I realized recently that I have never plyed yarn using my drop spindle. I have always spun singles on the spindle but would ply using my wheel so tonight I am going to see how that goes. If I am really ambitious, I will attempt the Navajo ply again on my wheel. I only tried it once and it didn't go so well but I have grown a lot as a spinner since then so why not see how that goes.
A group of us from the Team of Wonder will be meeting in Hastings, Michigan at the Lady Peddler owned by one of our team members, Jill Turner, to enjoy an evening of fun and spinning. Hastings is about halfway between Grand Rapids and Battle Creek where most of our Michigan team members live so it's the perfect location to gather. Jill is an amazing spinner and every time I am in her shop I learn something new either how to spin the yarn or what to create with it.
It's been a great Tour de Fleece this year and I have really enjoyed all of the amazing yarn my team members have created using Alpaca. Hopefully everyone learned a bit more about Alpaca and spinning techniques. I sure know I did. Viva Tour de Fleece!
The photo collage I am sharing today is the finished yarn from my Sunshine of Wonder. I ended up with 360 yards. The yarn isn't quite as smooth as I had hoped. I ended up with quite a few "nubbies" in the yarn. I am not sure why. It was Suri Alpaca that I processed myself from a cria fleece which I blended with Silk. I used My Precious to create the batt and blend the fibers. It's a beautiful yarn and whatever I knit out of it will need to let the texture enhance the design. I do hope as I process more Suri on my own that I will get a smoother yarn. Maybe it's my spinning technique and not the processing so I will need to create more Suri Alpaca batts to practice with. Fortunately I have lots of fiber growing on the farm as I type. Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival!
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- Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog i.e. you would submit
http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html
NOT
http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com
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Posts
Good luck with your plying challenge!
ReplyDeleteYou have way more patience than me. I can't imagine spinning. Good Luck with your plying challenge.
ReplyDeleteAndea, your yarn is beautiful. Your Sunshine is such a pretty alpaca. I've been trying to keep with the spirit of the Tour but the extra work this week has run me right off the rails. I've missed spinning twice this week. I guess I've still accomplished more than I would have without the Tour though. I heard you'll be at Wine & Wool...hope to see you there!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the plying:) Have an amazing weekend Andrea:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful yarn!! Have fun with the new plying technique! I have only heard of plying on a wheel too, you'll have fun I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteSomething I've been doing lately has been causing nubs too. That and I had a few shorts show up in my roving which didn't help either.
ReplyDeleteThe hints of pink in your yarn is beautiful. See you tonight at Lady Peddler.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fiber Arts Friday!!
Today my challenge is to finish a spindle WIP that has been languishing for WAAAY too long.
ReplyDeleteI recently learned to n-ply, like last week recently. :) The thing I didn't realize before my lesson was that making bigger loops (like, as big as you can stretch your hand back to make them) is much easier than trying to make small ones. Now I'm totally an n-plying fan!!
Happy Challenge Day!!!!!
Gorgeous yarn, you've done an amazing amount of spinning, all of it is really beautiful! I'm excited to see it in person. (I always love those little bits of extra texture in a yarn)
ReplyDeleteI love the Sunshine of Wonder yarn. I can't wait to see what you make with it.
ReplyDeleteIt's too darn hot here to even think about yarn at all, so it's nice to read about the TDF in the a/c.
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
If you want another challenge search on Navajo ply on the fly....spinning and plying at the same time on a spindle :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your challenge day. The Navajo ply sounds like a good project to work on. When you get it sorted out you can teach me! Your yarn looks great.
ReplyDeleteHow I wish I could spin...yet another thing to try to add to my list.
ReplyDeleteLovely! I have learned so much from your group by reading your advice to each other! I kind of fell off the spinning and got sidetracked with weaving. I have been petting the fluff you sent deciding how I want to spin it up...it's lovely and squishy, and soft......Good luck with the spindle plying!
ReplyDeleteI love slubbies and nubbies in yarn! Have fun tonight and try to stay cool.
ReplyDeleteXXO-
Your yarn looks beautiful. Is it possible the nubbies are from the silk and not from the suri? (I don't know anything about spinning, but whenever I've knit with 100% silk I've found a bit of nubbiness.
ReplyDeleteI love the nubbies and the color! That yarn is fantastic - I'll take it if you don't want it. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the last TdF push. I'm pushing myself too. I need to finish a few projects. :)
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to use some Alpaca wool for a crochet project, but haven't. Your yarns are beautiful. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Food for Thought
http://100sweets.blogspot.com/2011/07/fibers-on-friday.html
Beautiful yarn as always. Looking forward to seeing how your challenges go
ReplyDeleteNavajo-ply is very easy. Once you get it started, you'll be wondering what the big deal was.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I think if you can get the standard-ply working on the drop spindle, I think Navajo-ply on the drop spindle would be no big deal.
Of course, I haven't doen either on the drop spindle. ;-)
Oh, and I'm going straight to look up the Navajo-ply on the fly that Tara recommended.
ReplyDeleteDear Andrea, you are making again so beautiful yarn! I'm waiting autumn and 'cold' weather to start to knit again! I enjoy always seeing your beautiful Alpacas!
ReplyDeletexxx Teje
Though Winter in New Zealand, I thought some of your viewers from the Northern hemisphere might enjoy this circle picture. cheers Marie
ReplyDeleteMy method for spindle plying is to use toilet-paper tubes and long knitting needles to hold them in something. But sometimes I put the yarn on bobbins and use the lazy Kate ;-)
ReplyDeleteCan't believe the Tour is coming to an end already. I really enjoy looking at everyone's pictures, sometimes it surprises me how some fibers turn into quite different looking yarn. Enjoy the final dash!
ReplyDeleteReally, really beautiful yarn. I am interested how you get on with plying on the drop spindle. I too haven't tried that yet. I've really enjoyed reading about the Tour de Fleece as you've journeyed along and wish I had come across it earlier so I could have joined in!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Have a great time with the ply. I love your fiber posts. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I wouldn't worry about a few little bumps in that beautiful yarn! Before you know it you may be like me and trying to figure out how to make your yarn as bumpy and irregular as you can!
ReplyDeleteYou're so talented!!
ReplyDelete