My plying session this week was super fruitful! I finished my second skein of sparkly alpaca 2-ply.
This was 5 ounces of fiber that ended up turning into a 144 yard skein with 138 grams total weight. It worked out to a light worsted/heavy sport type skein. And the best news ever is that it is pretty darn close to the original skein so they should work together nicely!
I already have new fiber on the wheel and I will show you the awesomeness that this Targhee wool is doing! Happy spinning!!
My dad surprised me this last week. He caught me after a weekend visit with a shipping bag. He admitted that some of my Christmas didn’t ship in time and it had arrived in February. He was a little embarrassed but I was excited!
This was 4 ounces of Rambouillet in the “Shiver” colorway and 4 ounces of a 70%/30% merino/nylon sock blend. The sock blend are little bits and bobs of mixed colors. I think I would break each nest into half or thirds and try to make matching singles.
I have a finished skein to show you tomorrow and now fiber already on the wheel that I will show next week. So for now, this fiber will need to wait its turn. But I am always happy for surprise fiber and adorable dads.
Happy Stashing!!
PB may be close to ending her gymnastics journey so I’m cherishing the last few sessions of knitting in peace. This week I focused on starting my 2020 Chromatic Yarns advent mini #6. I managed to crank out the first sock and start the second before we had to hustle out the door.
I am using an Erin Lane bag from her Hank does the Olympics line. It’s purple and makes Jellybean smile so this bag is a regular in my rotation. I need to possibly look for more size 1 US needles as these metal JoAnn needles are getting bent under my tension.
I am also holding PB’s hair tie on my finger because while PB likes pony tails, they only last 20 minutes tops, lol. Happy Knitting!!
Happy Valentines day!! I added some self care this morning while the household was still sleeping. I made some strong coffee and started the second toe for my Punch Bug Vanilla Socks.
I am almost done with the first tube and I wanted the second toe to be ready for when the circular needle is empty. I managed 4 rows before PB bounced down the hall and asked for breakfast. Such is mom life!
Happy Knitting!!
I decided to ply my second go at this black and shiny Alpaca fiber. I teed up my lazy Kate and a huge ole mug of water.
The plying went beautifully and I think I even managed to spin this yarn somewhat close to the first skein! The sparkle is truly what gets me. It’s just so shiny but the skein isn’t scratchy.
The kiddos absconded with my fiber wash and bucket. So once I track that down I will get this skein washed and whacked. I’m hoping for close to 150 yards with a stretch goal of 175 yards. This will mean the two skeins together can make a substantial project!
Happy Spinning!!
The Super Bowl is upon us and the Kansas City Chiefs squeaked into the title match. This black fiber is brought to you by the AFC Championship game that was a nail bitter. Too keep my blood pressure under control, I just kept focused on the spinning. By the end I blew through all five ounces!
The fire didn’t hurt either!
Now I have to decide if this will get plied before or after the big game! Happy Friday and Happy Spinning!!
She’s lumpy and nubbly and she’s all mine, lol. I am now calling this my Rustic 2-ply as it’s full of “character”!
After washing and drying I measured this skein out. The wraps per inch are ALL over the place but they mostly averaged out to worsted weight. The finished skein is 148 grams and 173 yards. It’s VERY pink and there are some spots where the fiber is not spun at all.
This is the kind of skein where it would be perfect for weaving with to show off that texture. Weaving is a fiber craft I had not dipped into. I may tuck this skein of yarn into the stash to wait for that day.
Happy Spinning!!
I was so enamored with the sparkly black alpaca that I reached out to the farm to see if they had any of that fiber left after the festival. They did and dispatched the 5 ounces they had after a quick PayPal transaction. It’s SO FLUFFY
I plan to spin this very much like the first lot of fiber. I will split into two halves and 2-ply the singles together. The farm, Grey Meadow Alpacas, added a little treat for me in the package. This little adorable felt alpaca has come to live at my house!
Happy Spinning!!
My spinning that I am now calling my “Rustic 2-ply” is plied and coming off the bobbin this week.
As predicted, this is VERY thick and thin in spots. In fact there are some places where the roving is not spun at all. It can be very lumpy in many spots. But one silver lining, it was a very balanced skein after plying. There is almost no twisting back on itself. And it’s hanging straight down
This skein is off to is bath time so I can measure and count this skein. I think this will work out to be worsted on average across all the spots. And with 8 ounces of fiber used I am expecting a decent amount of yardage.
Happy Spinning!
My baking addiction continues unabated. My family asked for bagels and I had never made them before. So we tried a little experiment.
I used my bread machine to mix, knead and proof the dough. And then I took over and did the salt boil and custom toppings. We did cheese, everything and plain bagels.
I learned some lessons. They need to go right from boil to toppings to oven or they will shrink. Definitely more cheese next time. And the plain ones would benefit from some sea salt on top. But all in all, not a bad first try!
Happy Baking!!
Michele plays with yarn, food, and music in Portland
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