We interrupt this broadcast of purchased fiber with a spinning project update.
You might remember the wool I kettle dyed while my aunt was here. (See Dyed in the Wool) When I finally got around to carding it I realized that I had accidentaly felted over half of it in the final rinse. Mental note to self: Do not try to work the soap into the wool, even gently. It creates a mess.
Saturday afternoon my sister and I went to a handspinning guild and had one of the funnest times of my spinning life. There were quite a few ladies (and gentlemen!), and there must have been at least ten wheels. For the first part of the meeting we all just hung out and spun! I’m so glad I brought one of my drop spindles, otherwise it would have been rather boring. No, I take that back. I would probably have been able to step outside my comfort zone and go ask the ladies to show me how to do stuff.
I decided to spin the “Heather” roving that I dyed (see Thistles and Heather) into a thick single, then ply it with some thread. While I was trying spin it on the drop spindle I discovered that it’s really hard to spin an even, thick yarn. I ended up with a sort of “thick and thin” novelty yarn, which is rather pretty. I have no idea what I’ll do with it, though.
"Heather" Yarn
The colors turned out grayer than I’d thought they’d be, which is nice because that’s what I was originally hoping for.
Close up
More Violets Roving
Or, sort of merrily. The carding is fun. And, unless I’m doing something drastically wrong, it’s very easy.
Freshly Carded Wool
That was the question. Thankfully I figured it out. Throwing caution, a lack of a lazy kate, and normal procedures to the wind, I charged ahead into the unknown world of two ply. Here is the finished yarn I made from the teal/cream/brown variagated Romney roving. (Romney Jackpot)
Spun 2-ply
I went to a craft show with my grandmother and two of my sisters. Guess what I had my eyes peeled for? Jewelry! No, I’m kidding. (Although there was some pretty stuff there.) I was looking for spinning fibers and I sure found them. There was literally only one place that had roving: Au Gres Sheep Factory. My sister stopped to look at some felted Christmas stockings hanging up outside the stall. I kept walking because I wasn’t all that interested, but on the other side of the stall I spotted two full fleeces. (Tibetian fleeces, actually. Very pretty, but one would have cost as much as my wheel.) I hurried back to the front of the stall and peered in. Two wonderful baskets sat on the floor filled with bags of wool. One basket had dyed roving in it, the other had natural.
I had to go without fiber for a few days. You can imagine my irritation. There I was, just beginning on the drop spindle, just getting to where I could actually do things with it, and I had to wait. Then one wonderful afternoon we came home from a day out and about (which included seeing a walking wheel! Also known as a great wheel) and found a box sitting on the front porch. Wha-hoo!
Natural Corridale, Carded
It all started in my aunt’s living room. My family and I were on vacation, and we were coming up with different ideas for cottage industries that I might be able to do. My dad thought of weaving, since I liked yarn, and in the process of researching looms and whatnot, my wonderful aunt brought out a copy of SpinOff magazine. I was hooked.