WnS Ep. 230: Dabbling in all the things!

Dear Spinning Circle,

Live Stream: Saturday, January 15th @ 8am Pacific // 11am Eastern*

*Please note that the Live Stream will be moving off the weekends the first week of February. If you’d like to weigh in and tell us when you’d like to see the stream, please check here. Thank you for understanding.

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.

Enjoy the show!

Live Chat Assistance here.

There is a lot going on in our community! Ketchup & Pickles for November 2021 here.

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)

Spindle Spun Stitches

Long-Term Goal: To Spin for a Sweater

On & Off the Bobbins

SweetGeorgia Yarns silk puff (40% merino, 40% SW merino, 20% silk) ‘hearth’ – Ashford eSpinner 3; continuous backwards, lots of twist @ 1430 on speed knob (Ravelry page here)

SweetGeorgia Yarns BFL+Silk (85% / 15% silk) in ‘Tofino Roadtrip’ – Lendrum Saxony, 18:1, 3-ply fractal (Ravelry page here)

Chaotic Fibres Whiteface Merino/Silk/Flax blended prep (Ravelry page here)

Hedgehog Fibres Merino/Silk/Flax combed top; pre-drafted (Ravelry page here)

Australian flax strict – Kromski Minstrel, 18:1(Ravelry page here)

Community Inspiration // Participation

Breed & Colour Study: Jacob

Claudia shares: I finally got around to taking pictures of my BACS. I used 1 of the separated color kit that i made into rolags on my hand cards. I spun those on my supported spindles. Then i took the kit that was only the natural colors and spun those in long sections keeping the white/grey/brown sequence and putting just a little bit of color in between each natural strips on my wheel. I plied the two together knowing it was going to give me a crazy barberpole effect and it absolutely did!!! I’m thinking of using it in a striped garment with a few other small amounts of handspun i have laying around. To be continued… The little skein on the right is the leftover from my rolag ply that i chained plied to see what i would create. That one isn’t soaked and is still quite curly, but i think it would be great for colorwork mitts or socks.

Spindle Spun Stitches

Alex shares: I’m spinning cotton for the first time and really enjoying it. It’s slow progress but I was wondering if anyone has tips for finishing handspun cotton? I’m planning on making it a 2ply.

Diana shares: Spinning for Selbu mittens update: Singles done and wound into a two-strand plying ball. I’m plying it on my Majacraft Rose. I used six spindles on this project: from left to right – Carry Cherry Bog Oak; Italian traditional by Alice Savage; Curly maple caldron style by Woodlands Handcrafts; Tibetan style by Silly Salmon; Spalted maple by Texas Jeans, and Carry Cherry.

Luxury Fibres ALONG

Eve shares: Here is my current spin, the blue is merino, the white is cashmere and the orange is actually gold eri silk.

Natural Shades ALONG

Greta Lyn shares: Great show today!! Thanks Rachel.  I finished a pair of accessories today for a friend as this year has been about knitting for some folks moving away.   This cowl and headband with a twist are knit with handspun CVM from Gaylene’s flock in Colorado (a bunch of us got some fleeces from her). I wanted low contrast, super neutral colors—which works with the fact that I only had a few lichens to dye with in the first place. This CVM was lovely to work with and is soft enough for at the neck too.

Charlette shares: First make of ’22:  Kelly G.’s Trochu.  I used at least ten scraps from the recently completed cardigan, wet-spliced (which made me happy).  I highly recommend the pattern (on Rav and LoveCrafts) Thanks Kelly! AND, her cardigan from late in December: Since we have one of those rare chilly days I got to trot out the new cardigan for its inaugural wearing, grocery shopping.  There were no annoying fit issues – sort of forgot I had it on.  (It Takes A Guild Cardigan, Valley Yarns Northampton, posted earlier)

Vikki shares: So Proud – This is the first fibre I prepared from a small bag of washed fleece a few months back. I used my combs for the first time as well. I had sampled with it almost immediately to see how I wanted to spin it. My preferred sample was my woollen sample from a rolag but continued to think about it. I think my “stalling” was because I knew deep down that is was my first COMBED fibre and I wanted to keep it that way. So I finally spun it up and I couldn’t be happier!!! Manitoba grown Shetland, 124yds, 73g, 774ypp, worsted  prep & worsted spun, 13wpi, 8bpi, 10% elasticity. I have a bit more in a brown shade. I plan to prep and spin it exactly the same so I can use them in the same project!

Zero to Hero // #sweaterspin #useyourhandspun #spinallthethings #weavewithhandspun

Hannah shares: My first Zero to Hero! The Furze Hat by Darren K Cheng, knit in my 3-ply Cormo handspun. This was such a fun pattern and I love the result! Had to take it for a walk in the snow today.

Sample Spinning // PLAY

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct. – Carl Jung

Eleanor shares: I have knit my first hand spun socks and I am surprised by two things. How much I learned and how much I like them.

Crystal shares: For Christmas, my amazing husband got me two tattoos. They’re every bit as awesome as they were in my head. I think they’ll certainly come in handy at the wheel. Anyone else with yarny tats?

Dionne shares: This is my Woolfiend Avent fiber spun up. I decided to group colors together.  The first group I put on the hackle, pinks and turquoise. The second on the blending board and made rolags. The third I put on the carder. I was able to make 1 small skein and 2 large ones all DK weight. All were spun on my Daedalus Sparrow e wheel and played on my Starling mini e wheel.

Lisa shares: I spun this very pretty Merino from Nest Fiber Club

Amanda shares: ** Not handspun… I used Marie Wallin British Breeds yarn

Weaving

Megan shares: It must be the Scottish genes but plaid makes me so happy!

Thank you so much for joining me today!

Until then, Happy Spinning!