Fibre Friday, March 9, 2012

[Belladune]

Hey it's friday!  and I was procraftinating! lol  I was reading and watching the video in Spin Art, and couldn't not break out some fibre, for fun that is.

semi autowrapped, sort of kindof... It was really hard not to help the threads along... Silk, wrapped with thread.

thin/thick thread wrapped silk by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr


thin/thick thread wrapped silk by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

And this was on the bobbin from ages ago, and I have no idea way on eart I was spinning so thin!  It's the same silk as above.  it's chain plied, and it's nearly lace weight, and in some places cobweb...   was I going crazy?

lace weight silk - chain plied by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr


lace weight silk - chain plied by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

And I'll share this pic here too, as who doesn't love seeing fluffy BFL locks, all ready to be preped for spining.   This is part of my homework.  I'm spinning a worsted BFL and hoping it's about the right weight to get guage for Chimera mittens (on Rav).... And if it's not, then I guess I try again...

lots and lots of BFL by SpinHeartSpin, on Flickr

[jexxican]

That first pic is lovely, Bella! Sounds divine, too. And FLUFF! I think there are very few people who would get excited about that, but I know several of them are on here will be posting about how gorgeous and tempting it is.

I have something to post later! Yay!

[Belladune]

thanks Jexx!  I can't wait to see what you've spun up 

[dreadlocklove]

NICE!

[jexxican]

Yarn maths are funny.
Last year for the Sheep to Shawl challenge I started by making a sweater that didn't fit the challenge, but it was OK because the pattern, while it looked awesome, actually sucked. Even with all the blocking and getting help from old people, it still didn't work, so it's been sitting around the house waiting. I finally just decided to unravel it and save the yarn for something else. I don't think I ever posted the yarn, though. Here it is unraveled as singles:

~980 yards, wrapped into 12 small skeins. Lots of random spots where I just tied it together.
And then I decided I didn't like it so thin, so I 3 plied it. Fun, using my knees and 1 arm as swifts to unwind from the skeins I had already made. 

So now it's big and bulky! I should have gotten a closer shot to compare it better with the singles, but whatever.
Here's where the maths come in: 980 yards divided by 3 (since I 3 plied it) equals ~ 375. So 980/3=375? Haha, yarn, you got me. I understand why it does that but I still think it's funny.
Oh, there I go being too wordy again.

[nikschaf]

Bella, I love that silk, both thick and superfine.  And I always love seeing fluff!!

Jexx, I like that yarn chain plied.  Good for you for unraveling the sweater you didn't love, so now you can make something you WILL love. Any idea what you'll do with it?

Mine for the week is "Nebula" -- two ways.  On the left is coils plied with black laceweight.  On the right is the thick and thin singles.  As I was doing the coils, I decided I much preferred the singles, so only did 26 yards of coils and keeping the rest as singles.  It was my first intentionally-spun and controlled thick and thin, rather than the thick and thin of my beginner yarns:

[Rodelphia]

I actually got to spin! I haven't spun anything since about two weeks before I had my daughter at the end of November. It was hard to put it down when she needed something, so it got put by the wayside. Now she can entertain herself and takes longer naps, so I'm back!
I took it upon myself to acquire a spinning wheel in whatever form I could, so off to home depot I went. PVC is my friend. I followed the plans on www.pjsadventures.c om/DragonsKeep/personal/pvcwheel.html to the best of my ability. Power tools aren't my strong suit. lol. But here she is, nasty old bike rim and all! (it needs painted. )

The wheel cost me around 20 bucks to make, and it really wasn't hard. It doesn't have a treadle, so it works like a Walking Wheel. Once you get used to it, it works like a charm. Heres my yarn contribution for the week. I call it St. Patty's Day Blues. Not quite sure what wool content it is, I'm just pulling blues and greens from my big ol' bag of dye soppers from Sheep Shed.

[Belladune]

Nice yarn Jexx!  
Niks, I totallu understand the "meh, i like it better this way" thing.  I mean, after all, that's what I did this week too  I like them both, though.
Rodelphia, how cool that you built your own wheel!   I'm going to have to see how a walking wheel works, as I have no idea.  Love the colors of the yarn, too

[nikschaf]

Rodelphia -- way to go building your own wheel!!  At first glance of the bicycle rim I thought maybe it was a Heavenly Handspinning wheel, but then I read your description.   Nice job.  And congratulations on your baby girl!

[Rodelphia]

thanks! the wheel wasn't hard to make at all, and the baby is pretty awesome too.