Evidence of Spinning

I've fallen off the blog wagon again. I had this ready to share this time last week and never blogged it.

A new 2-ply handspun yarn!

This was spun from Yarn Pirate Bluefaced Leicester roving. The colorway is Bloom.

I have a couple other spinning projects in the works. One is Hello Yarn roving and the other is from Twisted. I've made a mini-goal for myself to spend at least an hour every day over the next two weeks with my spinning wheel. My fiber acquisition has far outpaced my spinning lately, so I thought I should try to make a dent (even if it's a small one).

I received an order from Funky Carolina with 1 braid of Falkland wool in her Grape Nehi colorway.



And I'm still anticipating this month's fiber clubs from Funky Carolina and Hello Yarn, too.

Spinning, Not So Much

There hasn't been much spinning lately because I've been working on too many other things. But I'm sure spinning will resume in the near future. At least, it needs too. Roving has started taking over in my room (and I just bought 2 more rovings tonight).

New roving acquisitions are mostly related to the two fiber clubs I'm in.

First to arrive, was from Funky Carolina. This is Fallen and the fiber is Corriedale.



The Hello Yarn fiber this month is Wensleydale, which I've not tried yet. It is silky soft and has a very long staple length. Colorway is Mullusc.

Lots of Stuff

I've got lots to share!

Sock Progress

There was lots of sock knitting this past weekend. I finished the first Waving Lace sock and started a new sock. The Waving Lace sock is being done with J Knits and the new sock is the Yarrow Ribbed pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks in Opal.




Spinning

I have two new handspun yarns to share. First is a 2-ply spun from the Party Roving I bought at MD Sheep & Wool.



Next is also a two-ply (which is intended for a pair of socks) spun from Hello Yarn Superwash Merino roving in Blue Raspberry.



Stash

I also received some roving that I ordered.

Two braids of Superwash Merino from Funky Carolina. Colorways are Desire and Raspberry Lemonade.




And Superwash Merino from Twisted. Colorway is Sherwood.



That's about it for now. I'm expecting more packages this month (2 fiber club shipments, a Yarn Pirate order, and the first installment of the Yarn Pirate Booty Club. There will be more spinning and knitting to share soon too.

And More Fiber Arrives

The Fiber Fairy continues to visit. Here are last week's arrivals...


Nuclear Pancy, Superwash Merino from Pigeon Roof Studios. Also included was a sample of their Superwash Sock Yarn. Very nice stuff...and very tempting too!


Weeping Cherry, Merino/Tencel from Funky Carolina She included a little sample tuft of roving too!



Posh and Sweet Magnolia, Bluefaced Leicester from Yarn Pirate

I finished 2 spinning projects.


2-ply Pumpkin colored Corriedale from The Sanquine Gryphon


2-ply Fuzzy Fibers Corriedale

I've got more spinning in the works and will share pics of those soon.

The Fiber Fairy

The Fiber Fairy visited me several times last week.

Yarn Pirate

Blue Faced Leicester, colorway = Bloom

Hello Yarn

Superwash Merino, colorway = Blue Raspberry

Merino, colorway = Mixed Berry

Funky Carolina Fiber Club - May

Superwash Merino, colorway = Sunkissed

Hello Yarn Fiber Club - May

Blue Faced Leicester, colorway = Cricket

A Little Fiber Stash Enhancement

On Saturday, I got up bright and early and headed to the MD Sheep & Wool Festival. I arrived on the Fairgrounds about 8 a.m. It was a great day with perfect weather. My fiber stash grew a lot.

Spirit Trail Fiberworks Superwash Merino Roving

Cloverleaf Farms Roving (from top to bottom: Wool/silk, Blue Faced Leicester, Merino

Party Roving from Puckerbrush Farms

Merino Roving from The Drafting Zone

Corriedale Roving from Fuzzy Fibers

Wool Roving from Dancing Leaf Farm

Some spinning accessories...Woolee Winder and extra bobbins, 2-yard niddy noddy, and Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning book


I only purchased 1 skein of sock yarn from Spirit Trail Fiberworks.

Pumpkin Singles and Brown Yarn

My first small skein of 2-ply handspun.


This is the Corriedale roving I purchased when I got my wheel. I was anxious to try plying after I had 2 bobbins with singles on them (neither bobbin was very full). I don't think it's too bad for my first try. I plied up the rest of the brown Corriedale singles over the weekend.

I started spinning some of the Correidale roving I purchased from The Sanguine Gryphon on Sunday evening. My singles are getting better in the consistency department, but I'm still getting a lot of overspinning. Guess I'll just have to keep practicing.



I'm really getting excited for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in a few weeks. Last year, was my first year attending and at the time I was only knitting socks. I was overwhelmed by all the colors and fibers and people. This year, I don't expect to buy much sock yarn (my stash is overflowing in that department as it is), but I do expect to fondle and buy lots of roving. Hopefully, this crazy weather we have been having will straighten itself out and we'll get a nice weekend!

What I've Been Up To - Part 2 - Spinning

I had some questions in my previous post about spinning. I am a brand new spinner. I took a beginner's class in August 2006 at Cloverhill Yarn Shop. My purpose for taking the class was to give spinning a try. Since I don't know anyone personally who spins, I figured this was my only way to try it out. I discovered in the class that spinning is a lot harder than it looks, but it was something I wanted to pursue. I also got to try out a few different types of wheels. So, I started saving my money to buy a wheel. I had my heart set on a wheel that is a little more expensive than others out there, so I knew it would take some time. In February, I placed my order and the wait begain. I got very lucky and my wheel arrived just before my long 4-day weekend at Easter.

I spent several hours over that long weekend getting acquainted with my wheel (knitting during the day and spinning in the evening). I purchased 2 - 4 oz bundles of roving when I picked up my wheel. They are both a Corriedale Cross, one in brown and the other in white. I decided to start with the brown. My first bobbin of singles was lumpy and bumpy. My second bobbin was much more consistent (although a little overspun in some places). I had taken pictures of both bobbins before I plyed them together, but the pictures didn't turn out (and stupid me didn't check to see if they came out before I started plying). Plying went ok (I think). I finally pulled the yarn off the bobbin this past weekend and washed it. I really need to get a niddy noddy because winding the yarn around my arm, makes for a very small skein. (I'll try to get a pic of the yarn when the light is better.)

And, naturally, now that I have a wheel, I've been consumed with purchasing fiber. The only good thing about that is that I'm not buying more sock yarn. I made my first fiber purchase a few days before I was notified that my wheel had arrived. I joined the Funky Carolina Fiber Club. It was totally an impulse buy because I had told myself I wasn't going to buy any fiber until I had my wheel. But I'm so glad that I signed up. The April roving arrived Easter weekend and I love it!


Merino in April Showers colorway

Over the course of the long weekend, I made several purchases. Some more Corriedale roving in solid colors from The Sanguine Gryphon and some Merino from pippikneesocks.


Corriedale in red and pumpkin


Merino in Hester colorway

Then I got the notice about the Hello Yarn Fiber Club. I was tempted but thought, I'm already in one Fiber Club and Sheep & Wool is only a month away, I don't need this. So, I turned my back on the computer and went on to other things, but less than 24 hours later, I was back at the computer, creating an account and securing my spot in the club.

That's all for now. Hopefully, I will be back sooner (rather than later) with another update.

Sock Progress and Something New

Here are some pics of my current socks in progress.

Monsoon has been getting the most action because it's been on the needles a little longer.



Watermelon Tourmaline is growing as fast as it can.



Both yarns are Socks That Rock in mediumweight.

And now for something new! After months of saving my money, 5 and 1/2 weeks of waiting after placing my order, and battling the Baltimore Beltway at rush hour I picked up this...



It is a Schacht Matchless Single Treadle and it works like a dream. I'm anticipating less sock knitting and lots of spinning practice in my future.