Mixing it up

Last evening was the last of the four-session learn to drop spindle class at Amazing Threads.  It is always fun to teach others the technique of spinning, whether with a spindle or wheel.  Observing how each student takes what they learned over the course and develop their own skills never gets old!  I was playing with the Blue Sky Alpacas Handspin, an alpaca/wool blend roving I received from them earlier this year.  It is a beautiful natural white and the perfect canvas for a bit of creativity.  A few years ago Joanne and I made art batts, which I wrote about in the Gone Batty post. I had some recycled sari silk, dyed fleece and a bit of natural gray Jacob wool to add to a batt I made a few months ago.  The wool/alpaca blend is beautifully soft and will work well with the add-ins.
Making a  sample art batt:

Bottom to top:  wool/alpaca, sari silk, dyed fleece, Jacob wool and the original batt

Sending the batt through a couple of times distributes the add-in fibers evenly.
I love how the silk colors pop through.

Flipping the fiber as I feed it through the carder helps with the blending process.

Using the small hand card held lightly packs the fiber

Pulling the batt off the carder--the reveal!

Pretty batt

A 25-gram batt ready to spin

Now the fun begins, spin the batt and then to extend the yardage I can ply it with thread, yarn, or spin another single of something else?  Endless possibilities!

Putting the Moosie to work

Grayscale

gray·scale/ˈɡrāskāl/

noun a range of gray shades from white to black, as used in a monochrome display or printout.

I finished carding the rest of the fleece and it turned out exactly as I planned.  It is so pretty and the colors remind me of a box of Conté crayons.

  

Sample spinning of each color

I altered the photo of the batts.  I am very happy with the gray scale range.

Each step of the process from fleece to yarn is fun.  

On Sunday the bubble in my eye disappeared.  It did its job to keep the retina in place, I have my vision back and other than a future adjustment in the prescription of my glasses. I have had a rough couple of days with some pain  that feels like sandpaper in my eye, but right now it is not as irritated and feels better.  I made an appointment yesterday to make sure everything was okay and the doctor said everything looked good even though it did not feel like it!  

Gone Batty

I have been a busy bee.  The past weekend I went down to Texas to visit my dear friend, Joanne.  She is one of the original members of the Texas Twisters (spinning group), and a talented fiber artist.  The weather was perfect--not too hot--and the fiber was plentiful!  We had fun creating art batts and spinning.  I always learn so much by watching Joanne spin her magic on the wheel.  We went to the Woolie Ewe  in Plano and then to Madtosh.  I was very happy to find Madtosh mini skeins of yarn for the Peerie Flooers and Sheep Heid hats by Kate Davies.  At the Woolie Ewe I found a lovely skein of hand-dyed yarn in the colorway called Last Light--it looks like a winter sunset, a Spud & Chloë pattern box, and some colorful circular needles.  We also squeezed in a visit to Hobby Lobby where I found some more fun swirl needles, sparkle cable needles, and tapestry needles.
Highlights from the trip:

Although it was warm, we had lovely weather with a nice breeze.

Planes in the neighborhood!

First stop--The Woolie Ewe in Plano!  Joanne is in the window.

We fit in a visit to Madtosh Crafts.

It is a lovely shop with lots of yarn and the other half is fabric.

We were happy with our purchases.  When the gal at the shop took our
photo, she had us say, "Mad-tosh!"

Jeff took us out to supper--yum yum!

Land O Lakes--a Minnesota connection...

The fun begins in Joanne's studio.

These were my base colors for batt #1.

Joanne's batt was in lovely pale colors, which reminded me of a faded quilt.

A close up of the batt off the carder.

We sat on the deck for the afternoon spinning away, drinking iced
tea, and chatting. 

The next day (we stayed up late plying) it was time to wet the
hanks and set the twist. 

By using quilting thread (Joanne) and lace-weight yarn
for plying we each have over 200 yards of yarn.

My fiber choices for batt #2.  Pull a bit from here and there and then add it to the bowl on the scale.

At home again with the snow!

I sent batt #2 through the carder a second time to make sure the white silk was blended.  This
will be fun to spin.  I need to find the perfect plying thread or yarn for plying.

The colors are lovely.  I was not sure of the cotton yarn snips, but they will add some nice texture to the knitted surface.

Projects in progress:

Lace bag, by Sarah Hatton.

First Möbius, by Kat Bordhi on the needle.

The Hitchhiker in Starry Night.

Countess mitts--I lost my project bag for this project :^( and found this lovely gray yarn in my stash.

First Möbius off the needles.  The I-cord finished edge is easy and looks nice.

Here is the washed wool I bought from Woolen Meadow Farm.  Mmmmm...fluffy.