Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Spinning: cluck handspun.


I was drawn to this Falkland fiber from Spun Right Round (in the Cluck colorway), even though these aren't really colors that I would wear. Since I wanted to spin it but not necessarily knit it for myself, I knew I would try to sell the finished yarn.

(It was interesting because all along, I was thinking of these colors as very summer-ish. They reminded me of watermelon and fruit. But then while I was spinning it, there was a point where the light blue color was covered up on my bobbin with the other colors, and I was shocked to realize how fall-like the yarn looked then! Isn't it funny how adding one color can change the whole look?)

But I wanted to use it as an experiment, too. First, I wanted to see if I could spin fine enough to end up with 3 ply fingering weight yarn for socks (and also to see if I could get enough yardage for socks from 4 ounces of fiber). Also, I wanted to divide the fiber up into quite a few thinner sections before chain plying it, to see if I could get a variegated look instead of thicker stripes.

Well, I ended up with 432 yards, which is enough for socks. I even spun a little thinner than I had to (the finished yarn was about 16-17 wpi)...so I need to spin slightly thicker when I really spin for socks. I tried to add plenty of twist, but somehow my spinning wheel tension got off at one point and I wasn't putting enough twist in, so when it came time to ply I had trouble with the single trying to drift apart at that point.

I had every intention of knitting up a sample of this yarn in the round, on size 2 needles, with 64 stitches (which is my basic sock recipe), to see how the colors worked out. I took this skein and two others of my handspun to the craft fair I went to over the weekend (more on that soon), mostly just to have some handspun on display because I was sure that it wouldn't sell. (Especially with the price I put on this skein...the fiber itself cost me $16 and I worked on spinning it off and on for a month and a half.) I ran out of time before the festival to knit the sample, so I figured I'd just do it afterwards and then list the skein in my Etsy shop. I was so (pleasantly) surprised that all three of my handspun yarns sold at the craft fair! :) Of course that means I didn't get to knit that sample, but oh well...

I think I'm going to spin some fall-colored Cheviot wool next. It'll be a quick spin, probably 2 ply worsted weight, and I think I'll use the yarn for a hat. Maybe after that I'll try spinning more sock-weight yarn. I'd love to knit up some handspun socks this winter!

10 comments:

  1. that is amazing. I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

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  2. That yarn is absolutely beautiful! I love all of the colors together. Can't wait to see what you come up with next :)

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  3. Kristin, you are so good spinner. this yarn is so regularly spun, hard to believe it is handspun. I want to read and look more on your posts here to see how many years you have been spinning.
    you have a beautiful spinning wheel. do you love it as I love mine? for me it is something like my close friend, I really love it and am very happy I can have it and spin :-)...really funny in this modern time for someone, I guess.
    sorry for my CzEnglish :-)

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    1. Thank you! It took me a long time to spin this yarn because I was trying to spin it thin and consistent. :) I've been spinning for three years, but for the first 6 months I only had a spindle. So I've been spinning on a wheel for 2.5 years now.

      Yes, I do love my wheel! I'm very thankful for it, too, since I didn't expect to be able to get one for several years. But someone offered to trade me their wheel, so of course I said yes. :) It's nice to talk to someone else who enjoys spinning!

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    2. I see you haven´t been spinning so long but you are spinning like experienced spinner.
      I have my spinning wheel for 6 years but with two kids, cooking every day...I am not spinning as much as I would like.
      I am able to make thin and regular yarn of wool prepared in the factory, which is clean without small woolen "balls" and short cut fibres. but now I am working with merino home cut (not profesionally cut) full of dust and pieces of dry plants...and my yarn is not so neat.
      I am happy I got it, I gave them several of my homemade natural soaps so I do not complain...but I must prepare it on brushes and then on my carder and must clean it even during spinning...funny :D

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  4. I don´t want to be impatient but I have your blog still open...waiting if you reply :)...it would be really nice, really.:-)...

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    1. I'm sorry, I've been a little late with replying this week! Thank you for commenting. :)

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    2. thank you for your reply, my waiting has paid off. very nice :-)

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