I have been trying to spin some yarn that is thicker than fingering weight (after plying), but somehow, I tend to spin thinner than I think, and I end up with more fingering weight yarn. But not this time! Yesterday I finished a skein of 166g/572m n-ply sport weight yarn. Yay!
Before spinning I made rolags. I mainly used some fibre samples that I got from Fibreholics. I ordered two small bags of fibre there years ago, and they are actually perfect for creating a bigger quantity of your own fibre blend. I used some Falkland from MandaCrafts, BFL from The World’s End, BFL/silk from Knatters Knits, merino from LimeGreenJelly, and I added a Nunoco mini batt from my custom box and some pretty silk that I got from an envelope swap in December.
I was looking for a pastel blue-green with some different colour accents to make it more lively. I didn’t want boring yarn, so I added the little merino sample with the yellow in it. I thought it would be subtle enough not to overpower the whole. And so I started blending and rolling! Quite randomly, no gradient, just trying to make a nice palette. I made many rolags, because I had 166 grams of fibre. They turned out quite nicely!
Spinning the rolags was interesting and fun. The different fibres added different textures and a different feel while spinning. Sometimes I would come across a bit that was mainly mulberry silk and my spinning technique would change accordingly (because the fibres are so long). The staple length of for example merino is much shorter, so the merino bits felt quite a bit different. I tried to spin long draw, to make a woollen yarn, and one of the consequences is also that the yarn is not as even, it has little clumps in it. Which I like, because it will even out while plying, and it will have a more handspun look.
A couple of days ago I was done spinning the singles. I had managed to spin thicker than during the last project, so I had good hopes that this would be more like sport weight. I decided to n-ply the yarn and ply straight from the spindles. Usually I first make a center pull ball, but it did not seem necessary. So I took out my wheel and my improvised lazy kate, and I started plying. And plying some more. And joining the next single. And plying… Fortunately Freya was helping too!
Yes, there’s tea and yes, there’s wine too. I took a glass after plying was done! There was quite a bit of yarn on the bobbin.
Now the next step was to wind it into a skein and measure it. The thickness already looked very good. Not too thin, not too thick. A comfortable, slightly fluffy yarn.
572 meters per 166 grams means about 343 meters per 100 grams. Sport weight indeed! Mission accomplished.
I couldn’t resist trying to take some “finished” pictures before washing. Here you can see how many nuances this yarn has.
I have just washed both the Midwintereenhoorn and this skein (Pauw – which means peacock) and they are drying. What will this one become? I don’t know yet, I’m still thinking about it. Perhaps use it for colourwork? Or make a shawl? With mittens? So many possibilities to ponder.
In the mean time I’m spinning my next project, the Vorstboog rolags, and I have kicked off with my newest spindle addition, a Glasspin with a blue cloudy focal. It spins very well!
