Tag Archives: handspun

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!!

A Third Set Of Chicken Breasts

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Emotional Support Chicken #3 has moved to the chicken breast portion.

These short rows really do have me counting all the time. It is fairly ingenious construction with a nice finished look and short rows in garter are my favorite. I need to complete another step and then I think I will work in the darker brown.

This chicken will go to another work friend who could benefit from an office support chicken. I just need to get the gift package together…

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Emotional Support Chicken #3

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I still have some Emotional Support Chicken mojo after finishing #2. So here comes #3!

I had PB and Jellybean pick out the the next handspun. PB picked some Romney 2-ply and I grabbed the leftover of the unknown brown 3-ply and the creamy romney white leftovers. I managed to get the tail feather completed and connected.

I think I am going to mix the accent colors of the white and dark brown colors against the main medium brown color. I have enough to play around with color on this one. And still have leftovers for #4.

Happy Knitting!!

FO: Emotional Support Chicken #2

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Emotional Support Chicken #2 is done and stuffed!

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

Yarn: My own (early) handspun

Needles: US 7s

Mods: None

This finished chicken used up just slightly over 200 grams of handspun yarn. I have a nice size chunk of the cream left and a tiny knob of the brown. I think the finished chicken looks nice but is a little body heavy. It was interested to stuff compared to the first one. I ended up using more stuffing to create a more balanced chicken.

PB has named this one Ruby and she is a little harder to find a nice pose. But I am getting ready to box her up and send her to Aunt Barb.

Dare I knit a 3rd chicken? Happy Knitting!!