Finally an Update

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 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..

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.

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