Friday, July 31, 2009

Almost home...

Yay! DH is coming home tomorrow!

I've been concentrating on spinning for the last two weeks, hoping to make some progress on the stash and learn a new technique - woolen long draw spinning on the spindle. It can be done! Carol Huebscher Rhoades wrote an article for Spin-Off (download it here) showing how. So, I set out to try using the natural color merino I picked up at the Great Lakes Fiber Show.

I did a search on making rolags, since I haven't had much luck with from-the-fold. Look what I found! Psuedo-rolags - the art of making rolags without carding brushes. A million thanks, Rosemary! Here's a few I made

natural merino - psuedorolags

I divided the 4 ounces of merino in half, with the intention of spinning half woolen from rolags, the other have worsted with a short forward draw, 2-plying both sets, and comparing.

The woolen:
natural merino - woolen spun

The worsten:
natural merino - worsted spun

The woolen is quite thick and thin, but after a week of trial and error, and a helpful email conversation with Ms. Rhoades, I got it! Not expert spinning be any means, but I think the technical aspects of it are correct. I can't really tell any difference in softness or fluffiness - they both came out squishibly soft and fluffy.

Next up: color. I've never bought handpainted roving before but that doesn't mean I haven't drooled over the options. First up: Big Bang from FLUFFfibers, a 4+ ounce braid of superwash BFL.

Fluff Fibers Big Bang

And that's not all - it came with a little sibling, a 1 ounce sampler of 80%merino/20%silk:

Fluff Fibers

These fibers are so yummy! I tore off a little of the BFL to do a little sampling and OMG it is so easy to draft. Just tear off a chunk and draft from the fold. I've never been able to do that! I want to make a fluffy yarn to make a hat and mittens or something for Audrey. (You didn't think I bought those colors for myself, did you?)

Fiber heaven!

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