Hello, gosh is it 2012 already? I look back and see I haven’t posted in the longest time… oh dear.
Well I’m making a resolution today, you can do that right? It doesn’t ONLY happen at new years, surely? From today I will post at least 1 blog post a week, regardless of how little I feel I might have to say, or how uninterested you most likely will be, deal? OK, good, lets move on.
I hope you all had a fabulous festive season, I certainly did, it was my 30th birthday and I celebrated in style with my gorgeous husband whisking me around the world for 17 days of adventure and sightseeing… but that is all things I can share with you in quieter weeks on the blog right? 😉
I have finally gotten back into the swing of dyeing again, after a long break over the holidays it took me a while to find my mojo again, I started off gently, dyeing up colours I know and love to dye, replacing out of stock items on the shop etc. But this week, I felt more like my adventurous old self and got busy with the Deeply Wicked, which as always has been very well received.
But today I want to share with you my delight, and overwhelming smugness with my latest attempt at spinning.
For the longest time, I have run hot and cold with spinning, going at it like crazy for weeks then not touching my wheel or spindle for months… but in 2012 I’d very much like to change that. This week I dyed some roving in a new and unusual way, because I had a thought, maybe a finished spun yarn doesn’t have to resemble the fibre it started out as. For some of you more seasoned spinners, this may very well be old news, but for me, it was an exciting ‘lightbub’ moment.
I set to work on dyeing my fibre in the new more adventurous way, and was really quite happy with the finished results, really acid bright and contrasting flecks of colour on a snow white backdrop… like a multicolored Dalmatian.
Punk Pansy dyed fibre
Then I set to work spinning it up, wanting to get the best result I could, I took my time and sectioned the fibre into 3rds, and then each 3rd in half, pre- drafting to get a nice smooth even roving that would slip through my fingers nicely. The spin took just 6hrs over 2 evenings, and the plying a further 2.5hrs.
I was so happy with the final result, if not a little miffed that the yarn is quite short, just 165m. I thought I was spinning to a fingering / 4-ply weight, and when I checked the final WPI of the singles and the finished yarns, seems my singles WERE 4-ply, but x 3 made for more like DK/Worsted weight.
No matter …. it’s pretty, and it’s even and it proved that fibre and finished yarn can look much MUCH different, and it is wound and ready to be cast on as mittens for mothers day. I think I may line them with a baby pink soft alpaca yarn I’ve laying around, even though the Merino/Nylon fibre is deliciously soft, more just to spoil my mum and make them extra special for her, watch this space for progress photos soon.
Punk Pansy spun yarn
There are three more braids of Punk Pansy available along with many more delicious spinning fibres in the easyknits.co.uk shop right now here…. more coming next week in the ‘punk’ range with splashes of colour that blend and soften with spinning.
Chat to you all next week.
Jx
easyknitter 