Spindling again
I brought my Golding spindle and some Hello Yarn Shetland (in "Sour Figs") with me for vacation, with the idea of doing a bit of real handspinning while we were away. When we got to the airport, I opened my bag to discover that the spindle had broken. Disaster! The whorl cracked across in two separate places, and came completely detached from the shaft. Things were not looking good in Porpoise-ville.
However, it just so happens that Tom and Diane Golding live a mile from my mother-in-law in Vermont. So I called them up, went by with my broken spindle, and hoped that Tom could work his magic and fix it. Lo and behold, two days, some wood glue and a rebalance later, my spindle is back and better then ever!
Since Friday, I've spun up 5/6ths of my Sour Figs. I've got one more single to spin, a two-ply to do, and then I'll get to the cabling portion of the program. I can't wait to see how the yarn comes out! People keep asking me what I'm going to do make with it, and I have no idea. A six-ply cable is a serious time investment, and I have no idea if I'm going to have any real amount of yardage. But I'm hoping for a hat or a cowl-worth of yarn. And at the rate I'm going, I need a trip to Amy to get some more fiber before we leave!
FF: The last of the worsted spinning experiments
Fiber: Hello Yarn Fiber Club merino, in "Patchwork"
Spun/plied: 17:1/15:1, short forward draw, aiming for speed.
Stats: 179 yds/4 oz, approximately worsted weight.
Comments: I split the top in half, then stripped each half into four long pieces and spun each half on to one bobbin. I was trying to spin this quickly, so I used a high ratio to get the twist into the fiber fast. I also tried to spin a slightly thicker single then my default, so the final yarn would be a heavier weight. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out though, and I think this skein is destined for Boo legwarmers.
From start to finish, the spinning took 3:36, so I rounded it up to 4 hrs with finishing. So that gives a starting price of £40 for spinning, plus £15 for the fiber itself, which ends up at £0.31 per yard. £55 seems like an awful lot for one skein of yarn though, so I might split this in half. It's still within the range I've found online though, so we'll see. This certainly isn't going to make me rich however! I also need to try some woolen spinning and see if that makes a dramatic difference in the amount of time this takes, or the yardage. That, however, will have to wait until September.
The dangers of having tall relatives
I was hoping, in some very out-of-touch and theoretical way, to finish a sweater before we left for the States. Then I was hoping to get a lot done on the plane (seeing as how I strategically seated myself away from the rest of my family...), and managed to get through most of the increases on sleeve #2.
That was all well and good. And since I got to see the intended recipient, I decided it might be wise to measure his arms and make sure that I'd made the sleeves long enough.
Well. That was a mistake...
I'd knit sleeve #1 to be 18.5 inches long at the underarm, the totally reasonable length suggested by my lovely sweater design software.
My Dad's arms require sleeves that are at least 23 inches long.
Um.
What kind of genetic mutant (no offense Dad!) has arms almost two feet long? It's not like I'm knitting a sweater for Larry Bird, right? Or Michael Phelps?
Suffice to say that my lovely father, having now waited five months for his birthday sweater, is going to have to wait a bit longer. I've got enough yarn, but the last skein is, predictably enough, on top of my washing machine in London. Bah! It's going to be nice though, once it's done...
FF: 3-plies, as far as the eye can see
The second experiment in my exploration of selling handspun yarn came in the form of two Spunky Eclectic tops I'd been eyeing for a while, and was inspired by my friend Caro, the Queen of the Three Ply.
Fiber: on the left, SE Panda (60% superwash merino/30% bamboo/10% nylon) in "Blue Moon", on the right, SE superwash merino in "Emerald Isle", both purchased on my first visit to Amy's bricks and mortar store in August of 2009.
Spun/plied: 15:1/12:1 and 15:1/15:1 respectively, both spun worsted, with a short forward draw. I prepped each top by splitting it into three equal lengths, and then stripping each piece into 6 sections. I spun each length on to one bobbin and then 3-plied.
Stats: 241 yds and 144 yds respectively (might have to double check that second measurement). Approximately DK weight on both.
Now for the experiment part. I spun up the Panda willy nilly, and loved every minute of it. The finished yarn is smooth and drapey and I desparately want more so I can make a tank top out of this stuff. The bamboo gives it a lovely shine.
When I pulled out the other superwash merino, I decided to keep track of how long it took me to spin it up.
Not counting prep time, it took me four hours to spin the yarn. I finished it by soaking in warm wat, spinning out the extra water in the washing machine and hanging to dry. So, this skein (if actually 144 yds) works out at £55 (including cost of fiber), which is £0.38/yd. Which falls into the range I've found. So now I've just got to see what the cost is for a 2 ply, and I should have my bases covered. Although if I spun woolen, it might end up being a bit faster...