Fiber Friday Feb 24th 2012

[LaughingLark]

I guess I'll start us off again this week. 

I've been playing around with textured spinning. Still under a lot of stress, and playing with crazy yarns helps. This first one is called Banana Berry Taffy, because it reminds me of the saltwater taffy you can buy by the pound at candy shops. The rest of these aren't named, at least not yet.






I have a bunch more yarns that are finished and skeined. I just need to get more batteries for my camera.

I'm working on another shredded sweater yarn now that I have a bulky wheel. I just need to decide what I want to ply it with.

What have you been working on?

[jexxican]

Love that first one, Lark. It's getting ready for summer! They all look lovely, though. I know what you mean about just spinning crazy yarns, not really trying too hard to make them perfect. That's what I've been doing!

This one was spun for the Handspun swap and she received this week so I can post!

~3oz SW Merino thick and thin plied with some red Serger thread, totally forgot the yardage.

And I have another to share that I am loving but my camera battery died and while I'm tempted to rant about it, I won't. You're welcome.

[LaughingLark]

That's pretty, Jexxi. Looks like one that will knit up really pretty. I like the red thread with it.

Here is the shredded sweater yarn. It's the rest of the sweater that I mangled last fall. It is soooo much more fun to spin a yarn like this on the bulky wheel instead of a drop spindle. I quickly learned that I need to bypass the flyer hook even on the bulky wheel, and have an extra yarn guide on there instead. This yarn has a subtle metallic throughout the whole thing. The sweater was a ribbed cotton/nylon turtleneck with matching metallic thread. Something easy to find in a thrift store even if you live too far south for much need of heavy sweaters. 




This yarn will likely end up in a woven wall hanging, or I'll knit a pillow cover out of it. This was very fun to spin. I love non-traditional stuff!

[nikschaf]

I love your coils, Lark!  And the colors on that first one especially are so fun.  I'm sorry to hear you've been under a lot of stress, but I'm glad you're finding some solace in spinning.  Spinning is very calming for me too.

Jexx -- that yarn is really cool.  I know the texture is soft, but the colors somehow feel industrial/urban.

I am continuing to push myself to try new fibers and techniques.  I had bits and bobs of merino and corriedale in blues and purples, so for the first time ever I blended fiber on my combs. It was also the first time I successfully spun from the fold.  And, for fun, I made a few "faux rolags" and spun from them, which was a lot of fun.  I think the faux rolags are a quicker and easier way to blend fiber than the combs.  With the combs, the color combinations are more muted, and with the faux rolags more distinct.  Then I plied with a pink yarn of unknown content -- just a mystery thrift store cone.  It's "Raspberry Puff" -- 90 yards bulky 2ply.



ETA:  I first heard about faux rolags in Spin-Off (spring 2011, I think?) and since I don't have a drum carder, I thought it might be a good alternative.  Here's a good tutorial I just found online, which shows how you can add all kinds of things into your faux rolags, just like you would with an art batt:
http://rosemaryknits.blogspot.com/2011/03/because-fleegle-asked.html

[LaughingLark]

That is lovely, nikschaf! You did a great job blending. I love rolags, and I really enjoyed making faux rolags last time I tried it. As soon as Carol Lee over at Sheep Shed has more dye soppers made, I think I'll order some and make a bunch. It's a good way to prepare the soppers for spinning without getting out the hand cards. 

[Belladune]

Beautiful work ladies! 
LL, that pink orange yarn is gorgeous. I just want to squish it!  All your yarns are so much fun.
Jexx, I'm jealous of your partner.  That's beautiful!
Niks, yay for trying new things! And learning new things! 

I'm still hammering away at my homework, so all I have are a bunch of small skeins, that are relatively boring.  Just standard yarns.
But!  I took a mental health break, and dyed some top and silk hankies!

Painted silk muwata by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

View A of the Merciboo top.  (it's 50% merino, 25%silk, 25% bamboo)  12 oz of it!

Kettle dyed Merciboo Top by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

View B:  Here you notice better that one of the pots got just a little more of the plum, and it snuck it's way into the grey, leaving it pinkish.  So I'll spin each seperately, then ply them.  I'm thinking lace weight....

Kettle dyed Merciboo Top by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

[nikschaf]

Ooh, I love the colors of the merciboo, Bella.  Can't wait to see how it spins up!  I've never worked with silk hankies.  Do you draft and spin straight from them, or do you have to prepare them somehow first?  Good for you for taking a break to do some fun stuff just for you in the midst of your homework.

[Belladune]

There are two ways I prepared the hankies.  I either pick a corner and start pulling it out to look like roving.  This way seems to give a really textured yarn.  And the other way is to stick your fingers through the middle, creating a hole, then drafting it out until your desired thickness.  this way gives a really smooth yarn.
If you check my signature, you'll see an opportunity to win some hankies...

[Shannin]

Whoa, I'm definitely gonna try the pseudo rolag soon!! I have some leftover banana silk from a swap I just did (she's receiving today so I won't post the yarns just yet), I'll probably mix it in with some wool.

Anyway, here's all I've got.. It's the second skein I've spun on my new wheel.

Approx 70 yards of 100% merino..

With a 1" pin:

[nikschaf]

Bella, I will have to check your signature out.   

Shannin, I am in love with your yarn.  It looks SO SOFT and I love the color combination.

[jexxican]

Shannin, those singles are lovely! Pumpkin patch!

Belladune, those hankies are maybe the prettiest I've seen. And I've never heard of Merciboo! Sounds and looks French. Very nice, envy worthy even.

Nik, good for you trying to new things. Lovely!

As promised, I found my charger to show you what I did this week. Scary story: been contracting all day and finally made the announcement to the universe that I'm not having this kid without my camera! Shortly thereafter I knew where to find the charger. Oooh... she better not be coming tonight.

ETA: It's SW Merino + Angelina plied with pink Serger thread. ~ 210 yards total.

[Shannin]

Belladune, those hankies are maybe the prettiest I've seen. And I've never heard of Merciboo! Sounds and looks French. Very nice, envy worthy even.

I read it with a French accent too, hahaha. Oh, those French r's.

[Belladune]

Ha!  c'est pas le fracias, mai, je ... um... dang... agree, it does sound french.  Darn french, slipping me in my time of need.  I've got to practice it more often, or I'm going to loose it all together... :/  Anyway, I got the Merciboo from Natchwoolie on etsy.  It's lovely.

That thick thin sigle is uber squishy.  I just want to hug it.
Jexx, are there odd bits of deep pink/bordering on red in the wool?  It looks like it, and it kinda looks like a starwberry plant, with little strawberries poking out.

[nikschaf]

Ooh, fingers crossed for you Jexx!!  Exciting stuff!!

[MoonlitSun]

All those yarns really look so yummy and soft!
I should try learning spinning too