Here's the layered batts, more slippery than you can imagine.
I rolled the layered batts around a dowel for (supposedly) easier handling.
Here's an attempt at dizing using a very large hole (CD)
Here's some very poor top created by the above dizing.
Here's the whole mess (10.5 ounces) mixed up in a giant tub.
Here's the final mix.
I separated the whole mess into 2 plastic zip-locks.
I grab a handful, pull it into a foot or so long piece of roving.
High-tech tweaking of my brake band for lace weight spinning.
About 1/3 ounce spun up. It goes real quick.
Dime-shot.
What I have learned:
A batch of fibers consisting of 33% wool, 33% alpaca, 17% mohair, and 17% silk is SLIPPERY!!!!!! It will not "behave". It will fly in your eyes, up your nose, and in your mouth. It will attach itself to your clothes permanently unless it sees a food dish and then it will then happily release from your clothes into said dish. Basically, it will get into and onto everything in the room you are preparing it in. No matter how much water I used to "mist" it into submission, it still remains wild.
The "grab, draft, and spin" methods works very well. It forces you to take breaks which lets helps defeat any repetitive stress problems. That's good because when I spin big hunks of good roving, I tend to spin until I can't feel my hands.
Anyway, this stuff is turning out very "organic" and wild, just like the moth. I think I am pleased. I hope it blooms some when I finish it. I'm not spinning it very tightly, so maybe I'll get lucky.
7 comments:
Hi. I've only been reading your blog for a short while, can't remember how I found my way to it. But I saw your post about the moth and the shawl pattern and the fiber you chose for it. I must say, I am so inspired by this idea of yours and am fascinated watching your progress. The colors are absolutely beautiful, and I love the way you carded them up. I can't wait to see how it all turns out. Thanks for posting your "saga" as you call it, please keep posting it so we can follow along with you and continue to be inspired.
Marianne in Meadowlands, MN
Wow, I'd never thought of pulling my batts through a diz, good idea! I really like the results. And your spinning is fantastic! Good job.
I've never seen someone diz from a batt, using the cd was brilliant. Lovely yarn. :)
I can see why that fiber blend would be hard to keep under control! It's spinning up beautifully though, and I see you're managing to keep some separation of the colors there!
Oh but that looks so very lovely.
I am so impressed with your spinning. It looked near impossible in bat form.
Hey, Tracy! Wow, you amaze me. Lace weight spinning, fine and even, makes that dime look like a silver dollar and your yarn look like a million bucks!
Can't wait to see how it knits up for you!! Sorry to hear you ate so much of the fiber -- guess you'll have to figure 'oral consumption' into your calculations for the amounts next time, eh? :-)
Hugs!
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