I have not posted again, but I have been spinning more local wool, in among the cotton and non-local wool which I have been spinning as well.
Here is about 3000 yards of three ply Columbia fingering weight yarn, ready for dyeing as dye plants come into season and I learn more about what I can use. Eventually I hope to make a stranded colorwork sweater out of it. I put away the rest of my share of the roving (probably 2/3rds of what I originally had) and will spin that for weaving yarn.
Last night I started spinning Ruthanne, a Corriedale fleece from Strawberry Ridge Farm which I purchased at Shepherd’s Harvest two years ago and had processed at RachAlPaca farm and mill.
I was bored of all the white and wanted a change, so this very light grey is a welcome difference. I was struck last night at what a difference fleece makes, even prepared for spinning at the same mill in the same way. The Columbia was a little ‘Sticky’ in that the fibers wanted to stick to each other and were less smooth to draft. I adore the softness and luster I get from the spun yarn and the finished yarn bloomed a little and filled in nicely, making a nicely rounded yarn which will knit up well. I can already tell with only a quarter of a bobbin that this yarn will be different, It drafts much more smoothly and the staple is longer, making for a smoother single and ultimately a smoother yarn. I am enjoying this spinning. I am spinning it with a short forward draw but it is less effort and easier on my hands as the fibers ‘Stick’ less in the roving and draft so much easier.
I was bored of all the white and wanted a change, so this very light grey is a welcome difference. I was struck last night at what a difference fleece makes, even prepared for spinning at the same mill in the same way. The Columbia was a little ‘Sticky’ in that the fibers wanted to stick to each other and were less smooth to draft. I adore the softness and luster I get from the spun yarn and the finished yarn bloomed a little and filled in nicely, making a nicely rounded yarn which will knit up well. I can already tell with only a quarter of a bobbin that this yarn will be different, It drafts much more smoothly and the staple is longer, making for a smoother single and ultimately a smoother yarn. I am enjoying this spinning. I am spinning it with a short forward draw but it is less effort and easier on my hands as the fibers ‘Stick’ less in the roving and draft so much easier.
I think I will only make one set of three ply of this (fill three bobbins and ply off) and then focus on the gorgeous lamb fleece I got from Rachel Boucher at RachAlPaca last fall. I started carding it up on hand cards, and I will continue to card it up and spin it, trying to preserve the softness and enjoying the luscious cocoa color.
And finally here is the cotton that I am hoping will produce some fiber..
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