Posted under Uncategorized & miscellaneous
Saturday was the start of the Tour de Fleece and I’ve been trying to document my progress of what I’ve spun each day. For the first day I Navajo plied some South African Fine in the colorway Maccaws from Spunky Eclectic that I had already gotten spun.
These aren’t really my colors, but I had a lot of fun spinning it up anyway. It’s always an adventure to reach beyond my normal color comfort zone when I’m spinning.
I wasn’t able to start a new project for the second day of the tour, but I did take a picture of how much I already had on the bobbin when I started spinning.
By the time I finished, I had completed spinning what I needed for the second bobbin for a 3-ply yarn and I completed the third bobbin. Here are the singles all ready for plying.
I also started spinning some Corriedale roving that I bought from MDSW. While in Pennsylvania, I dyed it with Shelly.
This is how much I managed to spin last night.
I’m a little disappointed as this is not the fun project I had hoped it would be. I think the fiber must have felted a bit when I dyed it because it’s hard to draft. I can feel the fibers tearing when I pull it through and it’s a little lumpy.
I have 8 ounces of the Corriedale to spin. Since this is being spun as a laceweight yarn, it’s going to take me awhile. My plan is to spin a little bit of this and break the monotony by doing other projects in between so that I don’t get completely fed up.
I’ve already planned my ‘in between’ project. It’s a Merino roving from Enchanted Knoll Farm in the colorway ‘Queen Mermaid’. It’s destined to be another 3-ply sock weight yarn.
Some knitting also took place over the weekend as I took my sock with me when I did my errands on Saturday. I’m on the leg of the second Nanner sock and I hope to have it finished sometime this week.
I’m not sure what my next portable sock project will be, but one of the things I enjoy doing while spinning is mulling over what to knit next. A stash dive might be in order though as the mulling has produced nothing of use.
A stash dive might induce an urge to destash. Hrm.
Happy Monday everyone! Thanks for reading!
Cheekyredhead on 07 Jul 2008 at 11:20 am #
I strongly suggest a whole lot of pre-drafting on your corridale. It will make the fiber much eaiser to spin and less lumpy.
Beverly on 07 Jul 2008 at 11:21 am #
I love the Corriedale and the Queen Mermaid colorway is beautiful.
Cookie on 07 Jul 2008 at 11:24 am #
Beautiful spinning, Opal!
Nilesh Roy on 07 Jul 2008 at 11:27 am #
….oooO…………….
…..(….)…Oooo……
……)../…..(….)……
…..(_/…….)../…….
……………(_/………
Nilesh Roy was here to read ur blog… see u back at Plurk :)
fleegle on 07 Jul 2008 at 12:34 pm #
The yarn is pretty! But, um,are you in a blue mood? I am having a red mood myself…
Roseann on 07 Jul 2008 at 1:10 pm #
I thought your Maccaws yarn was yarn that you had purchased, it turned out sooo nicely! I, too, have dyed roving that ended up feeling a bit felted. Pre-drafting helps but takes forever. Splitting it into strips helps, I hope it gets easier as I know how frustrating it can be. It looks very pretty so far. I can’t wait to see Queen Mermaid spun up and plied.
Agnes on 07 Jul 2008 at 1:20 pm #
Spinning is not my thing, but I did watch some Tour de France … mainly for the beautiful French landscape!
kris on 07 Jul 2008 at 2:22 pm #
geezus, that’s a lot of spinning!
kris on 07 Jul 2008 at 2:22 pm #
ps. they are all gorgeous, even the felted one - it has “personality”! can’t wait to see the 3ply!
Hattie on 07 Jul 2008 at 2:41 pm #
Yeah, depending on how you dyed it, it happens. I find that microwaving mine is less felty than in the pot. Not sure why.
Love the spinning, can’t wait to see the queen mermaid!
hetty gruener on 07 Jul 2008 at 3:18 pm #
Wow! You’ve been busy! I love your spun yarns! And blues and greesn are my favourite colour!
Extragalactika on 07 Jul 2008 at 4:54 pm #
wow that’s alot of blue! not so sure the Macaws capture the same feeling of macaw wings but that Corriedale is fantastic, I love how bright it is.
Laura on 07 Jul 2008 at 5:03 pm #
Have you thought of carding the corriedale a little bit at all? Love your colors!
Lisa on 07 Jul 2008 at 5:20 pm #
You have so much patience! All that fine spinning, and 3 ply! I need to learn that I guess. (This could be tough, I am not known for my patience lol.)
Soo on 07 Jul 2008 at 8:28 pm #
Good luck with the Tour de Fleece! I’m loving the colours.
I am also in a knitting limbo. Can’t seem to find the right project at the moment. But I’m sure it is out there!!
Kimberly on 07 Jul 2008 at 8:31 pm #
Drool!!! Gorgeous
Veronica on 07 Jul 2008 at 10:11 pm #
Both are such great colors!
Yeah for almost finished Nanners! I love that name!
See you when I get back from Ohio!
Hugs,
V
Jeanne on 07 Jul 2008 at 11:46 pm #
I love all the spinning -very pretty! Can’t wait to see the finished sock and see what you pick for the next project!
Stacey (just Stacey) on 08 Jul 2008 at 5:37 am #
I LOVE all of the colors. Very beachy and relaxing. How do you feel about silk?
DervishGirl is trying not to speak in plurk. :D
/runs
wiscjennyann on 08 Jul 2008 at 6:45 am #
Wow, what eye candy! Beautiful beautiful beautiful!
knitnana on 08 Jul 2008 at 9:28 am #
Me senses a theme in the colors! :)
GORGEOUS!
(((hugs)))
Becky on 08 Jul 2008 at 12:02 pm #
The yarns are just beautiful! I’m not watching the Tour. I don’t think any stations around here have it on anyway. I can’t wait for the Olympics, though!
tiennie on 08 Jul 2008 at 5:45 pm #
I love all these colors!
Shell on 09 Jul 2008 at 1:34 pm #
very nice - you are off to a great start
textillian on 11 Jul 2008 at 12:50 am #
That? Is a lot of spinning. And it all looks wonderful.
I do know the pain of felted fiber, however. Hopefully, it is just a matter of doing enough predrafting.