I had a wonderful birthday 3-day weekend. Yep, I took Friday off as a vacation day so that I could spend an extra day spinning.
My hobbies have to share my time. For the past several months, I was sewing (quilt piecing) like crazy. Of course, if I'm sewing like a mad woman, then I'm not spinning or weaving. I'm always knitting in the evenings, so I don't count that one so much. So I had finished piecing a quilt top (other than the border) and decided I wanted to spin and further my knowledge. I tend to spin mostly fingering/dk weight and wanted to branch out a little.
I am teaching a fellow worker on my floor (different company) how to spin. I showed her the trindle and the turkish as well as the supported spindle. She opted to try the trindle. So we had one lunch hour to show her how and hopefully we'll have a couple more. Teaching got me to thinking that I needed to branch out.
So on Friday, I spent some time carding some fiber that was a little old and it was hard to draft.
The spindle sitting on top of the fiber is one of the Silly Salmon spindles that I obtained through a destash. It spins like a dream.
Below is the fiber after it was carded. Smooth as silk. So it takes away some of the distinct colorway of the braid but it leaves you with a beautiful blend that will be wonderful to spin. If it hadn't gotten old, sticky and hard to draft, I would have left it alone, but I love the carded batt.
It just so happened that this wonderful birthday weekend Craftsy was having another unlimited free viewing weekend. I watched Jacey Boggs' Art Spinning class. It was wonderful and oh so thought provoking. The possibilities for spinning are endless.
It got me to thinking of this brown llama that I bought from someone on a fiber website. I'm not a huge fan of brown but at the time I bought it I was looking for some reasonably priced fiber to practice with. Llama is an interesting fiber to spin, at least in comparison to BFL or Merino. I spun a single (maybe 3-4 oz) and the fiber has lots of veg matter in it, so it took forever to spin the single. I wasn't looking forward to spinning more of it but kept the single on the bobbin. After watching Jacey's class, I got out some mohair and decided to try my hand at core-spinning. It was a little dicey at first, I couldn't get my hands to cooperate. I persevered and while it isn't perfect, it's ok. Wait, core spinning perfect? It's art yarn, there is no perfect. :-) Just to be on the safe side, I did a small sample and then decided to make it a stronger yarn by plying it with the single that's been sitting on the bobbin for awhile.
It gives a pretty coiled look which could be very cool in weaving. Again, this is brown so not sure if I'll use it, but it was great practice. I've got more on the wheel practicing.
Another skein I've been working on is more fiber from the 3 lb bag of fiber I bought awhile back. I chain-plied the single and ended up with 616 yards.
My hobbies have to share my time. For the past several months, I was sewing (quilt piecing) like crazy. Of course, if I'm sewing like a mad woman, then I'm not spinning or weaving. I'm always knitting in the evenings, so I don't count that one so much. So I had finished piecing a quilt top (other than the border) and decided I wanted to spin and further my knowledge. I tend to spin mostly fingering/dk weight and wanted to branch out a little.
I am teaching a fellow worker on my floor (different company) how to spin. I showed her the trindle and the turkish as well as the supported spindle. She opted to try the trindle. So we had one lunch hour to show her how and hopefully we'll have a couple more. Teaching got me to thinking that I needed to branch out.
So on Friday, I spent some time carding some fiber that was a little old and it was hard to draft.
The spindle sitting on top of the fiber is one of the Silly Salmon spindles that I obtained through a destash. It spins like a dream.Below is the fiber after it was carded. Smooth as silk. So it takes away some of the distinct colorway of the braid but it leaves you with a beautiful blend that will be wonderful to spin. If it hadn't gotten old, sticky and hard to draft, I would have left it alone, but I love the carded batt.
It just so happened that this wonderful birthday weekend Craftsy was having another unlimited free viewing weekend. I watched Jacey Boggs' Art Spinning class. It was wonderful and oh so thought provoking. The possibilities for spinning are endless.
It got me to thinking of this brown llama that I bought from someone on a fiber website. I'm not a huge fan of brown but at the time I bought it I was looking for some reasonably priced fiber to practice with. Llama is an interesting fiber to spin, at least in comparison to BFL or Merino. I spun a single (maybe 3-4 oz) and the fiber has lots of veg matter in it, so it took forever to spin the single. I wasn't looking forward to spinning more of it but kept the single on the bobbin. After watching Jacey's class, I got out some mohair and decided to try my hand at core-spinning. It was a little dicey at first, I couldn't get my hands to cooperate. I persevered and while it isn't perfect, it's ok. Wait, core spinning perfect? It's art yarn, there is no perfect. :-) Just to be on the safe side, I did a small sample and then decided to make it a stronger yarn by plying it with the single that's been sitting on the bobbin for awhile.
It gives a pretty coiled look which could be very cool in weaving. Again, this is brown so not sure if I'll use it, but it was great practice. I've got more on the wheel practicing.Another skein I've been working on is more fiber from the 3 lb bag of fiber I bought awhile back. I chain-plied the single and ended up with 616 yards.
That's it for now. Keep on spinning and knitting!
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