Fourth Spin (3rd got parked, a "WIP")

I was dying to get my hands on this roving, just because of the multitude of colors and not yet being able to predict (at all!) how something might spin up. Way more than halfway through it, I had Jenny demonstrate, yet again, how she holds the fiber and drafts. This time I thought I saw an "A-hah!" in there somewhere, and tried how far away she holds her fiber hand. Well, lo and behold, that actually creates a clear cut drafting zone triangle. She's been saying she has trouble spinning thicker than what seems to be her default weight, and of course I've not been too adept at spinning finer because my default weight has been thicker. Trying her way of drafting, mine became thinner also. But there's no REASON why it should, I just haven't figured out yet how to modify the hold so I get a little thicker single, and so far she hasn't seen any need to.

But I sure do like her way of drafting, it's faster for sure. So now it's like learning something all over again. I see where I'm getting slubs built in, but that'll come with practice, I'm just counting on that with blind faith.

Here's what's left of the roving, as it came.



Here's the single on the ball, being plyed onto the spindle using both inside-pull and outside of strand. This worked pretty darned well, despite much grumbling regarding this method generally. The trick was having a core in the center of the ball. I mounted it onto a plastic spindle that I borrowed from a bulk-purchase package of 100 blank CDs, and set it onto the seat of a camp chair. Worked great.



I processed the yarn by soaking in "Soak" wool wash, somewhat hot tap water, then spun it in a salad spinner, whacked it bare (without wrapping into a towel) onto a flat surface about 5 times each end, and all the cursing I'd done about it not plying up well... you have to reserve judgment.

This is the best shot, and my favorite. Looka all da colors!! Yeoowwwza, this is going to be one interesting skein! (Photographed right after processing, not yet dry). Click to enlarge.



Another shot, showing the inconsistencies in finished yarn thicknesses. Again, can click to enlarge.


And a close-up. I just can't get over all these colors and especially the way they happen out from the plying.


NOT shown, because a couple hours later, having checked my "crop" again, I see several strands that have super-thick (good 3-inch lengths) of spread out slubs, and I mean big. But I lost the good light for photographing and just when I thought I had it, my camera battery died. I'm half awake from a nap that blew off my day (yet again) and didn't get a photo of it. Later or something. I'm just blown away by the color combinations in this colorway, which is Printemps hand-dyed combed top of BFL purchased from Squoosh on Etsy.

And Blogspot is not letting me add a link right now, so it's etsy.com--> click on "Sellers" in search by, type in Squoosh, click on that solo choice, then click on combed tops.