Fiber Friday 2/19/10

[oddacity]

It's Friday!

I have one yarn to show you guys. This thing is oooooold but lazy oddacity is lazy.





This is about 200 yards fingering weight, chain plied.

Bahhh I hated spinning this. >_< The wool in the batt (which was custom carded for me, yay?) was really greasy or something because after not too long my fingers would feel like I'd been rubbing them on wax for a while. Really unpleasant experience. I shouldn't have started out spinning for a 3-ply fingering weight, but I didn't realize what I was in for! Also I washed the yarn in like 10 baths and the color of the water never got lighter from a sort of navy blue so I just gave up. gah. It doesn't feel as waxy any more which is good. I think I call this yarn "Fail" lol. I don't know what I'll make with it, if anything. :\

[Belladune]

lol.. sorry to hear you had a bad experience... I have some wool that still has grease in it, and I know some people like to "spin in the grease" but I can't bring myself to do it... But that yarn is pretty!  I have something on every spindle/bobbin and I haven't finished any of them... I think I've inherited my dads inability to complete things......

[elvissatx]

Hello!  It's my first Fiber Friday!

Oddacity, I'm sorry that yarn was so traumatic for you.

So I got a spinning wheel on Sunday (used Ashford Traditional from craigslist) and made this:



It kind of looks like a hairball present from the cat, but after many aborted attempts to learn to spin, at least it was sort of yarn.

By Tuesday night, I had made this:





It's actually much greener than the photos make it look.  It's about 3 oz of merino roving from the local yarn shop, and my first attempt at plying.

By Thursday, I had this:





It's a turquoise heather Corriedale roving that I bought from The Woolery.  

I'm still working on consistency, and trying to figure out exactly how much twist I need on things, but it's actually recognizable as yarn, and that is so exciting to me!

[Fraugee728]

Beautiful hanks, Oddacity!

Awesome yarn, elvissatx!  The progression is neat to see.  I've think it would be so neat to spin on a wheel, but it's hard to tell which wheel I'd like to spin on, since I don't know anyone or of any spinning wheel shop in the area.  (Plus, I've never spun on a wheel at all) I've thought if I get serious about it, going with Ashford Traditional, like you did - how are you liking your wheel so far?

I made my own yarn this week (OK, think it was last week, but I'm new to the concept of Fiber Friday!) - my very first attempt at single ply drop spinning!  I bought this beautiful drop spindle at one of my local LYSes, (The Sow's Ear in Verona, WI) and it was hand turned by a wood worker nearby. (less than 50 miles away - forget exactly where at who right now)

This was some practice fiber that one of the shop owners (I'm pretty sure she's one of the owners, anyway) graciously gave to me to practice on when I purchased my spindle!  I have it in a hank now, but forgot to snap a pic of it.  Also, no idea on what weight this is.  Plus, uh, it's just a BIT thick and thin...  Really just working on figuring out what I'm doing right now, and will work on the finer points later!  

I have more roving to practice on, but am really looking forward to buying and possibly dyeing my own fiber soon!  (just have to do a little stash busting with my crafting in general)

[Cheyenneswthrt07]

I'm still working on the same burgandy roving, altho it's almost all spun up now.  Plying is next. 

I do have these two funny odd pictures, I made a makeshift spindle using a soapstone bead and a 10" skewer, my spindle was in the middle of spinning another part and I didn't want to wind off the cop yet    At the same time I was feeling brave and wanted to try spinning from the fold, which btw has become a new love of mine, so easy. 





I like the weight of the bead but I'm not too happy with the skewer part, may switch it out to a dpn of the same size and make it into a support spindle. 

[RhymeswOrange]

Lovely yarns this week.    I need to spend more time spinning and less time on the computer these days, then I would have more photos to share.

This is my first time spinning milk protein.  Slippery stuff much like bamboo.
SOFT and drape-y when it comes out.  Love it.

[krafty_kelly]

Totally proud of mine this week.  All spindle spun.  I'm becoming addicted to spindle spinning.  I can't get enough.  I'm loving my new book Respect the Spindle.

[Cheyenneswthrt07]

Rhymes, OMGosh that's so pretty.  I love the colors.

Kelly, I love the color combo pink and grey.  I'm lusting over that book everytime I'm in the bookstore lol.  I should just buy it already, that and her videos.....

[Fraugee728]

Love that yarn, Krafty Kelly! 

I kept trying to buy Resepct the Spindle from knitpicks, since they had all of their books 40% off (or maybe today or tomorrow is the last day of that) but it keeps not being in stock.     Must be a sign of how great a resource it is!

[SewMamaLady]

Mmmmmmm! They're all gorgeous!

 I'm the same as you Bella. I had to go ahead and empty some bobbins the night before last because I've left a bunch of yarn sitting on them for a while. School is just really getting in the way of my crafty time. Hmmphh! lol I'm excited though because I pulled off some gorgeous yarns that I forgot I'd done and I've been trying to knit up my handspun into little scarflettes so I'll have a lot to work with.

Sounds like the wool wasn't washed well oddacity and you were left with a bunch of lanolin in your batt. That stinks but I bet you can get it out now that you're done with it. Is it still sticky?