recent spinning

[xantha]

What has everyone been spinning up lately?

I spun up ~4oz of merino that I picked up in Seattle at The Weaving Works while I was on vacation in June. I haven't checked wpi, but it looks like it varies from a laceweight to a fingering weight. I love how it turned out!

This is a better picture of the color:

(http://www.xantha.org/gallery/spin/dsc_3089_www) http://www.xantha.org/gallery/albums/spin/dsc_3089_www.thumb.jpg (http://www.xantha.org/gallery/spin/dsc_3089_www)

But here it is with a penny for relational size:

(http://www.xantha.org/gallery/spin/dsc_3096_www) http://www.xantha.org/gallery/albums/spin/dsc_3096_www.thumb.jpg (http://www.xantha.org/gallery/spin/dsc_3096_www)

It will likely become socks unless I make a scarf for someone out of it. It ended up about 94 grams (I scored a kitchen scale at Target yesterday -- was $30, marked down to $20, rung up at $7.50. :woo).

[HollyM]

I haven't been doing much spinning, but I did get this finished last weekend.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/ilexmi/th_pinkyarn.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/ilexmi/pinkyarn.jpg)

It's the first yarn I plied :clap(I usually spin & crochet singles). I got the roving from a friend who puts up lovely stuff, unfortunatly she doesn't sell online. It was white Shetland and when running through the carder, on the last pass she layed a strip of hot pink combed top down on the batt. When it spun up, the color softned to look like pepermint candy :manyheart
It's going to be a scarf.

Holly

[xantha]

that's gorgeous, Holly! :manyheart

[jacqui]

I love it xantha the colour is just my cuppa tea. Do you do a lot of spinning i've got boxes of raw fleeces in my shed i won't live long enough to do them all.lol. Holly yours is gorgeous to,your the first person i've heard of in this forum to do any drum carding. I love to blend fibres with the drum carder. I'm saving to buy a new one mines so old it can't be repaired any more. Enjoy!

[dudleyspinner]

I rediscovered three tubs of handspun yarn today. I had forgotten I had done all that spinning!!
I love to mix colors on the drum carder too. It is exciting to see what it will become as yarn
Deb

[superfurry]

ooh lovely spinning guys, i love the dark one especially, i've only done naturals and brights so far, now i have to add subtle dark mixes to the queue :)

i've done some so-so spinning recently, but i'm really proud of this one i finished yesterday.

http://static.flickr.com/32/57979121_3c207f7d28.jpg

it's bluefaced leicester which is definitely my favourite fibre, it's soooo lovely to spin. it's perfectly balanced and i'm really happy with the plying. around 12 wpi, whatever weight that makes it. it's soooo soft and bouncy. the top was stripey which has blended in the spinning, but i'm hoping it'll knit up a bit tweedy. some of the colour variation you can see is sheen and some is the stripes in the top. i'm going to spin some more in different natural colours and knit a stripey scarf (my first knitting). it'll be practice for a scarf i want to make my dad for christmas, in a bfl/tussah silk blend *swoon*

i love spinning :D

[Woven N Spun]

ok no pictures yet, but stay tuned as I hope to have some later this week. Last week I washed a 3 pound lincoln fleece, dyed it using some new dyes (Jacquard --first time using...love the colors) and am now spinning it. Love it.
I am doing a picture diary of each step and will post on my website once I finish the hat...again hopefully at the end of the week.
I also am in the process of enrolling in a Master Spinner's class. The class is offered through Olds College in Canada. They had a hand's on class for level one here in Oklahoma two weeks ago. I could not attend in person and have been accepted to "Challange" the level 1 course and have 9 months to finish the homework and turn in my samples. I can give more information if interested. I haven't received all the stuff yet for my book, but I know some of the preliminary things that you would need to do. The ladies I am working with are working hard to make the Master Spinner's course available to all in the US either with a certified Master Spinner at a week long on site class or through on line classes and CD's (which would be a little while in coming yet) but I am thrilled to sort of be in on the ground floor of this course coming to the US.

[carrieanne]

Oh my gosh, girls, your yarn is all so pretty! Its so cool that you can make your own! LOL, I live on a farm, and always wanted a llama or something, but wouldnt know the first place to start with yarn!

[jacqui]

You are lucky as far as i know we don't have master spinner courses in Australia. So i will just have to stay a natural spinner. lol [sounds organic or something]. I learned at a Spinners and Weavers club here i don't think any of them had formal qualifications Just a love of the craft, a lot learned out of necessity as they spun to make jumpers for their kids when they lived out bush. I read everything i could lay my hands on but honestly feel some people like to make it sound more complicated than it is. After all you don't have to be a mechanic to drive a car. Still you are so lucky to have the opportunity to do a course like this. I hope you do really well but most of all enjoy the experience. Goodonya mate!

[Woven N Spun]

I agree that you can do it yourself and still do it right. I am a self taught spinner now for 3 years and have been quite pleased with what I have been able to do. What's cool about this class is that you learn so much about the fiber itself and the different breeds, the different ways to prep the fiber, as you progress through the course you learn more about dyeing, (using natural dyes and chemical dying methods) and on and on. It's actually a 6 level course and takes about 6 years to progress through since through each level you have 9 to 12 months to complete your homework book.



You are lucky as far as i know we don't have master spinner courses in Australia. So i will just have to stay a natural spinner. lol [sounds organic or something]. I learned at a Spinners and Weavers club here i don't think any of them had formal qualifications Just a love of the craft, a lot learned out of necessity as they spun to make jumpers for their kids when they lived out bush. I read everything i could lay my hands on but honestly feel some people like to make it sound more complicated than it is. After all you don't have to be a mechanic to drive a car. Still you are so lucky to have the opportunity to do a course like this. I hope you do really well but most of all enjoy the experience. Goodonya mate!

[xantha]

Kimberly, I think that's very cool about the Master Spinners course! I still want to take some "formal" class but haven't gotten around to it. I am not up for the master spinners thing yet, but might be (it's a long commitment).

I am very interested in the types of things you get to do for the course!

[also interested in the acid dyeing!]

[xantha]

i've done some so-so spinning recently, but i'm really proud of this one i finished yesterday.

Gorgeous! I love it! It looks wonderful! :manyheart

[xantha]

I am trying to hold off on a drum carder... I would really like one but I am trying to put it off for another 6 months or so (hmm perhaps a late birthday present for me if I buy it at MD S+W next year). I love to see the blends that everyone makes!

[rebeccav]

everyone is doing some beautiful beautiful spinning!

i'm so jealous - my wheel has not made the move to the new house yet :(

great work, all!!

[Woven N Spun]

Jess I got my requirements for the class.

I have to :
do a wool composition, content, and characteristics
Diagram of wool follicle and scales (cross section showing medulla, cortex, cuticle, etc.)
Collect fleece from 10 different breeds of sheep and provide the following for
each breed:

· photograph of each breed
· staple
· spun skein
· description of spinning qualities
· sample (2� x 2�)
Shshearing, description, photos.
Sosorting a fleece into 6 sections
Spun sample from each of the six sections.
Note appearance and handle of each section.Written instructions on a scoured fleece.
Sample of locks and spun sample:
1. in the grease
2. dip washed
3. washed
4. scoured
Working comments on the above four samples.

Diagram and explanation of the “Z� and “S� twist in yarn.
A skein of singles yarn produced from lap spinning
A skein of singles yarn produced from a drop spindle
A well prepared carded woollen rolag. Describe how it should look.
A well prepared and spun woollen skein. Describe how it should look and feel.
A well prepared carded worsted batt. Describe how it should look
A well prepared and spun worsted skein. Describe how it should look and feel.
Notes on care and maintenance of your spinning wheel.
Notes and diagram on proper posture and chair height.
List the types of hand carders, their purpose and how to use them.
Brief outline of safety rules for dyeing.
Reasons for mordanting.
List the most common mordants and the recipes for use.
Samples of nature dyeing using 10 different plants. Should include the following: -recipe

-where material collected

-amount of dye material

-weight of yarn before
Start to record a glossary pertaining to Level I Spinning (at least 20 terms)
Teasing wool - Include: -sample

-procedure

-reasons for
Flick carding - Include: -sample

-procedure

-reasons for
Project of your choice using hand spun and natural dyed yarn.
Spun sample of wool and tussah brick fibre.
Spun sample of wool and tussah noils fibre
Spun sample of wool and cultivated brick fibres.
Spun sample of wool and cultivated noils fibres.

I have 9 months to complete this course. This is just level 1 of a 6 level program.
I have A LOT of work to do.





Kimberly, I think that's very cool about the Master Spinners course! I still want to take some "formal" class but haven't gotten around to it. I am not up for the master spinners thing y, but might be (it's a long commitment).

I am very interested in the types of things you get to do for the course!

[also interested in the acid dyeing!]

[xantha]

wow! that is really in depth!

[Woven N Spun]

It is pretty intense. And this is just the FIRST level.
There are a total of 6 levels with increasing difficulty.

I am looking forward to the one on dyeing.

[Hooker]

Had to add what I recently finished!

http://static.flickr.com/35/72160229_b9433b396b_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/psychobabble/72160229/)

I'm calling it pimento olive. It's about 528 yards of generally worsted weight. The colors in the picture are pretty true. I currently spinning and plying a brown merino with touches of green and will share that when I have more done. Somewhere around here I have about 78 yards of a rainbow fleece that turned out really pretty, but have no idea what I can make of it.

[Hooker]

Here I go, posting again, revealing my addiction. I mentioned a merino that I've been spinning, where here are the first two skeins.

http://static.flickr.com/20/72492927_ac0772f448_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/psychobabble/72492927/)

I think it's coming up about fingering weight or so. It varies a bit and I haven't checked wpi yet. However, that is a dime you see there for scale. I'm calling this batch of roving Chocolate Mint.

[xantha]

Amy, that's gorgeous! I love the colors! Do you recall where you got the merino? :)

[Hooker]

You know, it was through an eBay seller, Oregon Trail (http://stores.ebay.com/Oregon-Trail-Yarn-and-Books). It was nearly 2 pounds of superwash that I got for $18.75 plus shipping. They said it was ends and pieces, so that might be why it was affordable. This is my first time spinning Merino, and it took a while before I heard what the wool was trying to tell me to do. I'm going to get some serious yardage out of this, and don't have plans for it so far.

I'm so glad I never tried it on a drop spindle, I would have given it up, this stuff is so slick and silky, and I'm amazed at how thin I can spin it.

UPDATE: They have the same stuff I have (http://cgi.ebay.com/1-lb-14-oz-Brown-Sheep-Company-Roving-SW-BROWN-w-Green_W0QQitemZ8205068059QQcategoryZ36601QQtcZphot oQQcmdZViewItem) available, but at a slightly higher price. Maybe I caught a sale or something.

[Woven N Spun]

Here's my latest spinning. Wish I could have gotten a closer shot for you, but for some reason my camera (or is it me) cant seem to take a decent close up shot of anything lately.

Anyway...here's 4 skeins blocking on my new wonderful yarn blocker that my hubby made for me. Isn't it great? Anwway the yarn on the left is Lincoln that I dyed and carded myself. It's a single of spruce green with some glitz thrown in plied with a single of lighter green, gold, and orange. Looks great in person. The next one over is some white roving plied with a great roving I bought from our own Dudley Spinner (Deb I finished another skein not shown here ... love it ) The two skeins on the right were roving I bought from another vendor. It was slightly felted and wouldn't spin well for me plus we didn't like the colorway as it was turning out. So I ran it through my carder and that helped blend it and restore it to a more spinable fiber for me. It's red and green. It's more of a boucle type yarn. All 4 skeins are a fingering weight great for socks or mittens (working on a pattern to hopefully make available in January)
http://www.wovenspun.com/blog/yarn2.jpg

Now on the wheel...oh so wonderful alpaca that I wasn contracted to spin for. It's just yummy. I want some for ME! :D

[Hooker]

It's too bad we can't see it up close, it looks very pretty!

[rebeccav]

i LOVE your blocker! i'm trying to convince hubby to make one for me:lol

your yarns are gorgeous, girl! so, do they pay you in fluff for spinning?
(about the camera - mine doesn't do well on closeup when the batteries need charging.... maybe that could be it?)

[Woven N Spun]

Thanks for the kudos on the yarn blocker. Hubby made another for a friend of mine. He modified it a bit so it's not as big. It's now exactly one yard around. (yeah)

I get paid in cash and fiber! LOVE it.


i LOVE your blocker! i'm trying to convince hubby to make one for me:lol

your yarns are gorgeous, girl! so, do they pay you in fluff for spinning?
(about the camera - mine doesn't do well on closeup when the batteries need charging.... maybe that could be it?)

[rebeccav]

you are SOOOO lucky!!!

i'm extremely jealous ;)

[dudleyspinner]

This is a yarn I will be spinning for quite a while. Jackie ordered two pounds of it!

http://dudleyspinner.blogspot.com/2006/01/hanspun-yarn-purple-haze.html
Deb

[dudleyspinner]

Looks great in person. The next one over is some white roving plied with a great roving I bought from our own Dudley Spinner (Deb I finished another skein not shown here ... love it ) T
http://www.wovenspun.com/blog/yarn2.jpg

Kim,
That is very very pretty plyed with the white!
Deb

[jacqui]

I am curious you Americans seem to use a lot of singles . In Australia we ply our yarns more i was wondering why and what do you use you single yarns to make? Also don't you find that the item you make with singles slants to one side or the other because its not plied, is that why you block it the way you do. Plied yarns don't need all the extra blocking i find only if they are over spun. Sorry if it sounds silly to you but others have asked me to ask you this so im not the only one thats noticed.

[Woven N Spun]

Thanks Deb. I did two skeins, one plied with white and one plied with itself. I have a little left and can probably make a pair of baby socks out of it. I have been busy with other things that I haven't yet gotten to knit it up, but it spun beautitfully.

Kim,
That is very very pretty plyed with the white!
Deb[/QUOTE]

[dudleyspinner]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/dudleyspinner/greensoxs.jpg

I am curious you Americans seem to use a lot of singles . In Australia we ply our yarns more i was wondering why and what do you use you single yarns to make? Also don't you find that the item you make with singles slants to one side or the other because its not plied, is that why you block it the way you do. Plied yarns don't need all the extra blocking i find only if they are over spun. Sorry if it sounds silly to you but others have asked me to ask you this so im not the only one thats noticed.

If you want a yarn to knit socks and can spin a singles that is balanced enough the color changes are very consistant. These socks are a singles about 17 wpi. They are a little like an isotoner sock, the yarn does not stretch out. I sometimes do a navajo 3 ply for socks, but it takes alot longer to do the spinning and the color repeats are never going to be as sharp. I guess the answer is because I can! I can spin a balance single yarn and use it for whatever I want without it skewing. When I finish the yarn it is stretched out and dried on a swift. It is easier for me to knit one strand because it never splits. Plying is fine, but sometimes just more work, that is a step I can skip and have good results. I wear these socks quite alot and they are wearing very well.
Deb

http://dudleyspinner.blogspot.com/2005/06/handspun-socks-wilde-greenies.html

[jacqui]

Thanks Deb thats interesting,i must try it this winter as i want to crochet some socks. I will tell the girls that asked me to.

[Chain3turn]

Here's a dog fur/merino mix I'm working on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v478/SamplerLady/Two/SugarYarnJan06.jpg

[woolandflax]

I really like that!! Wasn't quite sure how the yarn spun from dog hair would look but I love the variation and almost mohair-like halo.

[xantha]

I am curious you Americans seem to use a lot of singles.

I dunno about that; most of what I see here (and what I spin myself) is at least 2-ply when I finish it. I still take pictures of the singles.

However, the bias that happens when you knit or crochet with energized singles can be a lot of fun and give the item a completely different look! :)

[The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931499160) actually has a couple of examples of socks knit with energized singles -- pretty neat!]

[Hooker]

Got more spun. I'm finding that spinning is a fairly cheap version of therapy. I'm calling this one Love's Baby Soft because the primary colors were baby pink and baby blue. It's a supersoft merino that I dyed with a combination of Wilton and food dye.

http://static.flickr.com/40/85897920_7f3ef62095_m.jpg

[Woven N Spun]

Love the colors Amy. And you're right it is cheap (well realatively anyway) therapy

[carrieanne]

Amy, I Love that yarn! The colors are BEAUTIFUL!