I haven't been up to much. I guess that's what happens when life gets busy!
I did make a clapotis which it appears I haven't posted here (pics later). I bought 2 drop spindles recently - unusual for me, since I'm all about wheel-spinning, but more on that in a second. I've been spinning a 70/30 merino/tencel blend to ply with my black bear/qiviut/doghair yarn, since it's too fragile on its own for the needle size I have now, as well as for durability.
I picked up a 1.7-ish oz Ashford drop spindle from The Weaving Works in Seattle, recommended to me by my aunt Gail, and a 3-oz Schacht hi-lo drop spindle from Northwest Wools in Portland. I like them both for different reasons, but the Schacht is really what I was looking for. It spins for a longer time without needing additional momentum due to its weight, and I'll be able to make more heavy-duty yarns with it. I'm not sure why I bought them, except that I haven't been getting enough yarn in my life, and I need to be able to take it with me. I'm learning the beauty of dropspindle yarn, and though it does take longer, I have more control over each section of the yarn. I'll be exploring thick-and-thin yarns once I do a bit more test yarn on the Schacht. I am spinning the merino/tencel for plying on the Ashford, even though the yarn I'll ply it with was wheel-spun. It might not make a difference, and it might add more character. I'll find out soon enough! I will be wheel-plying, since I don't even want to mess with plying on a drop spindle until I have more practice.
I have dyeing and completion of a very fun art yarn on my to-do list for this weekend. I'm hoping to get a couple of new listings in my Artfire.
No comments:
Post a Comment