Tag Archives: handspun

Setting The Order

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I am really on the struggle bus with this second bobbin for my mini fiber combo spin.

To say this fiber is all over the map is an understatement. There is toothy long wool and ultra find merino with everything in-between. I have been struggling to keep a consistent fine single and with the transition between minis

I have just a few minis left, so I have them planned out to the end. I couldn’t help making sure to break them up so that no one color is next to each other. I just can’t help myself that I need the appearance of randomness without too many colors bunching up.

I can’t wait to finish this! Happy Spinning!!

Starting Bobbin #2

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Here comes bobbin #2 for the Pigskin Party 2025 spinning. I can definitely tell that I am less inspired by this color palette.

I have the first few bits on the Sparrow and the second bobbin. There is interesting fiber in here. I have super crazy soft merino combined with some toothy long wool and everything in between. I have lost my single several times with the soft stuff.

This is for sure an end product spin. Lots of dark, grey and otherwise mundane colors. The green is an interesting pop of color. Happy Spinning!!!

Bobbin #1 ✔️

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I got a little hyper fixated on my latest spinning project and blasted through 3.5 ounces of fiber.

I really enjoyed these blues and they stacked up so pretty. I am not gonna lie that I love being able to see the ends. There was a lot of sari silk in this mix of bits and bobs. NOT my favorite to spin and I pulled out a lot of the nups.

I am starting to get a feel for this wheel and my spinning still has thick/thin variations. And I am learning! Now I am on to the second bag. I think I will spin the neutrals/hodgepodge next and save the pinks for last.

Happy Spinning!!

Washed And Wound Handspun

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I learned a lot with this spin. Especially about using my Sparrow e-wheel.

For the 2-ply skeins, I had two of the three that I did not ply well due to my not managing or setting up the tension on the e-wheel correctly. I fixed that for the third skein which is the bottom left skein.

This yarn will still knit just fine. And it was a lesson I needed to learn to make my future skeins better. I finished with roughly 236 grams and just over 700 yards of a sport to heavy fingering weight yarn. I am thinking some sort of baby blanket or garter throw to show off the handspun?

Happy Spinning!!

All The Skeins Swimming

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The skeins are all dunked, swished and hung to dry. This handspun is really turning out to be something!

I did have to scrub some questionable things from the sink to be able to wash this yarn. And I was so surprised with how much water this yarn sucked during its inaugural wash. I let it rest and then squeezed out the water and towel dried them.

After a good whack on the floor, I have hung them to dry near the window where they can be warmed by the sun. I am hoping to have these measured, weighed and finalized when they are dry. I can’t wait to see how many yards of yarn I managed to make with the 2-ply skeins!

Happy Spinning!!

Finished: Emotional Support Chicken #3

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Let me introduce you to Clara the Emotional Support Chicken!

Pattern: Emotional Support Chicken by Annette Corsino (Rav Link)

Yarn: My own handspun skeins

Needles: US 7s

Mods: I totally knit the beak from the wrong direction but otherwise stayed on task.

The kids decided that Clara did not need a waddle so she doesn’t have any chin decorations. I am really happy with this finished chicken. I liked the combination of colors in the accent areas. I still have leftovers from all three colors in this chicken so I can absolutely make more chickens. I just need to find the next recipient.

Now I need to get Clara packaged up and sent to her final home with my friend! Happy Knitting!!

All Plied Up

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It took me a few bobbins and about 1,000 adjustments but I managed to get all of the singles into plied yarn. And it only took four bobbins for this SSK fiber mini spinning project.

Bonus points, the view has been pretty nice here at the Grandparents. I need to wait until I get home and get this yarn wound off into skeins to wash and measure. I finally felt more comfortable with the tension and moving the parts around by bobbin #3.

The three bobbins on the right are all 2-ply skeins where I just let the colors combine as they came off the singles. I had a little bit of singles left on one of the bobbins so I chain plied all those to use them up. It will make a wee little skein.

All in all, I am pretty pleased so far! Happy Spinning!!

Plying With The Tools At Hand

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I have the weekend booked at Casa Grandparents and I am without all my tools. But I wanted to finish spinning this handspun I brought on my Sparrow.

I found a cardboard box in the recyling and stole two wall hangers for thread from my mom’s sewing room and made do. It was not the smoothest plying but it is putting yarn on the bobbin.

I am still learning this e-wheel and it’s setting. I am struggling with the tension and take-up compared to the Kiwi 3 I have been spinning on. And at the end of the day, I am still making yarn. So as long as I am having fun, I am doing it right!

Happy Spinning!!

Enough Stuffing?

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Emotional Support Chicken #3 is ready for stuffing.

I asked my Mom if she had some stuffing I could use and she brought me a 5 lb full box of vintage polyfill stuffing. Lol, I think my chicken will be fine!

However, in editing this photo I noticed that I made an error on the eyes and the beak. I knit them from the wrong side. Easy enough to detach the eyes and move but the beak is a bit of an oops. I am just going to leave it. AND I am going to seam the chicken from the correct side. I just can’t live with the wrong side out. I guess that will teach me to pay attention!

(Semi) Happy Knitting!!

The Second Bobbin

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The second bobbin of my SSK spinning project is filling up nicely. I managed to give the grands to the grandparents for the evening and snag some spinning time and a cold beer.

I am still spinning with no plan and just grabbing whatever color feels good. All vibes, no plan. And I am still getting used to my Sparrow e-wheel. It takes a few tweaks now and again, especially after transporting to and fro. But I am learning as I go and I think it is going okay.

A few more minutes of alone time and I will have these singles done! Happy Spinning!!