Skip to main content

January Spinning Project: Manos Del Uruguay Merino Roving

I haven't really blogged about my craft goals for 2015, but one of them is to start and finish a spinning project each month (I supposed I'll get around to blogging about the rest of the goals at some point!).
Left: Two different dye lots of the Bramble colorway
Right: The resulting singles, ready to ply on the new Schacht Lazy Kate I got for Christmas!
I decided to start with some merino roving my husband gifted me for Christmas from Manos del Uruguay; through a series of unfortunate events beyond his control, he ended up receiving two very different dye lots of the same colorway (it was either that or wait til long after Christmas was over to get matching dye lots). Luckily, I am not one to be daunted by such things, and I rather liked each version of the colorway - it was kind of nice to see the full range of variations! Not only that, but I was sure that they would look just lovely spun into singles and plied together.
Since it's been a while since I've dusted off the wheel, I was a bit rusty to start. The singles are not as uniform as I was aiming for, but I think they came together well in the finished 2-ply yarn. I spun the singles on my regular Ladybug bobbins and then used my bulky plyer to make this ginormous skein (approx. 173 yards), also on the Ladybug:
Every time I look at it, I think Christmas. I was thinking of using it to crochet some sort of tree-shaped wall hanging for Christmas 2015 - here and here are my main pattern contenders at the moment.

I'll have a finished project to share with you on FO Friday this week, see you then!
Labels:

Comments

  1. AliciaJanuary 21, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    Yes, that skein definitely has a Christmas vibe to it! Lovely.

    ReplyDelete

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