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!!
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 Shiny Black Alpaca 2-ply is done and dry. It came out GORGEOUS!
I did get a little aggressive on some part of the plying and even after a bath, some sections are over plied/very energized. I can probably send it back through my wheel in the opposite direction and take some of the crazy out.
It did stay a sport skein. I got 12 wraps per inch (mostly). This 133 gram skein came out to 160 yards. Will make a lovely project. I am thinking of gifting this to a coworker who is retiring that is into fiber. She doesn’t retire until March so I have time to ponder.
Happy Spinning!!
I am still feeling the urge to spin and my Shiny Alpaca was off the wheel. So I pulled out a spinning kit I got in a mystery bag a few Christmas’s ago. It was 8.5 ounces of pink merino and a handful of intact wool locks in bright pink and bright blue.
I was so engrossed in the spin that I didn’t even grab any photos before the singles were done. I split the braid into 4 ounce chunks. I spun the first half with working the locks in intermittently. I HATED it from the start. But I persevered and worked them all in the first 4 ounces.
I then HAPPILY spun the second 4 ounces as plain merino. Those were lovely to spin. I plan to ply the two together. My first bobbin is very inconsistent and thick/thin. So I am predicting an “art” yarn from this skein. It will be beautiful in its own way, lol.
Happy Spinning!!
The hubby was in charge of bedtime last night so I had some free and clear time. The singles from my sparkly alpaca FLEW onto my wheel this week. The fiber was very excellently carded and it felt easy to spin.
I poured myself a strawberry blonde ale from a local brewery and started plying. The two bobbins are fairly well matched and I only had a few yards to chain ply at the end of one bobbin.
The skein is resting on its bobbin and waiting for a bath this weekend. Pre washing the yarn looks to be around 11 or 12 wraps per inch. So light DK to sport weight probably? It might change a little after its swim and whack.
Happy Spinning!!
Michele plays with yarn, food, and music in Portland
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