more spinning!

3.8oz (107g) of Polwarth fiber from Sheepish Creations, in Ms Merryweather.

I wanted to spin it into a two-ply yarn that was roughly worsted weight, so I started by splitting the fiber in half and spinning each half separately. I split it in half by unraveling the braid, folding it into two, and splitting it when it looked about even. Then I spun my singles, and plied them into this.

About 180m of a DK-ish weight yarn. I’m still new enough to spinning that loud, barberpoled yarns hold a lot of interest for me. I love the effect, and I love watching the colours come together when I ply.

I’m especially proud of this yarn because I got to give it away, to the girl who helped hook me up with my wheel. Not only that, but I feel confident enough in the yarn I’ve made that I’m willing to give it away to someone else. My friend has started making glass jewelry, and I offered to swap her some handspun for a gorgeous grey-and-black glass ring. I love the crafty barter economy.

I was going to say ‘Sharpay Evans’ instead of ‘Barbie,’ and then I realized nobody would get it.

I went to the Frolic this weekend! With Laura, which was both awesome and a little intimidating, because she knows like everybody. But I bought a ton of yarn, and other yarn-related paraphernalia, and overall it was a pretty rad time!

From left to right: cat, Tanis Fiber Arts MCN, Madelinetosh Tosh Sock, new spindle (!!!), some really fluffy Shetland roving from Waterloo Wools, and St. Denis Nordique. I am very, very pleased with my big bag of yarn. My cat is obviously more into the bag, but that’s okay. She can’t knit.

And then, omgomg. So, I saw Kim of indigodragonfly at knit night, weeks ago. And I know she dyes yarn, so I was all, “Hey, you know what colour you should dye? Pink. Pink sock yarn. It’s my favourite.” And then I didn’t think anything of it – at least not until she emailed me this week to let me know that she had dyed some yarn that was really, really, really, pink, and would I like some.

Obviously, hell yes I would like some.

Guys, this yarn is bright. So bright, in fact, that my camera got confused and won’t photograph it properly – but I want you guys to imagine what would happen if Barbie ever took up knitting. It’s pretty much that. I am in love. It’s electric, electric pink, but also subtly variegated somehow, and it makes me grin every time I look at it.

I’ve already wound one of the skeins. These are going to be the best effing socks, you guys don’t even know.

two things

With a week off and amazing – amazing – weather this week, I cannot believe how much I’ve been making stuff with my hands. There’s something about spring and fall that just make me want to be creative, like, all the time.

The sweater is progressing very nicely, although the pieces by themselves look pretty shabby, especially with all of those ends hanging out.

I also conned Laura into teaching me something new this week. I’ve been wanting to learn how to spin for a while, now, and a few nights ago I bought a cheap drop spindle and learned how.

That, kids, is my first yarn. (It is not quite that eye-searingly blue in person; I was having some issues with light yesterday.) I used the leftover Fleece Artist roving from my thrummed mittens as practice, so there’s barely 15g of fiber there, but I’m very, very proud of it. (Even though I’m pretty sure I could have plied it tighter, looking at it now.)

I’m tempted to just keep it in my purse and show it to strangers, except that I’m pretty sure that’s weird.