and luster of the Soy
Silk.
Soy Silk is commercially viable and emulates silk in quality, luster, and
softness.
Soysilk, White:
$2.10 an ounce or
$16.50 per 1/2 lb. #589101
Please note, it's a creamy off-white, not a pure white.
Bamboo
Top:
$1.65 an
ounce or $9.80 per 1/2lb. #589103
Manufactured in the viscose process. For bast bamboo, see below.
Bast Bamboo Top: $1.75 an ounce or $13.75 per 1/2lb. #119145
This is bamboo fiber that is processed in the same manner as ramie, hemp, flax,
etc. This now gives you a choice between this product and the bamboo that
is manufactured in the viscose process (listed above).
According to the American Chemical
Society, in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent light bulb.
It used electricity to heat
a thin strip of material, called a filament, until it glowed. Edison may also
have created the first commercial carbon fiber. Early filaments, were made from
bamboo slivers which were formed into the proper size and shape then baked them
at high temperatures. Since bamboo consists mostly of cellulose, a natural
linear polymer made of repeating units of glucose, the filament was
“carbonized,” when heated. It became a true carbon copy of the starting
material — an all-carbon fiber with the same exact shape. Tungsten wire soon
displaced these carbon filaments, but they were still used on U.S. Navy ships as
late as 1960 because they withstood ship vibrations better than tungsten.
Bamboo carbon fiber, called Black Gold or Black Diamond by
those in the industry, is resistant to ultra violet rays and possesses anti-odor
properties. It also adjusts well to both humidity and dryness
Black Diamond is a dream to spin. The top glides from
your hand and the natural gun metal grey color is mesmerizing. Blend it with
your favorite grey or black wool for amazing results. This fiber will keep you
up late dreaming!
Silk Latte:
Made from the proteins in milk, then extruded like soy silk. Natural
buttery/creamy color.
Corn Fiber: White. Made from corn protein. Will melt at
temperatures over 300 degrees Fahrenheit. $3.15 per oz. or $25.00 per
1/2lb. #589102
SeaCell Top: Ecru. Made from
seaweed. $6.25 per oz. or $60.00 per 1/2lb. #589140
Viscose Rayon Top: White. Made from cellulose (wood
pulp).
Tencel Top: White.
Blending
Nylon:
White. While it can be spun alone, it is most often blended with wool or other fibers
for strength, such as in sock heels and toes. It can be carded to blend,
or spun and plied with another strand of wool, etc.
Firestar: Ecru,Green, Red or Tropic. Photos do not do
this fiber justice. It is so shiny and fiery. Hence the name
Firestar!
Ecru Firestar
$1.25 per oz. or $5.00 for a 1/4 lb. #119458
Green Firestar...$1.85 per oz. #119450
Red Firestar... $1.85 per oz. #119153
Tropic Firestar... $1.85 per oz. #119152
Crystal Metallic Blending Fiber: $2.85 per 1/2 ounce.
Shredded Mylar and metallic film, for blending with any fibers. Soft and
easy to card. A little of this fiber goes a long ways in blending. Photos do not do
this fiber justice. The colors flash and change depending on how the light
hits them.
Crystal Metallic, Gold
#109471
Crystal Metallic, Bronze
#109497
Crystal Metallic, Copper
#109498
Crystal Metallic, Silver
#109476
Crystal Metallic, Blue Flash
#109499
Crystal Metallic, Golden Flash
#109474
Crystal Metallic, Green Flash
#109500
Crystal Metallic, Mardi Gras
#109496
Crystal Metallic, Rose Lilac
#109469
Crystal Metallic, Magenta
#109475
Crystal Metallic, Ruby Slipper
#109472
Crystal Metallic, Lapis
#109473
Crystal Metallic, Emerald
#109470
Crystal Metallic, Flamingo
#109517
Crystal Metallic, Lemon Burst
#109518
Heat-Bondable Crimped Angelina: Photos do not do
this fiber justice. The colors flash and change depending on how the light
hits them. "Heat bondable iridescent fibers will bond to each other
and not to other fabrics. The heat bonding occurs when the fibers soften
and fuse together. The heat bonding characteristic of the fibers makes
them useful to use in handfelted projects. The fibers hold up in soap and
water, and because the fibers are bonded, they do not pull out of the felt like
individual fibers would. Iridescent fibers reflect the color of the wool
and pull light into the felt."
We offer a sample pack of approximately 2 grams each of 8 colors, which comes
with instructions on how to heat-bond the fiber.
Mielke's
Fiber Arts, LLC
Silk Latte:
