Spinning first, then knitting. Both colors of the Misty Mountain Baby Alpaca fiber were bought at two separate years at Rhinebeck, and the thought is to spin them semi-woolen and ply the two colors together for a thick-and-thin heavyish worsted weight to knit into the world’s cushiest scarf. I saw a two-ply alpaca yarn in similar shades at a different booth my first year at the festival and never found it again, so I decided last year I was just going to make my own. :D Hopefully I can finish this scarf before Rhinebeck 2009 2010 so I can wear it if the weather people lie to me again and tell me it’s going to be 55, when really it’s 35 and I freeze my ovaries off while I shop.

09/13/09: Spinning started; half the caramel spun. So soft! This is my first time attempting longdraw spinning, and even though I doubt I’m doing it 100% right, it’s coming out okay and I love it. It’s so fast and the alpaca kind of spins itself.

10/01/09: Caramel alapca finished. It’s so soft! And the bobbin looks a little…stuffed. It also looks more chocolate and less caramel now, but it’s still pretty.

10/10/09: Spinning commenced on gray alpaca. Despite being from the same vendor and both being labeled as “baby” alpaca, the gray is markedly less soft and buttery than the caramel. It has some stiffer hairs in there, too, so maybe it was an older baby than the caramel. On the plus side, it’s a little toothier so longdraw is easier. Going to attempt a spinathon and see if I can finish all 4 ounces by tomorrow night.

11/07/09: Spinning and plying finished. Wash n whack, and then knitting can commence!

11/20/09: Knitting begun. :) This is my first project knit with my own handspun. It’s kind of exciting.

09/26/10: I knit this on the bus on the way to NYC for school/work. Getting a decent amount done these days. I love that I forget, most of the time, that I made the yarn instead of buying it.