Monday, July 14, 2008

Let's just say it's a slub yarn...

First off, from now on I will only answer Master Maggie, or alternatively, you may call me Maggie, just make sure that you add in the initials Msc. OT (Post-Professional) afterward. Alright, I am really truly not that obnoxious, but I am really very happy that I am all done school. Grad school was a wonderful, although very short experience, and I am really glad that I did it, but also glad that I am all done, and I can now do other things. Like this:


I have resisted the spinning bug for so very long. To be honest, I have always thought to myself, why spin yarn when you can buy it? Until it dawned on me, why bother knitting anything when you can buy it pre knit? The way I am seeing it, the closer I get to the beginning of the process, the prouder I will be of the finished product. Plus, I find spinning really very hard, and there is nothing that I like more than a good challenge!

The wheel that I am using belonged to my great grandmother, whose family brought it over on the boat with them from Iceland, but it was probably made in Denmark. I think it is what is known as a cottage wheel. It's a great little wheel, although I am only able to use it for a couple months (I am just borrowing it), and I really love the idea that someone used it out of necessity, not just because it was fun.


This is about the fourth bobbin I did, and the first one that even remotely resembled yarn. It's horrible and over twisted in parts, and not twisted at all in other parts.


Here's the next bobbin. It's subtle, but it is slowly getting better.



Finally, here is my very first plied yarn. It's really quite awful, which is hard for me, because I am a great knitter, and I am used to being an expert in the fiber project that I am working on. I keep telling myself though that I wasn't very good at knitting the first time I did it either! Anyone have any good very new spinner tips?

6 comments:

Marti said...

I think your first plied yarn on the wheel looks pretty darn good. I'm not even to the novice point of spinning yet, so I have no advice...I just agree that it is indeed quite challenging. Which is good. But frustrating. You look like you're off to a good start though.

Anonymous said...

First - congratulations on finishing your masters!

Are you kidding! That's a very very nice first plied yarn.

I'm a fly by the seat of my pants spinner, but here's what I find works for me:
1. Pre drafting is your new best friend. Draft the roving to a bit thicker than you intend to spin it at. So much easier.
2. Sometimes I find the fibre tells me how thick it wants to be, or if it wants to be plied. I found alpaca (for me anyway), for instance DID NOT want to be single and perferred to be spun thinly. Blue face leicester seemed to want to spin a bit thicker and was ok with being on its own or plied.
3. Don't sweat it. If I wanted perfect yarn, I would buy it at the LYS.

Team Knit said...

Your spinning wheel is gorgeous! I'm not bitten by the spinning bug yet, but your yarn looks like a great first attempt.

- Julie

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