Category: spinning

  • spinning = crack

    Okay, so there’s more spinning stuff. I’ll return to the knitting soon, though. I promise.

    I made my first three-ply! (oh, and just so I say it – none of these yarns have been finished, so I think they will bloom out a bit more when that happens.)

    In the back there is a leeetle skein (about 8 yards) of two-ply from after the first bobbin ran out, with the very last of the singles andean plied. I *adore* the three ply. Plying is so much fun! Figuring out how much to spin on each bobbin, not so fun. It certainly would have helped had I divided my roving into three pieces beforehand, but eh.

    I learned, and have split up my merino/silk into equal pieces – but this is only for 2-ply, so it’s not as fussy. It sure is pretty!

    I did only about 60 yards, around worsted knitting weight, but mostly I was testing out the limits of my bobbins. This was only a tiny amount – I think I can do twice as much. But I’m kind of cautious, because I don’t want to have to break for a new bobbin like 10 yards from the end of a skein! And I can’t afford the plying head right now, so that’s that.

    To tell you the truth, I can’t afford much of anything right now – I think that Elann purchase of organic cotton last week really took away from my fiber money. But I’ve got 8 oz of the garnet merino/silk, and 8 oz of light blue, so that should hold me for a little while.

    Anyway, I also spun up some Fleece Artist merino! (Too bad it comes in such a small put-up – only 50 grams, 1.75 oz!) I had initially wanted to ply it on itself, but then I realized…there’s just not much fiber there.

    It’s plied with black sewing thread, and is about 70 yards of thick and thin. I think it’s cool, and it’s super soft – but I don’t really know what to do with it. I want to send it to a good home – so first one to express interest gets it! Gone to Megan H.!

  • spinning, no knitting

    I managed to find some lube for my wheel (although I’ll be picking up some silicone this weekend, most likely) and spun up a few yards of fat thick and thin – mostly just to make sure that I could.

    Turns out I could. But man, does spinning thick ever eat up the roving (duh, laura). And space on the bobbin, dude. Unless you had a wheel like this crazy one, in which case…you can make enormous skeins. Or a Babe production wheel with the massive plying head.

    The results of yesterday’s plying…

    plus the extra singles

    I loooooove my niddy noddy. Seriously. And it comes with the 1 and 2 yard lengths, so for that little bit of fat green corriedale I used the 1 yard arm. Excellent.

    I’ve been thinking about the dyeing. I really want to do solar dyeing, like maybe in just a big black roasting pan with some kind of clear clamped-on top (like in the current issues of Spin-off). And I’m sure it’s hot enough to do it! But I just don’t have time this weekend.

    In knitting, I’m working on the same old things. I’m almost done with the secret present though! So that should be done tonight, and maybe even the Monk’s Satchel strap. I’m going to do the outer pockets for that one, though, so don’t expect it done anytime soon…

  • SOS

    Would someone be willing to drop by the big yarn store and get me some spinning wheel oil tomorrow, and then drop it off to me at the store? I would be forever grateful…call me at the store tomorrow (number’s on the website) if you’re willing to check it out for me!