New waiting project

On October 17, 2022October 14, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I’ve started a crochet project using the first yarn I spun on my spinning wheel. The consistency varies wildly, so I took my wraps per inch (wpi) measurements from one of the thicker sections.

Measuring wraps per inch on hand-spun yarn

I consulted a wraps per inch chart to select a crochet hook size based on my measurement of 9 wpi. By selecting a hook for the thicker parts of the yarn, the thinner areas will be more lacey, but that is OK because my pattern is for a lace shawl. If I sized the hook for the thinner sections of yarn, the shawl would become stiff for the thicker sections.

I’ve put the whole project in a bag in the car so it is ready for the waiting times.

Mohair fiber page

On October 14, 2022October 11, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I finished my spun mohair fiber page. This mohair is from Rutabaga the Angora goat and is from her first shearing.

I did a knitting swatch in stockinette stitch with a garter stitch border, crochet round, a minute weaver, and a nålbound swatch.

Information on each swatch written beneath the fabric

The waiting shawl

On October 10, 2022October 6, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I am calling this my waiting shawl, since I knitted it while waiting. Waiting in the car rider line, waiting in the doctor’s office, waiting in the parking lot. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever, but I’ve only been knitting for six months. I started spinning the fiber over a year ago, though. So. This is made from fiber from Sugar Plum the alpaca, washed, carded, and hand-spun with a drop spindle and some on my upcycled bicycle spinning wheel. The knit pattern is yarn over, purl two together, both front and back, with knit stitches on the edges to get the stripes vertical

Finished knitting draped over the steering wheel because the car is where most of the work was done

The amazing thing about this shawl happened when I did a light wash and blocked it. First, there was still quite a bit of dust in the yarn that came out in the wash. Second, when I blocked it, it doubled in size. All the lace holes opened up, evened out and expanded. Wow. It made my spinning seem much more even. I’ll take it.

Combing alpaca

On October 5, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I decided to try my new wool combs with the alpaca fleece that I washed and dried a year ago. I love them! Combing removes so much more vegetable matter and short cuts than carding. The fibers pulled off the comb are light and airy and beautifully aligned. I do get much more waste; I’m putting that in a bag to put out for nesting material for the squirrels and birds. I was going to comb all the fibers then spin, but the preparation was so fluffy I just had to spin it right away and not risk compaction in storage.

I tried spinning directly off the comb, but my skills are not that advanced yet, so I pulled off the fiber then spun on my vintage Befra Willy wheel. I now see how the yarn on a Irish tension wheel (flyer is slowed down) has to be thicker. There is more strain on the yarn and thinner yarns snap. I’m still pleased with the thickness of the yarn for multipurpose projects, but this will not be lace yarn.

Spun alpaca fiber on the bobbin of a Befra Willy wheel

Mohair

On September 27, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I’ve spun up my mohair from Rutabega the Angora goat, then plied it using a drop spindle.

I transferred the yarn to my PVC niddy noddy, wet it down and let it dry. I then had a hank of spun mohair.

Since working from a hank is a recipe for tangles unless you keep it stretched out on a swift, I then used my swift and ball winder to make a yarn cake. The inside of my cake went askew; I think I might have had too much tension as I wound.

I am now ready to make swatches for my fiber page!

Critters and Craft

Tag: spinning