Monday, December 17, 2007

Hard to believe its been two weeks since my last post, needless to say I've been very busy and I've also done quite a bit of seasonal driving over the last two weekends aswell.

The craft fair went ok, I sold a couple of knitted bags, but I didn't sell many stockings, I've been giving them away to friends and family with Christmas cards!


Rosedale United is on its final furlong, I've reached a point where according to the pattern I should cast off some stitches, which I can see would be the front neck, and I seem to have come to a halt.

This weekend whilst visiting family I needed 'something' to knit so cast on some simple socks with some Trekking XXL.





This first yarn is a spindle spun merino 2ply, this was spun from rolags of processed tops, I just mixed up the colours as I was carding.

I spun the first strand the day before the craft fair and the second during the day of the fair. When I transferred the yarn to the bobbins for plying one bobbin looked much more than the other one, but I wasn't too concerned knowing that I had weighed the fibre first. What was really quite funny as this is far from perfectly even yarn, is that when I got to the end of the plying the difference in the two yarns was just 3 inches. Must just be an even amount of thick and thin throughout!



This second yarn was spun from my own handpainted bfl, I started out spinning a 'super slubby' yarn, and only when I'd washed it and set the twist did I get to see that the super slubs weren't going to work out, and realised why. This was a superwash bfl, so the fibres don't hook together like an untreated wool will. Basically the slubs were a little unstable, but I love these colours so much...what's a girl to do?

So I thought about it, and decided to gently spin the slubs out, I went back to the wheel and I fast spun the yarn that didn't need re-spinning and carefully thinned the slubs into a thick/thin semi slubby yarn.

If my experimental samples for my first college piece work out, I may even use this yarn for it!

11 comments:

picperfic said...

love your not so slubby yarn, in fact I love all of it and want to make some! I am superwoman, I can do anything...except housework...no wait, I lie...I have just cleared all the ironing (it was very bad) off of the spare bed, we can sort of se the floor in there now. I'll stick to knitting and crochet for now and admire your beautiful yarn from not too far away!

Anonymous said...

Those colours are great, makes me want to put a spinning wheel back on priority, maybe take a break from the body art for a bit...

Anonymous said...

The colors are BEAUTIFUL!!!

Peri said...

I think your handspun looks great and I love colours.

Am a bit better - but thanks for your kind message - it is appreciated.

Seahorse said...

Gorgeous yarns!

Have a look at my blog to see who won the 100th post draw! ;)

Dipsy Doodle said...

Awww, this yarn looks so deliciously yummy, so soft and cozy, and I absolutely adore the colours!

Unknown said...

That's a lovely colourway you have mixed!

Ang said...

Oh, more beautiful yarn...

I love the colours in this one too.

Thanks for getting my parcel to me so quickly.

As I said before, have a wonderful Christmas.
with love.

ann I am said...

Amazing colors and a beautiful job spinning them. I can't wait to see what the yarn becomes, knit-wise. Merry Christmas. Annie

Anonymous said...

Wow, lovely wool and gorgeous colours.

Just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas ........

Marianne said...

Huh.... I saw this post and wondered how I missed it! look at that gorgeous yarn, those beautiful colours... then noticed the date... ahhhh hahhhh, ice storm crap to deal with, that's what happened...

XOXOX