Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Handspun by me!

My first 2 ply yarn! Before dyeing:

first 2 ply yarn
Spun from Merino wool roving on my Ashford Traveller. I didn’t keep good notes on my Z twist singles. Singles spun at 6:1 ratio. I didn't change the ratio for the plying as I didn't know that many do that. The yarn as a whole is a heavy worsted and in some places bulky with 8-9 wraps per inch. I’m not sure if I plied right or not. I found it hard to get the yarn to take up. I let the twist build up in the singles then fed it. So I guess there was some take up but it wasn’t like I thought it would be. I kept repeating that checking everyone once and while to see if the yarn was balanced. I tried to check to see how many revolutions I needed to get the twist I wanted in the ply. It was somewhere between 3-4.

After the dye bath:
Emerald City and Purple Craze

So I'm calling this yarn Emerald and Purple City.

Dyeing Method crock pot with 3+ oz of Jacquard acid dye stuff 1/2 yellow and 1/2 blue also included was a skein of Paton's SWS which you can see below.

Hand Dyed SWS Patons

It's interesting how this took up the dye. It has more of a heathery look to it. It dyed pretty evenly too considering I kept it in the skein then turned it into a hank to dry.

2 comments:

  1. Well I don't knit or spin, but I love looking at the pictures of the work you do. Besides, lets me feel like I'm keeping tabs on you since I get to see you in person so little these days. Lovely work. I think your photos are great, too.

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  2. If you're having trouble with the uptake then adjust the tension knob on the right side of the maiden bar.

    It won't need much tightening to make a big difference in the amount of uptake. You don't want it to be yanked out of your hand, but you shouldn't have to feed it onto the bobbin.

    You'll have to fiddle with it to find what feels comfortable to you. The tension is based on what you're spinning and how thick or thinly you're spinning it, how fast you draft and treadle, and your personal comfort...the only correct tension is what works for you!

    Hope this helps! Keep on spinning, it's looking great!!
    ~Kelli

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