Archive for the ‘spinning’ Category

Inspired by Ginga Squid

Sunday, February 7th, 2010
Ginga Squid Cowl

Cowl with hand-spun yarn -- Ginga Squid

I found this blog — currently featuring lots of chunky and gorgeous handspun yarns — through my husband Erik.

He was reading boingboing.net and generally complaining about being bored. Meanwhile I was trying to get some spinning in before Kalena woke! She’s very interested in the spinning wheel lately — I think she likes my rainbow-colored drive band.

Anyway, seeing these yarns makes me yearn for a spinning wheel that can handle thicker yarns.  The orifice on my wheel is just tiny.  I love the peach/pink/orange combo as well.

Remember that yarn??

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Way back in April — before the Baby — I promised to make that yarn into a scarf. Well, here it is!

Handspun yarn sampler from PhatFiber
It’s only about 16″ long so it’s not great as a scarf yet. I will dig up some more green yarns and/or fibers and add to it at some point. For now it’s a decent representation of my spinning, and fun to play with.

Scarf coming… eventually!

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

I got my Phat Fiber box, and I’ve spun up most of the roving and batts that were included!  You can see nearly everything I got here on my Flickr site.

I took most of the fibers and spun them into this yarn:

Eventually I will wash this yarn and knit it into a skinny scarf so it will look like swatches of lots of different yarns together.

They like me, they really like me!

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

So, even though I haven’t gotten my Phat Fiber box yet, other people have, and they’ve blogged about it!  Of course, not all of them will have one of my samples in their box, but those who have seem to like them.  This makes me feel very good.

The amazing CJ wrote, at extremespinner.blogspot.com:

“The dark grey skein is from Haley Studio.  Yeah, Bluefaced Leicester/Lincoln Cross!  This I really like!  Different from what I spin, yet totally to my liking, this yarn would make KILLER socks!  All the merinos, soft fuzzy stuff, and I love REAL wool, you know, the WOOLY stuff.”

Melissa at bananamigraine.com took some great pictures of the sample she got.  Thanks, Melissa!

Morrighan at blacktiefiberarts.blogspot.com also got a sample.  Woo!

Dawning Dreams at knittingintheyarnbarn.blogspot.com got a Shetland sample and wrote, “I really appreciate getting undyed fibers that showcase the beauty animals naturally have.”  I agree!

Minou at ambrosiaandbliss.blogspot.com got some black Shetland and wrote:

“This is a really nice sample and gives me an idea of how the Shetland fiber I recently ordered might spin up. It’s not a super soft wool, but it reminds me of the sock roving in that it feels durable and elastic. We live in the same city and I never would have known without the box.”

Thanks, Minou!  I look forward to meeting you some time soon!

Lots of new yarn listings on Etsy today

Monday, March 16th, 2009

In anticipation of my coupon making it to Phat Fiber’s secret sale page, as well as my samples arriving all over the world (one can dream…) I’ve added a lot of yarn listings to my Etsy shop.  I got 4 new “hearts” today too for my efforts!

I still have a few more yarns to add — you can look forward to seeing “Half Day Bay”, “Cream and Oranges” and “Princess Mauve” some time soon!

Samples have been submitted!

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

samples close up My samples for the March Phat Fiber box have been sent! Here’s a visual preview — you can read all about them too.

samples-pyramid.jpg

sample-tag.jpg

 

More about Phat Fiber samples

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

If you are lucky enough to purchase a Phat Fiber sample box for March, you will see my Shetland and BFL/Lincoln mini-skeins (about 20 yards).  Here’s information about the samples I’ll be including.

All the roving for these samples was bought in person, from the people who raised the sheep, at either the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival or the Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in Minnesota.  I know for sure that the Shetland samples are naturally colored fiber with no added dye.  I believe that the BFL/Lincoln is also naturally colored, but at the same time I know the “ideal” breed specimens are white, not gray.  So I’m not positive!  I am also unsure whether the BFL/Lincoln is wool from a cross-breed or a blend of wools from both breeds.

The packaging is representative of what you’ll get from my shop – all yarns have been washed gently with Synthrapol, wrung and sent through the spin cycle, then air-dried.  Next they are tagged with length, weight, and a space to write in stitches per inch.  I include the sheep breed in the fiber content if it is known.

These samples are characteristic of my spinning in that they are traditionally textured, two-ply and on the light side of worsted.  I have a spinning wheel with a small orifice, and it seems to like this kind of yarn best!  However, some yarns in my shop are Navajo-ply, funky spirals, or bulkier weight, and as it happens I’m all out of Shetland for this year!  I hope to get more in September at the WI fest.  I also very much enjoy spinning dyed roving sourced from other small vendors (via Etsy, other online shops and the festivals) – although dyeing is fun, I like spinning better.

Allergy notes: Yarn has been spun in a non-smoking household. I have a cat, but she isn’t allowed around the yarn once it’s been washed; it’s stored in a large plastic bin with some anti-moth herbs and cedar chips.

Don’t forget to check for the coupon code on the tag to get 15% off your order!

Phat Fiber Sampler

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

I’ve decided to be a contributor for the March box of the Phat Fiber Sampler.   I hope to be able to make enough samples by the deadline in order to get my own box!  The people who buy the samplers are really into yarns and fibers, so I think it is a good investment of my time and fiber.

I am glad to be part of the great group of artists who are part of this project.  Make sure to check out the blog — there are lots of great giveaways every week!

Gorgeous yarn

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

I just finished spinning this roving and I must say it was a pleasure to work with.  Maybe 2 pieces of dirt and just a few snarls (as expected since I’ve had it a while)  I haven’t worked with a silk/wool/milk protein blend before, but I’d like to again!  I still need to wash the resulting yarn, but I promise pictures soon.

Sorry for the long break

Friday, November 28th, 2008

Due to some big changes in our house and my life, I haven’t been posting much here or doing much on Etsy.  Alas!  However, I have gotten back to spinning — I took my drop spindle and some fantastic “chili pepper” roving to my in-law’s over the past couple days, and got re-acquainted with the drop spindle.  “Park and spin” seems to work best for me right now.  I do still like the wheel better.  So much faster!

Still lots of projects to do, but now that the Cozies are done (and my serger has been repaired) it’s time to think spring and finish off those picnic napkins I started in the summer!  I can’t do rolled hems anymore (the special foot broke and I can’t get a replacement), but a standard serge will look great with some funky serger threads.

Pictures of chili pepper yarn coming soon!