With my first skeins of yarn completed, I'm ready to expand my wheel horizons. Thanks for all the encouragement and kind words towards those humble skeins. I have no idea what I'll knit from them (too much deadline work right now to think about it) but whatever it is, I expect to cherish it for it's significance. In the mean time, when I'm not knitting away on my projects, El Matchador and I are making sweet whirring music together. First, I attempted to spin a few thicker skeins of yarn. Admittedly, my first roving choice was poor. It was a Merino blend that, I think, had felted ever so slightly, making it a real bastard to draft. The result is the beautifully dyed but poorly spun specimen on the right.
My second attempt was with more of the roving I spun up recently on my spindle. The results (on the left) are still a little rough, but much improved over the first skein. Both are relatively balanced and neither has been washed and hung to dry, which would probably smooth out their appearance a little.
I used an Andean Ply for both so I could spin up a small amount and not waste any trying to get two bobbins perfectly matched.
After remembering that I don't like knitting with thick yarns and so should probably focus on worsted or lighter weight yarns, I opted to pull out an old favorite
and finish off my stash of it. It's weird to me that my spindle spinning is so much more controlled and even, but this practice is good for me.
I spun up two bobbins, partially full and am plying them now.
And because you can only look at so much yarn spun up by a novice, Panda wanted to give you a little pearl of wisdom. She says:
"If your parents take forever to unpack your toys, you must play with all of them at once, when you finally get them back.
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Comments (10)
Panda and our Mandy are cut from the same cloth. I love reading about your spinning (I have not yet succumbed) and knitting, AND having the pleasure of seeing Panda, too.
Posted by Patty | September 20, 2006 6:35 AM
Posted on September 20, 2006 06:35
I lurk around here a lot but that yarn made me come out of the shadow over there. I think it's great. You are going to love it forever and as you get better you have something to compare you great yarns to. You'll always look back on those first ones lovingly though.
I'm speaking from experience. I took my first spinning lesson one year ago in October and it was magic.
Posted by Beth | September 18, 2006 4:23 PM
Posted on September 18, 2006 16:23
We had that same moment this weekend at my house. Rex has been staying with my parents while my ankle healed. I hadn't unpacked all his toys before he left so he played and chewed to his heart's content when he came in Saturday morning. Then took a nap on top of as many as he could.
Posted by Amy in StL | September 18, 2006 10:43 AM
Posted on September 18, 2006 10:43
Panda never ceases to amaze me with her adorable ways. I love it when you share pics of her in your updates. :)
Posted by Michelle | September 18, 2006 8:46 AM
Posted on September 18, 2006 08:46
Congrats on el Matchador - your spinning output is making me look longingly at my ignored Greensleeves spindle - but having spent the cost of a wheel on clothes this weekend (!), I guess I'll have to pass.
Panda rocks, as usual. :) Whata good girl! Give her a belly scratch from me, if you can tear yourself away from the wheel long enough... :)
Posted by sravana | September 18, 2006 8:46 AM
Posted on September 18, 2006 08:46
Panda is right. Dogs always are I find. They know how to live joyfully!
Loving the spinning updates. I'm a knitter, but spinning is several steps further than I have dared to go. mmmmm exciting though....
Posted by Stephanie | September 17, 2006 12:43 PM
Posted on September 17, 2006 12:43
Yay! We are spinning fools. My favorite picture is still Panda. She is too cute with her toys - she has a real Caia look on her face in that shot.
Posted by Julia | September 17, 2006 11:37 AM
Posted on September 17, 2006 11:37
Your spindle spinning is so lovely, i'm sure you will be able to get the same results from the wheel in no time.
One thing though, it looks like your bobbin is facing the wrong way, the large bobbin end should be closer to the whorl for scotch tension.
Posted by laura | September 17, 2006 11:29 AM
Posted on September 17, 2006 11:29
It's really common for spindle spinning to be better and more controlled than wheel spinning. I've heard that when wheels were first invented that it was forbidden to use wheel spun yarn for the warp in weaving. Probably partly to save people's jobs, but also because it wasn't as well made as spindle-spun. And I also think that originally wheels were mostly used for plying. Of course I've seen some fantastic wheel spun yarn so obviously we got over that. ;-)
Did I ever tell you that I have a serious crush on Panda?
Posted by janel | September 17, 2006 11:03 AM
Posted on September 17, 2006 11:03
I learned to spin on a wheel and i always considered myself a good wheel spinner, then i went all spindle crazy and was finally able to spin on a spindle, my spinning was so nice and thin and even on it that when i went back to the wheel i was actually misrable, one of the reasons I just got a new wheel. now I seem to be evening out, but im still better on the spindle, which totally shocks me because i have only really been using spindles for 2 months, and wheels for a year.
Posted by pixie | September 17, 2006 10:40 AM
Posted on September 17, 2006 10:40