green yarn (in the garden)

green yarn (in the garden)
Originally uploaded by ducksRfriends

Here’s the yarn I spun up a few nights ago… its currently drying in the kitchen. I can’t wait to knit it into my blanket. Its a really pretty green color (a bit darker than this photo). I’m working at spinning up all the roving currently sitting in my room, it takes up much space, and I really should use what I have before getting more… This is a pretty thick yarn, but mostly the same weight all over, which I’m proud of. I’ll have to knit it big and loopy…..

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blanket-in-a-bag

blanket-in-a-bag
Originally uploaded by ducksRfriends

The Amy Butler bag is perfect for carrying my blanket! Its getting bigger and bigger…. I’ve started knitting directly onto the blanket instead of making squares and attaching them later. I’m still trying to get a good shot of the whole thing (and a better shot of the bag in action, perhaps down at Ultimo…) so I’ll post more pictures soon. I’m proud of all the hand spun I’ve been incorporating. (That blue and white bit poking out is hand spun, as is the variegated blue towards the bottom edge of the bag). I rarely have enough attention span to spin a whole bunch of yarn, so this gives me a great way to use up the odd ends. Perhaps I’ll set the yarn I spun a few days ago and add it in, its nice squishy merino, various shades of greens and blues (roving from Alexis, she gave it to me with my drop spindle). I also have some brown spun up (from roving that Tina gave me), but I have more roving of the same color, so I might add onto it. Its on a shorter drop spindle thats a little slippery, but its my first true solid color yarn, and I really should finish it!

 

drying yarn

drying yarn

While trying to figure out how to set the twist in my yarn, I came across a site that suggested weighing down the yarn with a spray bottle. Of course, I think the woman suggesting it used a water bottle, but I have windex, so cleaner it is. Works rather well. This yarn was a combo of some nice brown wool (sophie sheep?) and yellow, blue and green. The brown was stuffed at the bottom of my bag… lovely lovely to spin with! Not too slick, so it stays together when I draft it out nice and thin. Of course, now I have yet another small batch of itchy yarn. Still need to figure out what to do with all of it. Any suggestions?

 

more yarn, too

more spun yarn

Yesterday was a lazily productive day… here’s more yarn I spun. I tried to keep it thin, plan  on using it for tassels or something, but it was a little exhausting to keep the roving from tangling. When proweling etsy I came across yarn that was plyed with thread… I haven’t yet tried plying my yarn because it seems like it would take twice as much time to make half as much yarn. But to use thread…. not only would it make the yarn an interesting texture, it wouldn’t take twice as much wool….. I’ll keep my eye out for some interesting thread, and give it a try soon.

 

more spun yarn

When I moved to the new place, I found out that I had a ton more roving than I thought. A nice bright bag filled with odds and ends from my Mom’s neighbor… really fun to spin from wool that I saw on the sheep! Its interesting spinning from wool that is just in bunches.

a blurry photo of my latest spinning.... once my new camera gets here, I'll be able to post real photos again (yay!)

The yarn ends up with a much more varied texture. I don’t know if its cause I’m new to spinning and didn’t draft it out properly, or if thats pretty standard for bunchy wool. Some of it is a little sticky, which is really great for adding other colors. I’m going to set the spin and see what its like after its washed a little bit. While I wait for it to dry, I think I’ll finally tackle my room. I’ve got craft stuff all over the place, and its about time I clean up. Its funny, now that I’m spinning and knitting more, I really find it hard to motivate myself to go upstairs and clean, I just don’t spend any time in my room. Its become sort of a disaster zone, so yeah, its about time….

 

more spinning!

Yup yup. I’m addicted. Spinning is great!

While looking for my WIP scarf that I started ages and ages ago on the train to Boston, I came across a lovely stash of fiber. A bag full of wool! And what lovely colors. Here I have to mention that the lovely miss Tina has been a huge fiber inspiration… and the stash includes some wool that I’m pretty sure she gave me… wheeee!! Some blue and purple stuff, as well as wool left over from the Pennsic wool dread extentions. (I really should find some photos of that…)

So I did find the scarf, but the wool was too tempting to let go, so the scarf has sat to the side. On to my fourth episode of Dr. Who (yay!) and done with the spinning for now, but how productive!

Pennsic wool, all spun up

I think I may try setting this yarn… but I’m going to do a little more research first. One site said soapy water, the other said soapy water as well as a vinegar wash… either way I’m not up to it tonight, but tomorrow… oh yeah, some finished yarn.