Spin A Yarn for Ewe

I finished the Summertime yarn. It turn out really nice I think. The colors do match up and quite a few spots and contrast in all the rest. The green and blue really tone down the orange and yellow so the roving was much more over whelming than the yarn.

I am now on to the Autumn roving and finishing up the washcloth/soap gift for my son's teachers. I liked how the Mason Dixon washcloth looked but I just couldn't justify buying a book for a washcloth pattern. (This was before I found out it was on the web for free.) So I whipped out my needles and did my own version of it minus the bobbles. They are going to be very cute little gifts with the homemade soap I bought last weekend. The soap is from a local company, Palomar Soap Company, and I love how they look and smell. My favorite is the Lavender/Lemongrass one. It was a great deal of buy 4 get one free so I did score one bar for myself. I will have to photograph them when they are all done.

I decided to use the colors that I had done for my Dye-O-Rama pal, Paul, and use them in a roving. I really like how it turned out. I did use the green next to the yellow and got some blues in it too that I didn't do with the yarn but that is what I wanted.

I am still spinning up the Summertime roving and I love how the colors are coming out. I have decided to leave it alone and just do a 2 ply. I split the roving lengthwise and am spinning it from the same end for both bobbins. It should make for more sections of colors together or at least that is the plan. You never know. I should have pistures of the finished yarn soon.

I finished the Cafe Au Lait yarn last night as predicted. It turned out nice I think. It is so hard to photograph the Angelina in the yarn but in person it is so easy to see. Maybe it is just my camera. I was hoping for more yardage but I knew I hadn't carded up a ton so this is what she will get, 105 yards.

Maybe I will throw in a smaller coordinating skein to make up for this feeble amount. The swap never said what size skeins to send and I know that there are plenty of skeins out there with far less yardage but I worry any way. Guess we will see what I feel like when I get ready to mail it.

I am almost done with the Cafe Au Lait yarn. The singles are spun and I plan to ply it up tonight. It should look nice. One bobbin is slightly darker throughout so it should make for interesting color play. We shall see.

Since I am almost done with that I decided to do some dyeing yesterday. I did 4oz or so of merino roving and I am calling it summertime. It will be fun to see how it works out. I have not decided how to spin it yet. I am thinking of splitting it down the middle and doing a 2 ply or I could do a single but I like plied yarn so much better.

I think it will be bright enough on its own that beads or anything else would be a waste of time. But I have these pearl beads that I think mixed with this might make a very summer, beachy yarn. Guess I will see after I spin up a single.

I forgot to say that my dye swap pal loved my yarn. It was so nice to see all the nice things Paul said about it and I can not wait to see what he makes with it. You can visit Paul here. Now I just wait patiently for my pal to send mine. They have been in touch a few times but is not ready to send it out yet. Wait, Wait, Wait.

That is going to be the name of my newest yarn. I am not one to always name the yarn but since this is for my pal in the One Skein Swap I am going to. She likes natural so I used a white merino, a morrit Romeldale and copper Angelina. They call it gold but anything the color of a penny is copper in my book.

It was nice to use the old drum carder again as I haven't whipped it out an a couple weeks. I think I will again soon as in hunting around for something for my pal I came across 2 bags of merino 8oz each that I can not believe I bought. I must of been having an off day or maybe I could blame it on the monitor showed the color differently. Either way I don't think I can spin them alone so blend I will.

I also have decided it is time to clean up the old office. In straightening up I have noticed I have a TON of listened to once or twice books on CD/tape. Most are newer fiction and I have decided to sell them for $5 each plus shipping or may trade for fiber. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you a list.

My melon yarn is done. It turned out about like I thought it would. The colors are fairly muted and it really doesn't look anything like Kool Aid dyed roving. Not even a fruity smell to give it away.

It turned out to be about 271 yards so maybe short socks or maybe not socks at all. Maybe a lacy scarf or fingerless gloves as the last ones I made where kind of too bulky in the yarn selection. Not that I will be using either of those things any time soon as it is 85 degrees here today but small project are more my style when it is hot.

I am rather mad at myself today though because I was going to have some new roving dyed up so I could start spinning it tonight but I never got around to it so now I guess I will hunt through the stash to see what I have. Maybe I will whip out the drum carder instead as I need to start on my exchange yarn and my pal like naturals. Interesting how both of my latest swap people have liked something so opposite from me. Guess that is what makes it fun.

The first bobbin is done and the second is almost done. Should be done tonight and ready to ply tomorrow. I think the colors are looking nice and it should make an interesting 2 ply.

Just when I think I am getting good at photographing my work I pull a total "DUH" moment. I dyed yarn for my swap pal in the Dye-O-Rama swap and I think it turned out pretty nice even though the colors were a personal stretch. Then what do I do....package it up, ship it out and no photo. Here is all I have left as I pinched 10 yards of it to swatch it and see how it looked.
It turned out pretty nice even though I would of liked a few less light spots but that is why I dye roving not yarn. The light spots seem to stand out more in the photo than the actual swatch. I was going for the Koigu look rather than striping. The warping board sounded like too much work. Hopefully they like it. I sent a few other goodies too and it should all be there by Saturday at the latest.

I have been loving my wheel, ALOT! Rose is great. I can not believe the difference. I have managed to spin a bunch on her and ply some to. I also have been dyeing yarn that I BOUGHT! I haven't bought yarn in months but for the swap I did. Here is the proof that I have actually been spinning.

Red with beads. I like how this one turned out a lot. I also used some left over yellow, plied it with a day-glow pink thread and then felted it. Yes, I know, it sounds crazy and actually it was. I would never do it again, except maybe with a bulky single but it is interesting. I also dyed some roving in orange and green. It begs to be called Cantaloupe as it looks just like it. I am spinning it now into fine singles(which is so easy on the new Rose) to make a 2 ply sock weight yarn. Hopefully in the next few days it will be done. My plan when I dyed it was for the orange and green to mix it up and turn brown but it didn't so that's the way that goes. I dyed it with Kool Aid as I sometimes want the instant gratification that Kool Aid does. Use kitchen tools and the micro and your done.

I don't usually do these but for the swap I thought I would, even though my pal and I have already been in contact and discussed colors. Here you go.

Specific to this swap:

Your favorite colors?
Anything but black, brown and orange. Like them with other colors but not alone.

Preferred yarn weight (Fingering, Sport, DK, maybe even Worsted)?
Fingering for socks. Any other weight is fine for other projects.

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?
Not solid, solid. I really like shading

If your buddy is able to do so, would you like a variegated, self-striping, or self-patterning yarn?
Anything is fine

Would you be interested in a wool blend sock yarn (nylon, tencel, silk, acrylic, alpaca, etc.)?
Blends are fine

Imagine the perfect colorway. What would you name it?
No Names

What was the biggest appeal to you for joining this dye-along?
A creative swap was what appealed

General yarn/fiber questions:

Have you dyed yarn/fiber before?
Yes

If so, what’s your favorite dye and method?
I like to drip dye fiber then spin it.

Do you spin?
Yes

Have you knit socks before?
Yes

Do you use sock yarn for just socks or in other patterns too?
I have used it for fingerless mitts.

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?
Circulars. Inox or Addi

Nothing to do with knitting/yarn/fiber in any way but seemed kinda fun:

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack?
Don’t really like candy. But do like salty snacks.

What’s your favorite animal?
Horses

Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages?
Bear, Lab, 9. Rocky, Boston Terrier, 7. Daisy, Boston Terrier, almost a year. Plus 4 cats ans 2 horses.

If you were a color what color would you be?
Red

Do you have a wishlist?
No

I am so excited. I have been going crazy waiting for her and then with MSWF this past weekend I was feeling like I live in the wrong part of the country. Then the doorbell rang and she showed up.

It took all my restraint to not just rip the box apart. But I wanted her to be perfect so I took my time. I then spent the next 45 minutes putting her together. She is so great I can barely stand it. The spinning is effortless and so quiet. I do have to remind myself to move the yarn guide as I have a Woolee Winder on my other wheel but that is a small thing compared to all the good ones. Here she is all together. Now I am just waiting for my Wild Flyer to go with her, with the HUGE bobbin. That will make it perfect then. Being able to make huge skeins will be so nice as well as being able to spin in larger things into my yarn like big beads and maybe some buttons plus mohair locks won't get stuck when I ad them in either. Oh the possibilities.

Off to spin!