i spun up two of the batts i carded at the workshop. the batt formerly known as clown vomit was plied with a white alpaca. it was a definite learning experience. i spun it on my ancient flax wheel (which is quite the finicky beast when it comes to spinning anything thicker than fingering, and you can just about forget spinning fat and thin singles) and it may have taken me a few hours. i try not to think of it. the plying was done on a drop spindle (again, the ancient ones' fault, as it absolutely refuses to spin counter-clockwise). not that i don't enjoy plying on a drop spindle, but it is a little awkward to try any fancy art plying. but, in the end, i really like the color play and softness of the yarn.
after borrowing my good friend's schacht matchless spinning wheel, i spun up the purple batt, plied it, and was skeining in about an hour. wee! it's quite lovely, and i really like the flashes of purple silk and amethyst corriedale locks. another lesson learnt; it is true that you shouldn't mix differing lengths of fiber when creating a batt, as the longer fibers all but disappear while spinning (much like a corespun, with the longer fibers acting the part of the core).
2 comments:
lovely yarns, the clown vomit is beautiful. maybe the flax wheel should be reserved for fine flax/linen singles?
hmm. yes. but i don't really like spinning flax; haven't quite learned the method yet.
this week i've decided to revamp the wheel a little by replacing the small hooks (which were lacquered over and are now crackling, which is probably the bigger part of the problem). also, by adding a washer on the wheel where it meets the frame; i've noticed is worn a bit and causing the wheel to shift too far past the whorl. i think with these two changes, it should work a lot better.
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