Skip to main content

Spin-o-lution: Spinning My Stash in 2013

I've been a non-participating member of the Spin Your Stash group on Ravelry for many years, but I think the time has come to quit lurking and be a joiner! My spin-o-lution this year is simple - to spin through my stash.

Last week, I took stock:

1. Multicolor Merino Roving, 6.6 oz - purchased at the Yarn Barn of Kansas
2. Natural Black Alpaca Roving, 4 oz. - purchased from New Era Fiber at Stitches Midwest
3. Charcoal 70/30 Alpaca/Silk Blend Top, 4 oz. - purchased from Spunky Eclectic
4. Natural Cream Finn Top, 5 oz. - purchased from Spunky Eclectic
5. Dyed Falkland Top (Cloudy Night colorway), 4 oz - purchased from Pumpkinhaus booth at YarnCon
6. Natural Merino/Silk Fiber, 4.75 oz - can't remember where this came from!
7. Red Alpaca Top, 6 oz - originally purchased from Spunky Eclectic in a natural cream, dyed by me back when I still worked at Lorna's Laces.
8. Light Brown Romney Top, 4 oz - gifted by a friend
9. Dark Brown BFL Top, 6 oz - purchased from Spunky Eclectic
10. Dyed BFL Roving (blue/grey), 4 oz. - Purchased from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks at Renegade Craft Fair
11. Dyed BFL/Silk Roving (Green Eyed Monster colorway), 4 oz. - Purchased from the Miss Babs booth at Stitches Midwest
12. Dyed Merino Roving (Autumnal Shades), 4 oz. - Purchased from the Happy Hands booth at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival
I had no idea that I have enough fiber in my stash to do one spinning project each month! I started spinning the 100% Romney fiber; I thought that would be a good choice while I am still getting used to my new wheel. This is my first spinning project that will be made entirely with my Ladybug, and I decided to experiment with the Scotch Tension, something I've never tried before. Holy crap, it's awesome! I am finally able to spin the skinny singles I've been dreaming of!

Naturally, there should be some treats along the way acting as the carrot that gets to me to hold fast to my plan. I started off by ordering some hand-dyed Wensleydale fiber from Northbound Knitting that should arrive sometime this week - I suppose it should be listed as #13 above!

After I complete 3 spinning projects from my stash, I plan on buying the Manos hand-dyed merino top I've been pining for since I spotted it at TNNA last year. When I spin through half my stash, that will most likely coincide with YarnCon, which is an ideal time to stock up on spinning fiber from indie dyers. After I spin through 8 fibers from my stash, I'm planning on trying some new-to-me sheep breeds such as targhee or polwarth. I'm not sure what I'll do once all 12 fibers above have been spun up, but it will have to be some sort of a special treat. Perhaps I'll get the bulky flyer? Indulge in still more fiber? At least I have some time to decide!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n
3 comments
Read more