This week has been a bit nutty because I had a lecture recital exam on Wednesday and was playing for another recital yesterday. So I have been working on some small spinning projects. I can’t remember if I told you but I decided to join up to Laura’s Batt Club! Exciting stuff! I got my first installment on Monday.
It’s a mix of blue faced leicester, merino, alpaca, fawn alpaca, mohair and angelina (I think!). It’s a colourway I would never have picked myself but I quite like it and am really interested to see how it spins up. Laura also sent me a really delicious sample – 45g of fawn alpaca and hand dyed merino, carded twice.
This was so beautiful that when I got home from my exam on Wednesday, I set to and spun it right up.
It is delicious! I spun a fairly fine single woollen style from wee rolags and then navajo-plied it into a 3-ply. My navajo plying has left a lot to be desired so I posted a question on the Irish Spinners Group board on Ravelry, wondering how I could get the lumps and bumps out. Laura responded with a really good youtube tutorial. I tried it out last night on some other stuff I was working on yesterday and it works a treat.
Remember how I ran out of fibre last week before the end of the Ravelympics and didn’t know how I could continue with daily life? Well, when I was looking for something under the stairs I found a lone bag of forgotten fibre under the hoover (which will tell you how often I hoover…). In it was some Fleece Artist I picked up in New Jersey about two years ago which immediately became this…
50g of a 2ply sportweight, 100% merino. Love the dark colours. I think maybe I’ll make it into mitts. I also found a lot of what I think is a blend of merino and silk. I picked it up in Chicago two years ago too.
It’s about 100g of double knit. It’s a little over-plied and I have to say, I don’t like it very much. It’s not as soft as it was before I spun it up, which doesn’t make any sense to me. Maybe it’s because it’s a bit overspun.
Anyway, I have a very nearly finished Stilwell jumper and a garter stitch shawl that made a lot of progress last night while we watched War of the Roses. Tomorrow, I’m off with the Lilienthals to Craftspun to pick up some spinning supplies and generally have a day out. Have a good Friday everyone, and a lovely weekend!
I LOVE the green. It’s almost tasty.
Have you tried to weight it while it wet sets? That might soften it up a bit…
That yarn is amazing. I am envious of your spinning skills. I’m still too scared to do anything on my spindle! Can’t wait to see what you do with it.