Tuesdays are for spinning!
But also Wednesdays. Thursdays are for admiring my large, usable hank of two-ply, tri-colour alpaca. And trying to convince those around me that I deserve a spinning wheel after such hard spindling.
Here's the progression, in case you missed a step, from a bag of coveted fibre, to a hank of even-more-coveted yarn.
First it was a bag of alpaca fibre from Green Acres Alpaca Farm. I loved it. I spent a lot of time just fondling it and trying to imagine what it would look like as yarn. I practised on other alpaca because I didn't want to screw up. And then I picked up the spindle, and the fabled alpaca fibre.
And I spun and I spun and I spun for about two weeks, on and off, with an extended break due to searing arm and neck pain. And then on Tuesday, with the better part of the bag left, I decided to finish it. I really didn't realise I had that much of it until it came time to ply. My hand was weighted down with my stylish Andean bracelet, and plying took about half an hour. And then! Then!!
It's my first real-sized hank of handspun. Totally usable, totally soft, the colours look so nice and almost...pebbled together. I haven't measured it yet, and I have a bad eye for estimating these things. I haven't done the WPI thing yet either.
I'm very proud. See why I deserve a spinning wheel? My next spinning goal is a two-ply sock yarn with enough to actually make socks.
Tomorrow is the Canadian launch of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book and I am totally going to be there. I'm a tad/totally nervous because I don't actually know anyone else who's going and I'm not very adept at making friends on my own, but we all know how nice knitter's are. I'm sure I'll find someone to take me under their wing. Drinks after at the Spotted Dick, but not too many because the last bus back to Aurora leaves at, gasp, midnight! Insane! It used to be 1-1:30am from what I remember.
I'm not sure about the yarn crawl the next day. I'd love to but I've had a little falling down recently with the credit card that will be addressed soon. And the weather is hot. I'm all Blanche DuBois when it comes to the heat. But we'll see! I do love finding new and exciting yarn stores, even if I do wilt.
Here's the progression, in case you missed a step, from a bag of coveted fibre, to a hank of even-more-coveted yarn.
First it was a bag of alpaca fibre from Green Acres Alpaca Farm. I loved it. I spent a lot of time just fondling it and trying to imagine what it would look like as yarn. I practised on other alpaca because I didn't want to screw up. And then I picked up the spindle, and the fabled alpaca fibre.
And I spun and I spun and I spun for about two weeks, on and off, with an extended break due to searing arm and neck pain. And then on Tuesday, with the better part of the bag left, I decided to finish it. I really didn't realise I had that much of it until it came time to ply. My hand was weighted down with my stylish Andean bracelet, and plying took about half an hour. And then! Then!!
It's my first real-sized hank of handspun. Totally usable, totally soft, the colours look so nice and almost...pebbled together. I haven't measured it yet, and I have a bad eye for estimating these things. I haven't done the WPI thing yet either.
I'm very proud. See why I deserve a spinning wheel? My next spinning goal is a two-ply sock yarn with enough to actually make socks.
Tomorrow is the Canadian launch of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book and I am totally going to be there. I'm a tad/totally nervous because I don't actually know anyone else who's going and I'm not very adept at making friends on my own, but we all know how nice knitter's are. I'm sure I'll find someone to take me under their wing. Drinks after at the Spotted Dick, but not too many because the last bus back to Aurora leaves at, gasp, midnight! Insane! It used to be 1-1:30am from what I remember.
I'm not sure about the yarn crawl the next day. I'd love to but I've had a little falling down recently with the credit card that will be addressed soon. And the weather is hot. I'm all Blanche DuBois when it comes to the heat. But we'll see! I do love finding new and exciting yarn stores, even if I do wilt.
posted by Janis at 4:34 PM
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