The needlework peacock feather motif is done and only needs to be appliqued to the robe, so I'm taking a little break from close work, and since we've had a light frost, I'm spinning.
The connection is that my allergies make it almost impossible to spin or knit or do anything wool related, but the first frost usually sees the end of swollen, itching eyes and sneezing, yay.
So I can start what might be a winter project, dizzing, then spindle spinning, then plying, then knitting a top for which I already have an idea how to design and proceed.
Dizzing is the process of drawing roving, the fluff which eventually becomes yarn, through a fine aperture to make spinning a consistently even yarn easier.
You can spend money getting all carried away buying various sizes of diz for various thicknesses of yarn, or you can just find a handy button and a fine crochet hook, and go from there.
Like this
You can spin from roving or combed top without dizzing, and I have, but I find the extra step gives me a more consistent yarn. It's like predrafting only for me it works better.
So this is where I am.
The plan is to spin a lot of single ply in one color range, here pink/red/rust, then spin another lot in a different colorway, then ply them together to make a chunky variegated yarn. You spin clockwise, ply counterclockwise.
Plying has been a bit of a comic scene around here, since it's so much faster than spinning, the plies just hurling themselves around each other, it's like being in a speeded up movie. And you can't laugh and ply at the same time. I know this.
I've ordered a fairly large supply of mixed ends in merino and bamboo from Goats Magosh through their Etsy shop, since they're open for business again.
These are like what you see above here, plenty of variety in color and texture.
And shopping for ends rather than a large amount of roving in a pre blended mix is not only cheaper but more interesting, to mix my own color sequence. My experience with Goats Magosh has been good, so why not.
The stitching project is just taking a break. It will return!
And I can now bring some yarn related work to my knitting group.
This will be fun watching the results of your spinning. I love different colors plied together.
ReplyDeleteTell us about how your knitting group is meeting, please. Pretty please.
ReplyDeleteIt's a library group, meeting on-line at the moment, using Go-to-meeting. Very small, and we'd like more people. If you want to join in, look at Mercer county libraries, nj, and go to Event keeper, where you can sign up. I don't think it's any more complicated than that.
DeleteInteresting project. I have never tried spinning. Looking forward to the colour results.
ReplyDeleteSpinning's a funny thing -- some people use a wheel and can't get the hang of spindle spinning at all, and some the opposite. I was lent a wheel for a summer, and really hated it. It just felt like a treadmill. So another spinner gave me a spindle and as soon as I handled it I felt at home with it. I'll never be a great spinner, but I can make what I want to use.
DeleteI notice that wonderful spinners have warm moist hands, and I think it helps with drafting, drawing out the fluff evenly to spin it. I have cool, slippery hands, great for pastry making, not as great for drafting.
But it's joyful to do it anyway.
Looks like a great deal of fun but not something that's on my radar. There are so many things I would love to try but limited space for additional stash means I have to admire from afar.
ReplyDeleteYes, there's a limit on what you can get involved in unless you rent a second apartment for your stash.
Delete