Ep. 157: Gettin’ Started with TdF & Chasing Rainbows

Dear Spinning Circle,

Thank you for being here today, especially those who were able to make it to the Live Stream. I appreciate your time spent here in this place with me. I hope you feel most welcome because you are welcome here. 

Enjoy the show!

Live Chat Assistance here.

ONGOING Yarn Substitution Content – May – August 2020 – view the trailer here & INTRO video here

Be sure to sign up for the Wool n’ Spinning Newsletter at welfordpurls.com. 

For a softcover copy of How I Spin: A Sock Study, check here & e-book link for patrons (>$5/month) here

Unbraided: The Art & Science of Spinning Colour – EBOOKS available here & book orders can be made here. 

Breed & Colour Studies

Katrina and I are on-track to have links up for you to access ordering. Please mark July 15th on your calendar for when the study fibre will be going live. Listen for July’s episode of Wool n’ Spinning Radio, which will be released on July 1st for details! 

Community Participation

For June, tell us about your current spinning projects & things you are thinking about presently! 

Book Club

#booksbooksbooks channel on Slack

As a community, we are delving into a Jane Austen Book Club. We will be reading Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. Reading can begin anytime and @bethy40 (Becca) in our community will be coordinating Zoom Book Clubs for us to meet within to discuss chunks of the book at a time. 

We are currently reading How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. We are discussing dates to meet and come together for this monthly book club. 

Made with Love – ALONG

Community-wide call to everyone in the community to participate in our Crafty Jaks Along to honour some of the people in our community! Cast on date: April 1st, 2020 with cast off deadline July 31st, 2020

This is a time to do what we do best and get creative. This is the time to make and lift up others – please read Rebecca’s blog post to learn more about this Makealong and event if you would like to learn more about the creation of this amazing event.  #mwlalong 

Excited to be casting on with Katrina’s B-fabu-licious yarn in an OOAK that she had in stock (that I love) and making Anker’s Cardigan by PetiteKnits, a PURELY selfish knit at this time!

Anker’s Cardigan by PetiteKnits 

• Crafty Jaks B-Fabu-Liscious in OOAK 50
• Knitting on 3.00mm/US 2.5
• Finished body! Whoot!

Glenda (@madstasher1, post no. 15) shares:

This is my Anker’s Sweater – My size made out of Crafty Jak’s Boutique B-fabu-licious yarn. The yarn was lovely to work with!

51 Yarns SAL – Community-Wide Participation (2019 – 2022)

51 Yarns – Group A – Butt to Tip, Tip to Butt & Be Kind, Rewind

Rebecca (@rebbiejaye, post no. 958) shares:

At first I thought they were completely the same, but coming back to the pictures after a few days, I do see that the rewound swatch (top) is the most neat and even. Spinning singles from the butts was much more desirable an experience, as spinning from the tips was squeaky and my spinning was uneven. Plying from the butts made for a smoother yarn. But it all kind of came out in the knitting. Wondering if a different fleece (this was a Shetland, with damaged butts and tips that I flicked off) would have more dramatic differences.

51 Yarns – Group B – True Woollen

Linnea (@lbmbirds, post no. 394) shares:

Gotland X Texel lamb.

I got ths fleece from a danish farmer. It has been a joy all the way. It has taken a bit more time, because if i wanted to make a true woolen, i had to prep the wool myself as i mostly have commercially combed top in my stash. so I washed and dried the fleece.

The nice locks made me feel that i had to do some teasing, then handcarding into rolags. ( as best i could) I spun it with a Supported Long draw, and really enjoyed it. Plyed it into a 2-plyed yarn. but i think i added too much twist in the ply. I would have liked it to be a little bit more lofty and airy. i ended up with 2 well balanced skeins. 10wpi at 30degree angle. 200m all in all of 150g. ( i have 250g more of the fleece, so i would like to make a more airy yarn)

Thanks so much for sharing Everyone!

Make NINE Progress

Make Nine Ravelry page Part I and II – changing & fluid project page as things progress, my thoughts solidify & I think about what to commit to going forward.

Works in Progress – Knitting

Odyssey Shawl by Joji Locatelli

• Gotland/Romney fleece, hand-combed, traditional 3-ply
• Natural dyed – Que Bracho & Cocineal in gradient (had no idea what I was doing – copied recipe from Modern Natural Dyer to create gradient hand-dyed yarn) 
• Discussed yarn dying in Episode 150 here
• Open fabric, 6.00mm needles, modified for less stitches

Vellichor by Andrea Mowry

• Crafty Jaks Tough & Tender in ‘Ocean’ and handspun Targhee/Bamboo/Silk in ‘Pesuta’
• Started on 3.25mm/US 3 needles
• Relaxed knitting, taking my time, no deadlines

Works in Progress – Spinning – TOUR de FLEECE!!

Friesian Fleece – Shore Cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge

• James is helping me to card it all — very downy and spongy
• Lovely dark brown with heathering from the lighter tips
• Pulled off 2nd skein – 15% again in the washing, total 420 yards towards total spin (1100 yards goal for sweater)
• Spun to a DK (11 WPI) and very light to the hand – sample is just a few grams
• Knit sample on 5.00mm, 4.5mm, 4,00mm needles

Organic Polwarth – deep stash

• Majacraft Suzie Pro, 28:1, short continuous backwards draft, worsted

Finished Objects – Spinning

Spunky Eclectic Woolpool – April Fibre Club “Chasing Rainbows”

• Lendrum DT on 17:1, gentle twist, continuous short-backwards draft

SweetGeorgia Yarns Yak/Silk 50/50 blend

• Majacraft Suzie Pro, 28:1, lace kit, from the fold, off the tip

Thank you so much for joining me today! 

Until then, Happy Spinning!