Spinning. That is all.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I think handspun yarns can lend themselves so well to simple textures like stockinette and garter stitch,  so I thought I'd use some of my own and knit up Nikol Lohr’s Pebble baby vest. 


This handspun yarn is my first attempt at Navajo ply (turning a one ply into three, a neat trick that even piqued the hubby’s interest!). I love how this technique preserves the colour changes in the variegated roving and leaves the self-striping effect intact. It also gives the yarn that bouncy, squishy feel I adore. There are many fluffy, uneven bits of yarn in there, but I'd like to think that they give the tiny vest a rustic appeal. 


This was spun from a Lorna's Lace wool top – I wish I could remember the fibre content!

While this particular yarn was spun on my modern Lendrum folding wheel, I'm really excited to present two other new (to me) wheels.
This is my Canadian Production Wheel, Evelyn. She's French-Canadian like me, and while she'll eventually need some exta TLC for a gap in her drive wheel, we get along swimmingly!


Found in the local classifieds while on a trip north visiting my parents, she's in rather good condition for being well over 100 years old! Dad brought her home for me strapped to the bed of his truck and offered her as a birthday gift :)

I've also been refurbishing this lovely Norwegian- style wheel I found at a garage sale near Toronto. The owners had found it in a DUMPSTER.


It was in great need of cleaning, but the grime was anything oil soap couldn't handle, and it's just glowing now. Made of a number of different woods, my favorite being the birds eye maple of her uprights, and the burled mother-of-all, I think this is a really special wheel, which means I had to name it too. This is Jenny.


And just to bring this spinning post to close, I thought I'd share some of of the fluff that I just finished plying. The fibre is from Pigeonroof Studios.


This is about 4 oz of Blue Face Leicester in « Modolva », plied with a Superwash merino base in the same colourway. I have special plans for these two skeins (about 350 yards, unknown WPI, I really should get around to measuring it!)
cauchy09 said...

let me reveal my ignorance: i didn't know you had a blog and i had no idea that you were a spinner. hooray!

congrats on the new wheel! your yarn looks quite lovely. :o)

Brendaknits said...

The spinning AND the vest are wonderful. I have a wheel that looks similar. I inherited mine, but something is missing. Looking at yours, I think I'm missing the gizmo that connects the foot pedal to the wheel, as there is no way to make my wheel go round.

Brendaknits said...

Both the spinning and the vest are wonderful I have a wheel that looks similar to yours that I inherited. Looking at yours, I think it is the gizmo that connects the wheel to the foot pedal as there is no way to make my wheel turn.

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