Craft:

Spinning for them is like breathing. It's a reflex. The two learned to spin by chance, at Knit Out, an event in Washington D.C. They were taught by some Mennonites who were teaching and demonstrating at the event. Buck and Greg loved it, and have since dedicated their time to learning and preserving the history and methods of fiber arts. And they now have 18 years of combined experience. Watching them work is mind blowing. They are fast, fast, fast. In a day, they can transform about 11 lbs of raw wool into yarn.

The Two Guyz are truly adept, and they also have a passion for teaching. In fact, we did a trade: I showed them how to needle felt, and they showed me how to use a drop spindle. Buck and Greg are patient and helpful instructors, who encouraged me to go with the flow and not get caught up in an attempt at perfection. The method they taught me is awesome. It's a Native American technique that plys the wool while you go. I used some fiber from my own stash, some baby camel. The result is a soft yarn with an incredible shine. Being a novice, my thickness is uneven, but any flaws are overshadowed by the sense of satisfaction that I felt from creating yarn.

Besides spinning, Buck and Greg also dye and weave and crochet. They use only dyes from the Earth that can be considered wild or ancestral. Their colors come from sources including: madder, alkanet, indigo, cochineal, walnuts, clay, Brazil wood sawdust, and mushrooms. (Cochineal is a dye that they make from crushed bugs!!!) They create hats with a stitch called Tunisian Crochet, or the Afghan Stitch. And they also weave beautiful blankets with homemade looms. And the newest addition to their repertoire is needle felting. I taught Buck, and he's a natural and an innovator. He made a handbag with his own wool, and then created the flower using yarn that, of course, he spun and dyed from scratch.