Sunday, September 02, 2007

More Spinning?!?



I decided to work on this merino romney cross that I got in the big lot of fiber earlier this summer because I already had a bobbin partially filled with singles and it has been out of circulation for other spinning for several weeks. I plan to buy another bobbin or two at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool next weekend, but meanwhile, freeing up all three of the ones I own would be nice.

So, this is truly local yarn. The woman who sold Fern and me the mountain o' fiber had bought the fleece from a farm in Illinois. She had it processed at Blackberry Ridge, which is about 16 miles west of where I live. It still has some lanolin in it, which is making my hands feel nice, even if they smell a bit sheepy. I feel like I've finally got the hang of the long draw, as I saw it being done on a help video. This fiber is perfect for that: kind of springy and it just wants to pull out into a nice thin, even strand with only the slightest coaxing.

I made this 2 ply because I wanted to see how that would work out from my singles; because I had so much yardage, I didn't want to wind it all on a cone, and because I was impatient to make yarn with it. Also, I think it'll make a nice lace project, like another Mead Scarf, only chocolate. I'll make some three ply from more of the same fiber after I get more bobbins, because I think it will make a delicious hat or mittens, or maybe a vest or sweater, if I persevere.

p.s. I tried to take some artsy-fartsy photos, in the style of Brooklyn Tweed, using a very narrow depth of field and shooting obliquely at the yarn. There was a very small sweet spot in focus and a whole lot of blur. I guess it's just not my style. But I did realize things weren't as bad as I thought when I put on my glasses. The woes of aging eyes.

6 comments:

Bezzie said...

Meh, that BT style of photography isn't my style either. It gets tiresome.

Love the chocolate merino romney.

The first Mead was kind of caramel colored, I see nothing wrong with a chocolate colored Mead. Mmmm!

Sue, aka seiding said...

It looks all sproingy and wool-y and sheepy! That's good stuff, there!

Kathy Kathy Kathy said...

The composition and light in the second photo is exquisite. Good show, Elizabeth.

Sarah said...

Love that color!! It's yummy.

Carol said...

It's beautiful however you photograph it!

Mag said...

Your photos need no improvemnets. I get that sweet spot in a sea of blur business too. Most of my photos are blurry because of age related focal point problems. It is frustrating, but since I'm a D list blogger, I don't really care. The homespun is really beautiful.