We interrupt your regularly scheduled wip/rip for this important update…don’t worry, I’ve got lots more on that front! I even took some more photos today to share with y’all. But I thought it was time for a wee break.
Rhinebeck is in two weeks, and I’ve been madly trying to spin up some of the stuff I bought last year before I go buy more stuff! I’m actually doing pretty well, and a few different yarns have come off the bobbin recently…
This firey red/orange pink one is 100% bombyx silk, not quite as searing as it appears in the photo (although it is certainly vivd). Checks in at 178 yards of worsted/chunky – it’s pretty uneven.
More bombyx silk – pink/purple/gold, 160 yards of worsted/chunky. I was feeling a little impatient when I spun these skeins, hence the thickness and inconsistency! I was originally going to ply the two colours together, but at the last moment decided to just ply them on themselves – a good idea in terms of the colours, but difficult in execution. I had to wind off the two bobbins (one each of the two colours) into balls, then split the balls by weight since plying from both ends of a centre pull ball is a Very Bad Idea. As it was, it was pretty tricky to ply. But they both turned out okay.
Now, this one I’m particularly proud of (the photo too). It’s four ounces of merino/silk, I think it was 50/50, clocking in at 660 yards of a fine fingering weight or heavy laceweight. Enough to do a shawl! And it’s pretty consistent as well. Did I mention soft?
All these fibres were purchased from the Carolina Homespun booth at Rhinebeck last year – I dropped a lot of money at that booth! There’s another two ounces of tussah silk that I’ve been working on from them, spun much finer. I’ve been spinning up some batts and trying to sit down at the wheel for at least a few minutes each day (in all my abundant leisure time!). I’m definitely seeing the difference from more practice these days!
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