It amazes me how many yards one little sandwich baggy of fluff makes. Only .6 ounces (18 grams) yielded 76 yards of a very lovely light fingering 2-ply yarn. Wish there would have been about three times more … but, really, it’s purple … I’ll use it for color work … I’m sure 76 yards will be ample purple for any project I might make. It is a very lovely color, don’t get me wrong …
Highly recommend the Tibetan spindle if you’ve not yet tried one BTW. Spins a mighty fine yarn. Spun and plyed this yarn on mine. Goes fast … with great results.
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Since I now live in Oregon, this traditional Tibetan Ladakh Phang support spindle hand turned in Oregon madrone wood was obviously the perfect addition to my little collection of hand spindles.
Without a doubt, this is my new FAVORITE spindle. So easy to spin a deliciously fine thread. A mindless, delightfully mindless process. It’s a pretty little spindle. Weighs right at 2 ounces. Spins nicely, perhaps with just a tad bit of a wobble … but with a short draw, park and draft method, I’m spinning a beautiful fine thread.
Received just under an ounce of lovely fuzzy Shetland fiber with the spindle. It’s purple … but still very pretty … heathered.
Am trying not to make this yarn too thin … it is too easy to spin a very fine gauge with this spindle … but my goal is to be able to use this yarn in a colorwork hat … so a lightweight fingering weight is the minimum goal. If it comes out too fine, closer to a lace weight, I can use the yarn doubled in the colorwork project I have in mind …
It’s okay fiber to work with … a bit fuzzy perhaps.
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After I finish spinning this little baggy of Shetland on this spindle, I’ll be trying it out with some of my raw dark grey alpaca. Will card first … and spin the fine, airy fluffy alpaca into a light fingering as well … to be used in the same colorwork as this heathered purple.
09-08-2015
This yarn is so soft, light, airy … very nice.
09-15-2015
When soaking the finished skein in the sink filled with hot, Ivory suds, it was a bit alarming to see how blue the water turned. Since this was a complimentary sample of fiber … all I knew about it was that it was Shetland, and from Idaho. Unsure of what dyes were used, I took a chance and added some vinegar (it was only cider or balsamic in my cabinet … so I opted for the cider) to the first rinse water … and soaked some more. That rinse water remained clear (whew) … then I rinsed once more in clear water to get rid of any residual vinegar scent.
This yarn is absolutely beautiful … soft, fluffy, almost silky … and very light … Lovely!
Handspun
