Long Wool Fiber Study, part 1

The following yarns are the first group of finished samples from the long wool fiber study that I am doing with Saturday Spinners (blog post 5/19/12). I spun, plied and wet finished these samples. What follows are my notes as I wrote them on an index card while spinning.

CVM - California Variegated Mutant - pin-drafted roving from Mt. SAC - 1 yard of roving - spun 4/21/12

• very springy
• used semi-worsted forward draft
• short fibers look fuzzy on bobbin
• wanted to spin thin/fine
• 2 ply - 36 yards - 24 wpi (wraps per inch) - lace weight

I really liked spinning the CVM. The fiber was soft and super bouncy. It should lend itself to a really lofty woolen yarn. I think I will try that next time.

Cotswold - combed roving - 1 oz. - spun 4/26/12

• very slick - easy to draft
• kind of wiry
• when yarn was too thin, felt too slippery
• lots of little ends sticking out on singles
• spun worsted forward draw
• can’t hold fiber too far apart with hands - no control
• singles kept popping off flyer hooks - very wiry
• 3 ply - 44 yards - 11 wpi - size 4 medium yarn
• 2 ply - 4.5 yards - 16 wpi - size 3 light yarn
• did not think this would make a good lace yarn

Upon reflection, the wiriness might make knitted lace patterns very crisp and clean. Cotswold was not my favorite fiber to spin. Definitely would not wear it against my skin.

BFL - Bluefaced Leicester (pronounced lester) - rinsed locks - 1/2 oz. - spun 5/18/12

• separated locks - cut ends aligned
• used small dog brush to click open locks (held middle of lock and flicked each half separately)
• spun from cut end
• feels slightly sticky - run into knots (neps) in fiber
• difficult to draft evenly
• singles very fuzzy on bobbin
• spins very fine
• fair amount of debris and fiber waste on flicker
• used worsted shortish draw
• had to hold lock firmly in hand
• luster easy to see
• would prefer scoured fiber
• 2 ply - 50 yards - 20 wpi - lace weight

I collected the fiber from the flicker and made 2 little rolags to spin. I did like the feel of the lanolin on my fingers from the rinsed fiber but I think in the long run it would be easier to control the finished product if the locks were scoured. Ultimately, it would be less messy while spinning. It was fun to see how the locks separated and the fiber brushed out. This was the first time I had spun from the lock.

BFL - Bluefaced Leicester  - processed roving from Shaggy Bear Farms - 2 yards of thin roving - spun 5/21/12

• spun worsted forward draw
• tried to spin medium weight singles
• very soft and easy to control
• 2 ply - 8 yards - 12 wpi - size 4 medium yarn

Really liked spinning clean roving. I also liked making thicker singles. I would try to spin more woolen next time though. Something lofty and soft.

Saturday Spinners

I belong to a small guild called Saturday Spinners. We meet on the third Saturday of the month, 9 months of the year. We had a wonderful meeting today.

Lots of fiber related conversation. Some of us weave, knit, crochet and felt. We are all spinners.  

Some of us like to make yarn from scratch starting with a fleece. Some of us like to dye our own fiber and blend. Some of us like to spin already processed and ready to spin fiber. 

We are all different levels of spinners from beginner to advanced. Some of us like to spin fluffy woolen only. Some of us like to spin fine lace weight yarn. Some, like me, spin whatever strikes their fancy.

We are a mixed bag of fiber enthusiasts but we all LOVE fiber and spinning. There is nothing else like hanging out with a group of spinners who share a common interest. We all speak the same language. We share and teach each other the things we know and learn about fiber.

Today, in under two hours, we did the following:

• shared lots of show and tell of current WIPs (Works In Progress) and finished fiber items
• discussed progress on our ongoing year-long challenge to finish one, two, three or more long lost UFOs (UnFinished Objects)
• had a round robin style discussion of the first group of finished samples of a long wool fiber study we are doing this year
• received our next batch of long wools for more sampling and note taking

It is a FABULOUS group and I’m thankful for having these folks in my life.

“Quarterly” Review

It’s time to do a sort-of quarterly review of my UFO status (UnFinished Objects).

Below is the list of projects I wrote about in January plus a few more. I thought categorizing them would make me feel more productive. It does and it doesn’t. 

I’ve actually completed more projects than I’ve started. Which is a goal of mine this year. So I guess I’m doing OK so far. I think.

Still a UFO or became a UFO:

• spinning an indigo dyed merino/bamboo blend yarn
• spinning golden beige silk on a drop spindle
• knitting a Central Park Hoodie cardigan - needs blocking
• frogging a quarter done scarf of alpaca blend yarn

Fiber Exchange UFOs that have become WIPs (Works In Progress):

• spin cotton on a charkha and weave the finished yarn into cloth 
• weave a triangle shawl - needs finishing and embellishment
• felted some lovely green merino fiber - more to be felted

New WIPs:

• knitting the Retro Tee in Classic Elite Lotus Blossom Cotton yarn
• long wool spinning study for Saturday Spinners Guild

UFOs and new items that got Finished:

• hand-quilted a child's quilt for a friend 
• sewed a yoga mat bag
• test knitted the Glenrowen Hat for Azalea Rosebud Fiberworks
• felted a scarf from fuschia merino/tencel blend roving

With this list in hand, I ask myself the following questions:

• Do I have too many projects going at the same time? 
• Are there too many different types of projects?
• Is it possible to work on only one project at a time? 
• Is that a silly question to ask of a creative person?
• Am I a creative person or chaotic person?

Ummm, I guess these questions make me an ongoing WIP.