Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Stash or Spun

Spunky Eclectic hand-dyed (Jan. '09 Club)

I bought 8 oz. and could totally see this in thick/thin "art yarn." Problem was, I didn't know what I was doing. I really made a mess of it but wouldn't give up. Finally I got frustrated and never wanted to set eyes on that fiber again. It was NOT the fiber's fault. Mine. I blew through 3.2 oz. of it and the association is still there. This is a wool blend. It is not "next-to-skin" but a very nice fiber.


COTTON FIBER:
"Maple Mirage" - 4.2 oz. Alcala Cotton (Exclusively by Linda Lee) plus 1 oz. matching silk. Cut/Paste of LindaLee's notes in italics, follow the photos





LindaLee wrote...
"MAPLE MIRAGE another epic eight colors have made this colorway with glistening yellows, golden browns and green in order to create this this bright and surreal vision on fiber!!

New "Easy to Spin" Alcala cotton, cleaner and has a longer staple than regular cotton - 1.2-4 inch. almost no veggie matter! It is an absolutely wonderful fiber!!!

I just LOVE Cotton, it spins up into such a soft, fluffy, beautiful yarn! You can blend it with any fiber, and it adds memory, strength, softness with wicking abilities.

Soft, Sweet, Wonderful! Did I say that cotton is soft?!! :) It is perfect for babies, children and adults alike!!

She goes on to say...
MY PERSONAL TIPS ON SPINNING COTTON: Cotton spinning is a joy! Honest........

Remember that when you spin cotton, add extra twist, and use very light tension (hardly any) when spinning. If you are using a wheel, use your smallest flyer, and if you use a spindle, use a bottom whorl supported on a table, or your lap.

Also, there is a right and wrong end to draft the cotton from. Yep, believe it or not... the wrong end makes bumps and pulls difficultly, and the right side is more smooth and takes little effort. If for some reason you seem to be fighting your roving, try it from the other end. It's amazing! :)(how to tell if you are spinning from the right end? Run your finger along the sliver, one way it will fluff up, and the otherway it will smooth down - spin from the end that smooths down) I found too that if you separate your sliver (roving) into half or quarter strips, then try spinning it with the long draw, it makes the spinning go faster, more even, and keeps the colors well.



Spun, Hanging Around or WIP Status (fiber I want to keep notes on)
"Earthen" - 8 oz. SW Merino


"Stormy Dawn" - 4 oz. Finn


"Mallard" - 3.8 oz. SW BFL


"Lady of the Lake" - 4 oz. 70/30 SW Merino/Seacell


"Flamingo" - 4 oz. SW Merino


"CrabApple" - 4 oz. SW BFL


"Pine Meadow" - 4 oz. BFL


"Dublin Lake" - 4 oz. BFL


"Chocolate Covered Cherries" - 4 oz. Superwash Merino


"Shiver" - 4 oz. 50/50 Merino/Tencel


"THE DRAGON!" (a/k/a Danaides) - 8 oz. 50-50 Merino-Tencel


"Shag Carpet" - 4.2 oz. Compacted Merino (may be another wool) - colors ran, wash again.


"September" - 4 oz. Optim


"Peacock and Rust" - 4.4 oz. Cotswold Raw Locks


"Verdant" - 4 oz. SW Merino
Spun but yet to be worked. It was unintentionally done in batches, one thick, one thinner, then three ridiculously fine (19-22 wpi, and that is 2-plied!) Arg. What a shame, it's so much like Printemps, only deeper hues, and I loved Printemps items.


"Printemps" - 7.5 oz. BFL
Spun and knitted (my first cowl and a WIP hat)


Louet Northern Lights - 8 oz. wool blend (2nd spin - knitted into a hat and a WIP scarf)


"Octopus Garden" - 4 oz. BFL - VERY FIRST FIBER EVER!
Given to me Christmas 2008 along with a Kundert Spindle by my daughter as an intro to see if I might like spinning. HAH!

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