Plying

I have continued spinning the Columbia X roving and this morning I finished filling three bobbins.

I have enjoyed spinning this wool, but have been impatient to get to plying, as I could tell this would make a nice three ply. I plied three skeins full, until one bobbin ran out. Now I re-fill the bobbins with singles, and I repeat the plying again. So far I have 820 yards of three ply yarn (10 ounces).

I am thinking that I may use this to make a pair of Bavarian Twisted Stitch stockings.

Catching Up

Apologies for the delays in posting! I have been ill and am finally recovering. I recently have begun spinning a gorgeous MN raised Columbia cross which a friend generously split with me, and which was cleaned and carded into gorgeous pin drafted roving at Rach-Al-Paca Farm. It is wonderful to spin, drafting easily, and so soft. I am spinning a fine single, no measurements yet, using a short forward draw. I have one bobbin complete:

one more underway:

and will spin a third before making a three ply. I plan on spinning half the 4 lbs I have as three ply for knitting and half as two ply for weaving, eventually. I hope this will serve as a good store of yarn to dye later in the year when I hope to experiment with locally available dye-stuffs.

And we're off!

I am going to devote much of my fiber time in 2015 to working with local fiber, local mills and local dyers.  I will keep track of this here on A Year of Spinning Locally. Today, I started out as I mean to go on and brought orange wool roving dyed by The Spinning Daisy ,whose dyed fiber is amazing, which I have been spinning on Peruvian Pushka spindle and some delightful local pin drafted roving and a trusty bosworth midi to the Textile Center for the Rock Day spin in. I had a lot of fun talking with other spinners and seeing what they were doing. I started out spinning the orange roving, and then switched to the other wool I brought. This is from a sheep called Ruthanne, from Strawberry Ridge Farm which I acquired at Shepherd's Harvest in 2013. This spring I sent it to Rach Al Paca farm to be washed, carded, and turned into roving. It is the most delightful spinning I have done in a long long time, fantastic wool, pin-drafted roving prepared beautifully which effortlessly drafts into yarn. I really enjoy using local wool, and ADORE being able to support local fiber businesses. A good beginning to what I hope will be a year of spinning locally.