Tag Archives: handspun

A Couple Of Bobbins

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It turns out I am getting better and faster about going through four ounces of fiber. My 100% romney in Waiting for Daffodils colorway has found its way onto two bobins.

This fiber is a mix of blues, yellows, greens and eve some pinky orange. The singles came out nice and easy. It’s getting easier to get a finer single but I still struggle with pieces that come out thick where the fibers might be a little felted or clumped. I am able to fix some and some just go through as “character”.

I am hoping to have some time this weekend to get these singles plied up. I made a new fiber friend in my work world and I think this skein (if it turns out) will be a gift.

Happy Spinning!!

Everything Coming Up Daffodils

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After finishing my Deep Regret 2-ply I decided to work another smaller project. I seem to be all about the instant gratification!

This Romney is not as soft the merino I have been working with and find I need to pre-draft a little bit more. I split the braid in half and then those half again to make thinner fiber. And as I spin I am opening up the fiber to make a thinner single.

My kids and husband were on the Switch before school/daycare so I took my wheel and my coffee outside for 10 minutes to spin before work. It was sunny, cool and calm. The last I saw of those things that day. Work has upended once again and is causing me more responsibility and stress but that’s a post for another day!

Happy Spinning!!

Gratuitous Handspun – Deep Regret 2-ply

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Another skein of handspun has joined the stash! This merino tencel blend absolutely flew off my wheel. I had prepared this roving into little nestlets and managed fairly thin singles. All in all I think this was managed across four or five days.

I spun two bobbins and with my “go-to” 2ply approach which resulted in a sport weight with some light worsted spots. Super super super happy with this one! The 2-ply was 150 yards of yarn over 113 grams with really lovely barber poling.

My bobbins weren’t quite even and I had a little leftover so I chain plied the remainder into a teeny tiny 3-ply skein. Its 8 yards over 10 gram so a little heftier skein but gorgeous nonetheless.

Now I just need to plot my next spin! Happy spinning!!

Spinning Deep Regret

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I love a good theme, so I decided to pull out the last of the three month fiber club I received early this year. This is four ounces of a merino/tencel blend. I decided to take a different tac on this braid to see if I could get finer singles than my previous spinning.

I split the braid in half to make two lots. And then for each lot I broke those in half lengthwise and then split those halves down the middle to end up with little nests of fiber. These are skinnier sections of fiber that I hope to control into finer singles.

Now I just need the spare time to keep spinning!

Let’s Barber-pole!

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I managed to squeak in some plying this past weekend in between laundry and dishes. Still trying to get my sea legs back after getting a cold. Darn boogers anyway!

I 2-plied the extra fine merino singles onto one super cute bobbin. I just let this fiber be what it wanted to be and didn’t try for anything in particular. I haven’t measured yet but I am guessing I have another worsted skein. I am going to let this sit on the bobbin and get it washed/whacked later this week.

But now….what to spin next??

Ultra Fine Merino

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Turns out that my practice at spinning is making me faster and more confident. I had a work colleague over for a patio chat one evening and I managed to get all four ounces onto bobbins.

This fiber is just so super soft. I am glad I don’t plan to wind these off into cakes. They would tangle like beast. Looking at these bobbins, I for sure will get barber-poled finished yarn. For now, I am going to rest these singles and try to get my mo-jo working back in the knitting direction.

Happy Spinning!!

Super Fine Merino

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My wheel was feeling a little lonely without any spinning on it after finishing my batt. So I pulled out another little braid from the fiber club that my hubby got me for Christmas. This one is DELICIOUS! It’s 18.5 micron merino and like BUTTER!

I opened up this braid and split the entire thing in half. I wasn’t overly scientific and just eye balled it. The plan is to spin half the braid onto one bobbin and the other half onto a second. Then I can 2-ply.

This braid is giving me some serious stripes in the singles. The colors are very saturated and I can’t help but think I will some great barber poling in my finished yarn. I am not taking care to line up colors in the singles. I am just letting the fiber do what it wants to do.

Happy Spinning!!

FO Friday: Blue Batt 2-ply

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Disaster adverted….mostly. My 2-ply did get completed after about an hour of untangling. I ended up with a couple small balls of singles that I attached to ends coming from my wheel and got those overlapped and plied. I then picked up the ends from the remaining cake and kept the cake between my thighs for control. This worked fairly well and I got the whole thing wrapped up last night.

I gave it a quick wash before work and hung to dry near the dehumidifier in the basement. It was dry enough last night to weigh and measure and skein up. I ended up with yet another worsted that varies between light and heavy worsted. The finished yardage was 72 yards and 62 grams. So just a little mini skein but super cute nonetheless.

And I have learned my lesson, next time I ply from a cake…..I will keep it controlled in my lap and not rolling around the floor!!

Happy Spinning!!

That Went South Fast

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My plying process started out so good…..

And then it went south SOOOOO FAST…..

My tension from the cake got all wonky. And then the outside started feeding faster than the inside and in the end I ended up with tangled ramen.

I took a big girl breath and decided to walk away for a minute. My play is to break the singles and wind the ramen into separate balls. Once I get all the chaos under control I will then reevaluate and figure out best to keep plying this beast.

Slightly less happy spinning today….

From Batt to Singles

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The two ounces of this wee little bat didn’t take me long to get spun into singles. I have a finished bobbin of singles all ready to spend 24 hours in timeout.

I feel like a I have strong singles with good enough twist that I feel comfortable winding this off into a center pull ball. I will get out my tensioned lazy kate and ball winder to make my cake. But that is tonight’s task!

Happy Spinning!!