Fiber Friday

True to form the cat attacked fiber yarn was hard to photograph. Below is the three better photos of twelve. It was a pain to spread out for dying, even more frustrating to spin. While it is a super wash fiber, some of the fibers rolled into little balls that were a pain to draft.

The plying was the fun part, watching the colors come together to form an interesting yarn. I also figured out a new trick. Normally, when I plan to spin a plied yarn, I weigh my strips outs evenly and end up with very little left over on one or more spindles. However, I was so disgusted with the tattered pile of fiber, I just tore it into three lengths and started spinning.

Spindle 1 ran out of fiber, and of the two leftover, one seemed to have twice as much leftover than the other. Normally, at this point I Navajo ply the leftovers. This time, leaving the two remaining spindles attached to the yarn, I grabbed an empty TP roll and loosely wound the singles from the spindle with most left over. I then took the end and spliced it the spot where the first single left off, and continued on with my three ply.

When I came to the end of the singles on the tp roll they formed a perfect little loop with which I used to seamlessly Navajo ply the remaining single leftover on the last spindle.

I didn't think to take pictures of this process, so I hope I wrote it so it can be understood. I'm always spinning three ply yarns, so I know I will be using this technique again in the next week or two and will take pictures at that time.

The specs: 4 ozs of SW BFL attacked by an unknown number of cats. 330 yards not my best spinning of 3 ply yards per ounce. Tomorrow it gets it's spa bath and I will check the WPI after it dries. I have a feeling it's going to really plump out after it gets it's spa treatment to test the twist.





Going, going ...... soon to be gone. I fell in love with this alpaca in a colorway I call Peaches, when I dyed it for sale. At that time, I needed the money to buy more stock for the store than I needed more stash and I knew I wouldn't get around to spinning in the four months that etsy gives for a listing. Well, the listing expires on the 30th at which point if it hasn't sold, it will quietly slide in my personal bin.

I still need the money more than the additional stash, so if you want it grab it before the end of the month.