Tag: Egyptian cotton

Egyptian cotton fiber page

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: scrap book page with an Egyptian cotton card from Hearthside Fibers upper left, single spun and chain ply yarn upper right, unspun fiber middle left, twined weaving swatch middle right, knit moss stitch swatch bottom left, crochet lace round bottom right

I spun this Egyptian cotton sample on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel fitted with a high speed whorl. Egyptian cotton has a longer staple length so is less inclined to form pills. It was nice to spin and worked up into the swatches well.

I enjoy spinning cotton, but is definitely a sitting activity, either on a wheel, or with a tahkli spindle. I also avoid wearing black, as the small fibers accumulate everywhere.

Egyptian cotton swatches

On By CarynIn Craft

I made my swatches for my fiber book from the Egyptian cotton that I spun on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

Photo description: knit square in moss stitch with size 2 Prym circular needles
Photo description: crocheted round coaster made from Egyptian cotton with a size B Clover crochet hook
Photo description: 3 salvage twined swatch with knotted tassels

I still love the twining weaving technique with open ended warps. This was my first swatch, but the sides are less wonky than my other weaving attempts.

Spinning cotton

On By CarynIn Craft

Since I purchased a high speed whorl for the Ashford Traveller spinning wheel, I thought I would see if I could spin cotton. Cotton has a short staple length and needs a high degree of twist to hold together.

Photo description: Egyptian cotton top spun on an Ashford Traveller with a high speed whorl

I’m definitely still working on my learning curve, but I’ve been getting sections that are even and not over spun. There are still lumps and bumps, and sometimes I’ll under spin and have several bits let go before I get back to stable yarn. I’ve divided my fiber into three sections to spin on three bobbins to make a three ply later. I hope.