Fiber Musings

Random thoughts of a fiber enthusiast - mostly fiber related, sometimes coherent

Category: Spin Page 22 of 69

Helix Scarf

By

On 20 Jan, 2011

In FO, Knit, Spin

Helix Scarf

The Helix Scarf is finally done. I took this along with me to Hawaii dive trip as my mindless knitting. Who knew that I’d be too exhausted on the trip to knit? So this became my on-the-go and mindless television knitting. Even so, it took me 2 months to finish this scarf.

I finally got into the rhythm last week and was able to zip along to finish this scarf. In this green, it actually looks a bit like sea kelp, doesn’t it? I think a bronze colored one to wear with it will make a nice kelp bed effect. Of course, I’ll look like I’ve been strangled by the sea kelp.

I knitted the scarf as a much denser fabric than the scarves on Interweave’s website. I wanted it to be drapey, not limp. The silk content gives it the crispness it needed and the yarn has quite a bit of bounce. I’m very happy with this scarf. And, yes, I would like to make another one.

Cabbage Rose

Here it is, all rolled up. Doesn’t it look like a cabbage rose? In fact, I’m thinking about dyeing some yarn (or fiber) that slowly gradates in a single hue to white. When rolled up, it really will look like a cabbage rose that slowly fades to white. Wouldn’t that be pretty? Yes. I am easily amused.

Details:

  • Handspun from Abby’s Batt Club October 2007: First Frost (33% extra fine merino/33% baby alpaca/33% silk/1% firestar)
  • According to the McMorran Balance, I used about 325 yards.
  • Finished length along the spine, relaxed: 34″
  • 2.25 mm needles.

I still have a little over half of the skein of yarn left (about 350 yards). I’ll be digging around for another little scarflet/shawlette pattern.

Baby Camel Finished!

By

On 31 Dec, 2010

In FO, Spin

Baby Camel plied with Silk

I can’t think of a better way to close out the year with a completed skein that’s been on the spindles for 3 years. Can you? Whew. I’m glad this is finally done. It’s not the best spinning nor plying job I’ve ever done, but I can cross the camel off the list.

Stats:

  • Fiber: Baby Camel Down Top and Tussah Silk from Earthues, colorway “Cypress Grove”
  • Yardage: 576 yards
  • Weight: 2.25 oz (70 g)
  • WPI: varies GREATLY. Currently, it’s anywhere from 24-28wpi. I haven’t wet finished this yet. I expect it to bloom significantly.

I still have a bit of the silk to spin, but that should be finished up quickly. It will be plied with itself for a 2 ply and likely worked into a silk band.

Have a fabulous New Year!

No Love Here

By

On 6 Dec, 2010

In Spin

For over two years now, I’ve been working on a spindle project as part of my travel kit. It often gets left behind when I travel because it ceased to be fun. I couldn’t remember why, since it’s been sitting there pouting for so long.

The plan was to spin a 2 ply yarn, one ply will be a hand painted silk seen here (hmm, this post says 3 years ago), the other will be some baby camel down that I picked up somewhere along the way. Still is. That hasn’t changed.

Baby Camel Down

I love spinning silk, so that wasn’t the problem. The problem is that I didn’t enjoy spinning the the baby camel down. I had planned to spin the entire project on the top whorl spindle (bottom right), but spinning the camel just wasn’t fun. Not impossible, just not enjoyable. I spun one spindle-full on it (paper quill next to the spindle) and stopped.

Fast forward 2 years. Last week, I decided to have another go at it. After all, I have Stephenie Gaustad‘s cotton spinning class behind me. The baby camel staple length is about the same as the cotton, so, why not? Nope. The top whorl drop spindle was still a pain in the tush. I switched to a supported spindle that I made* this summer from a stone bead I found in Anacortes.

Unfortunately, I was having problems drafting the baby camel down top. I tried it straight from the top, fluffed up, but it was still a struggle. It was better when I used my Strauch cotton/fur hand cards to create little rolags, but still not great. I needed more twist and I was too impatient to twirl, twirl, and more twirl.

This weekend, I finally caved in. I pulled my Bosworth Book Charkha out. The experience is much more enjoyable. The singles are more consistent and finer, both with the top and with the rolags. As soon as I finish spinning the rolags I already prepared, I will spin the rest of the fluff directly from the top.

As you can tell, I gave up on the idea of a completely spindle spun project. But no matter, I just want this done! The silk will still be spun on the top whorl spindle. I am more than 50% finished with those. When I get too frustrated with the camel, I switch over to the silk to work the stress out. <grin>

Needless to say, camel will be in my “been there, done that; don’t want to go back” category.

* Stone bead, rubber grommet, chopstick. I found these neat chopsticks at Daiso. It is tapered to nearly the top, and then it reverses the taper to another point. This makes it very adjustable to nearly any size bead. The points on both ends allowed me to make a very simple support spindle without any additional work.

Page 22 of 69

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén