I promised pictures

Here's a look at my very pretty finished yarn.

To recap, this is 70% Merino and 30% kid mohair, in the "Copper Slate" colorway, bought from Crown Mountain Farms.

I bought 6 oz, and spun it into 3 sets of singles, which I then triple-plied, and ended up with 22-wpi. The fact that I managed such fine 3-ply just makes me so happy (grin).

For an idea of the size of my yarn, here's a comparison. The one on the left is the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock I'm using in my socks. The one in the middle is the Koigu KPPPM I used for the sock heels. The one on the right is mine. (Mine!)

Really, I'm very proud of this yarn. And boy, it's just beautiful!

Now, yesterday, I experimented with some other roving I had. I've decided that I don't like spinning with 100% alpaca. It's beautiful and soft and silky, but still . . . I didn't enjoy spinning it. The deciding factor ended up being when the yarn broke and I could NOT find the end on the bobbin for anything! Obviously, it wasn't meant to be. I took the singles off the wheel and stuck the rest back into its ziplock bag where, no doubt, it will languish indefinitely.

Then I took some nice wool and tried the whole woolen-spinning thing again. I don't know--I think this is one of those techniques that is easier to learn if you've got somebody right there to say helpful things like, "You're pulling back too far," "Your tension is too tight," "You're fiber isn't drafted enough." Stuff like that. Now, I understand the concept of woolen spinning, and the idea of long-draw drafting. And of course, I understand that it's easier to do this with hand-carded wool rather than the commercially processed stuff. But still . . .

My biggest problem seems to be that I'll actually get the wool drafted out in something like a reasonable consistency. I'll let the wheel add some extra twist before I feed it into the bobbin. I'll test periodically to make sure the yarn is solid enough not to drift apart. All of which sounds like things are going like they should, wouldn't you agree?

But the problem is that when the yarn inevitably breaks (which, of course, it will during a new technique), not only is it particularly hard to find the end, but the yarn breaks. And drifts apart. And splinters. And turns into fluff. All while I'm trying to get the bobbin rethreaded. SO frustrating. I wasted so much wool while I was trying to just get my end rethreaded through the orifice . . .

Which then makes me wonder . . . assuming I kept going, how well (or badly) would this stuff work as yarn, anyway?? It certainly doesn't seem promising! If I can't get 12" of yarn pulled back off the bobbin so I can continue spinning, how could I ever ply these singles? Or knit with them? And since I'm doing this experimenting on my own, there's no one to ask.

Really, for whatever reason, learning to spin worsted on my own was much easier than learning to spin woolen!

On the plus side--look at the pretty roving I got today. This is in place of the "Beat Goes On" that I sent back to Teyani last week. I decided I'd just get a whole, different colorway, but couldn't make up my mind. I ended up saying, "I like these two, surprise me." Well--surprise! "Good Vibrations" it is!

But first, I'll finish the Shetland I'm playing with on my wheel . . . I wonder how many yards I can get out of 4 oz....

Comments

[pixie]

your spinning is just beutiful! you should check out the spinning forums;

http://talk.pixiepurls.com

[Kristi aka Fiber Fool]

That is really gorgeous yarn! And such fine three ply - I'm jealous! Wonderful job!

[amanda]

I think you're spinning looks great. Too bad the yarn kept breaking while you were trying to ply it -- I think if you fiddle with it enough and sacrifice enough fiber the sheep goddess you'll get the hang of it.

And 4 oz... assuming your doing fingering weight? I think I can get about 460-500 yds from 8 oz. Don't hold me to that but somewhere in that neighborhood.

[lorinda]

Love the copper slate. What do you plan to make?

[Chris]

Ok, I don't spin, so all I really understood was the picture with the 3 strands of yarn - you made rockin' skinny yarn!! Woot woot!

[Karen]

The copper slate is gorgeous!!! Your spinning looks wonderful...and thin! :)

[chris]

Ohhhh, that yarn is stunning! And so fine . . . I'm really impressed. Looking at your pics, I think the next thing I spin is going to have to be the pencil roving I bought from Teyani -- can you believe I haven't tried it yet!!??

[Carole]

I've tried woolen spinning without much luck either. Your Copper Slate looks great and I love the new colorway from Teyani.

[Risa]

Ooooh beautiful yarn. Nicely done!

[MeBeth]

That yarn looks beautiful - so fine and so even! Can't wait to see what you make with it.

[Cheryl]

That three ply is gorgeous! Incredible! You SHOULD be proud if it!

[Stephanie]

Oh wow. WOW. That yarn is gorgeous. Gorgeous. Yes, I realize I'm repeating myself, but it needs repeating. Let me just tell you that I learned (at Estes) - you can really only woolen spin longer fibers, short ones like merino don't work at all (at least for those non-experts amongst us) - I don't remember what you said you were spinning. I've been spinning some BFL woolen and it's working ok (I think - I haven't plied yet). You can woolen spin w/o using a long draw - just let the twist run between your hands and don't smooth it down before you feed it on. Anyway, I love your yarn and those colorways are gorgeous.

[Snow]

That's really gorgeous yarn you've spun, and I love the roving on the bottom.

[Jenny]

Deb! That yarn is beautiful!

[JessaLu]

Gorgeous yarn!

You're making me really happy I'm allergic to Alpaca ;o)

[Marcia]

REALLY pretty yarn, there, lady! Here's something that might help you with the woolen(ish) spinning. I can't do long draw to save my life, yet my default yarn is semi-woolen, meaning I draft back 4-6 inches and let the twist zap in, like Steph said. Anway, get Paula Simmons' little book, Spinning for Softness and Speed. When it clicks, it will revolutionize your spinning. This method puts just enough twist in for the yarn to hold together, yet is soft, lofty, and you can spin FAST! $20 from her, $8 on Amazon.

[Laura]

Your yarn is gorgeous! What are you going to make out of it? :-D

[Teyani]

your spinning looks fabulous!!! I can't wait to see that Copper Slate knit up.just beautiful.
Glad that you like the Good Vibrations a bit better - let me know how you like spinning the superwash :-)