WnS Ep. 180: Christmas Colours, UK Shetland & Spinning Advent Progress
Dear Spinning Circle,
Direct YouTube link here.
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. You are most welcome. I hope you feel most welcome because you are welcome here.
Patreon 2021’s Video has been released this morning for you to watch and catch up with what’s happening here at Wool n’ Spinning – Patreon post here.
Enjoy the show!
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There is a lot going on in our community! It’s a lot to cover and remind you of each week. If you are curious about what happens in our community, please click the links below, reach out to me: rachel @ welfordpurls (dot) com, or reach out on Instagram/Ravelry/Slack (if you are a Patreon member, @welfordpurls_admin).
Housekeeping
- Be sure to sign up for the monthly Wool n’ Spinning Newsletter at welfordpurls.com
How I Spin: Exploring Blends – Part I transcript here; vlog here
Upcoming How I Spin content to finish off the year in November & December exploring how the recent explorations of blends resulted for me, thoughts for the future & kicking off luxury fibres for the new year. For more information, please head to the Co-Executive Producer or higher on Patreon.
Book Club, Anti-Racism Group & More:
- Book Club – for more information, check the #books channel on Slack (patrons only)
- Anti-Racism Group meets monthly – for more information, check the #books channel on Slack
- For a softcover copy of How I Spin: A Sock Study, check here & e-book link here
- Unbraided: The Art & Science of Spinning Colour – e-books here & book orders here
On & Off the Needles & Bobbins
Works in Progress – Spinning
Kingdom Fleece & Fiberworks Advent Calendar
- Columbia/Dorset fibre, multiple colours
- Spinning each day, trying to keep up!
- Advent Vlogs Playlist here
Small Bird Workshop UK Shetland
- Lendrum Saxony, long draw off distaff
- pre-drafted to loosen up fibres, lots of short bits & neps
Finished Objects – Knitting
#07 Tunic Cardigan by Joan Forgione
- Vogue Knitting 25 Year Anniversary Issue
- Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in Sand & Smoked
- 4.00mm/US 7 for Mosaic knitting & 3.75mm/US 5 ribbing
Community Participation
For December, tell us about your holiday plans!
Episode thread here or comment below here on YouTube!
For November, Sarah’s (@knotsazz) emotional project was, Ok, I’ll go first. Mine isn’t an emotional yarn but an emotional knit. Some years ago, in 2016, I knit a mohair shawl. It doesn’t have a project page in Ravelry. I’m not even sure I still have photos It was knit in the same teal mohair I used in my sister’s sweater this year. The reason it was emotional because it’s what I would take with me to knit in the hospital when I was visiting my dad. He died that year. Anyway, not to put too much of a downer on this, I found that the act of finishing the shawl and then gifting it to a good friend was very cathartic and I was really grateful for the act of knitting.
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- Natural Shades Along Ravelry thread here & use #sweaterspin channel on Slack
- Tin Can Knits ALONG Ravelry thread here & use #sweaterspin channel on Slack
- 51 Yarns SAL Group A here & Group B here
Wool n’ Spinning Radio this month featured a bonus episose this month with Rebecca (@rebbiejaye) in our community. Have a listen here.
Breed & Colour Study – Charollais
Kaylee shares in Slack: Finally finished my breed and color study. I started with two batts and ended up with 355 yds of two ply. Suspect it is mostly worsted-ish weight. I enjoyed spinning it more than I expected. I think I’ll use the warm colors together and the cool colors together in separate projects. I tried to keep like colors together with a little blending where they changed. It’s not terribly consistent but suspect it will be fine once knit up.
Greta (@thewarmestrow) shares: So I finished my Breed and Color study mitts, and they are one crazy party!!!!!!! I took the batt and stripped down into lengths of color, arranging the plies on the floor to mimic what the finished 3ply would transition like. And in the knitting, it’s not exactly a match up since some colors ran longer than other. Ultimately I didn’t want the dark red next to the dark green. That worked. My favorite section was two pink plies matched with one lime. The mitts were a pattern called Ghostwood, and they are dense, sturdy and well fitted for my small hands. In the end, it was fun to see how the color moved and I love the fabric. The colors are more busy than I imagined and perhaps next time I’d blend them a bit between the color changes to make it less stark. But they are fun and feel like they will last a good long time!!!
Alisha shares via Slack: I’m so proud of finishing up the breed and color study. My first time doing it. I got the fiber back in August and finished spinning it at the beginning of Sept, I really enjoyed spinning it from the batt. I pulled the colors apart and tried to decide how I wanted to spin it. I knew that I really enjoyed how the color way looked originally so I decided to go that route. I really enjoy chain plying so I went with what I was most comfortable with. That being said I think next time I will try to think outside the box and do something that I’m not as comfortable with. Being that this was my first breed and color study, I really didn’t want to mess it up. The yarn turned put squishy and springy, which I surprisingly liked the feel of it. I then lost all interest in spinning and knitting and it took me till Dec to fully get back into it. I really enjoyed this knitting pattern that I used and I think it went really well with the yarn. The bobbles and the lace work to me, really amplifies the yarn/fiber. The pattern is called Together Hat by Deb Milstein of Late Nite Knits.
Handspun Knitting
Megan (@lykkemeg) shares: Legwarmers to wear under my skirt when I walk to work this winter! Blue is blacker yarns gotland, the rest is my own handspun. grey is natural gotland i carded from a fleece. red is gotland roving i spindle spin this summer while hiking with my kids. brown is handspun shetland. white is handspun alpaca.
Kat (@kokori) shares: And I finished the “experimental” merino/bamboo socks. I’m still not sold on this blend for socks, but I’m pleased how they came out, and if nothing else it gave me an opportunity to spin an opposing 3ply, which I think will from now on feature regularly in my sock spinning. One of the toes is knit from chain-plied leftovers, I didn’t pay attention when knitting the first sock and knit past my half-way point in the ball so had to improvise a bit.
Mairi (@liriam) shares: This is a batt I purchased and spun as a chain ply to preserve the gradient. Knit into a twisted rib toque which I decided I like the look of with the twisted knit stitches on the inside after all that. I’m going to wear it out for the next few days and decide if I want to reknit it as a regular rib to make it a bit roomier. ETA: it’s too small so I frogged it and will reknit after holiday knitting is complete. I have enough leftovers to make Elsie a neon toque for next winter.
Thank you so much for joining me today!
Until then, Happy Spinning!
