Fiberrant

Secret confession: I’ve never understood the difference between woolen and worsted spinning.

Yes, I know that worsted is spun from combed top, while woolen is spun from rolags. I can accept that woolen-spun yarn is loftier, because the every-which-way fiber traps more air inside.
However. When I spin, the fiber in the drafting triangle always points in approximately the same way: /|\ – whether I’m spinning from top or rolags. So what the hell is the difference?

Until yesterday, that is. I was trying to spin some atrocious angora (these poor bunnies! I regret having supported this local vendor, since the fiber is short, matted and breaks so easily – and stinks pretty bad, too – they are probably not very well treated) so I carded it into rolags. And the light went on.

In worsted yarn, all the fibers enter the drafting triangle tip-first: /|\ While in woolen spinning, they can enter end- or middle-first: ^|^ And a bent fiber won’t be compressed as much as a straight fiber, it will try to spring back into its original state. Aha!

This is something I should have grokked four years ago, so I’m feeling a bit sheepish. But hey – I’ll take understanding whenever I can get it.

I’m giving up on the nasty angora (center) after less than 20 yds. I plyed & washed it, and it’s shedding pretty badly. Ick. But the chocolate and fawn are lovely – soft, light, and beautifully haloed.

Monday, I took the day off (well, most of it – but that’s my own fault*) and spent a few hours at my wheel. While putting away the piles of wool that had dominated the dining room since the summer, I found some handpainted merino/tencel I’d had difficulty spinning last winter – before I’d figured out pre-drafting. Woot! Give it a little tug, pull it out to pencil-roving size, and this stuff spins like buttah. I gotta do this more often. Nothing soothes the soul like spinning. Maybe I should bring the JW to the office …

I still can’t get over the awe I felt Sunday, when Lisa showed me her shawl. She’s been knitting for a couple years, and does beautiful work. She just started knitting lace this summer, and this is the first FO. Something about the lace, and the miracle of blocking, and the wonder of motherhood all rushed together and nearly made me cry.

Back to the grind today, for a very short week (I’ve closed the department Friday, so we’ll have a nice long weekend) into which we must cram 5 days’ worth of productivity. Thank goodness I’m still unwound from yesterday’s spinning.

* I’ve been procrastinating about scheduling the marketing team meetings for each book. We have to work triple-speed right now, to get ahead of the graphics schedule. Late Friday, when Tuesday morning was nixed, I set the next meeting for Monday. Completely forgetting I’d taken Monday off. Doh.

Here’s 120 yds (give or take) of softly spun designer yarn. The grist is anywhere from sport to bulky, but for the most part it’s worsted weight. It’s only half the bag, so I should have over 200 yds total. I’d been thinking a watch cap, but maybe a beret? Cause it’s so soft, and would drape beautifully.

Off to two days of marathon meetings, plus dinner tonight.

Cause it holds 3 bobbins’ worth of plyed yarn.

I had to ply it all off, to make way for this.

50/50 angora/wool cloud, colorway “Delphinium”, from Spunwoven Designs. It’s heaven to touch, but isn’t the dream to spin I’d hoped for – full of neps, noils, and felted bits. Ever the resourceful spinner, though, I’m making designer yarn – thick and thin, with big slubs here and there. Four ounces will make a great hat.

I didn’t find the green merino (can you believe it? There wasn’t much spinnable fiber there at all) but I did score some raspberry cashgora. The batts are a bit felty from being in plastic, but I think they’ll card up just fine. I’ve never spun cashgora before, I’m not sure it won’t be too mohairish for my taste – but we’ll see.

The big score of the day:

Cheryl’s Mothproof Mix, which is the exact scent of the taupe merino/cashmere I bought from Cheryl herself a few years ago. And which scent I’ve been longing to find – it’s spicy, but I can’t identify a single component of it.

The weather held up, not a drop of rain while I was there (and even some sunny bits). Lots of vendors this year: Golding spindles, the Bosworths, Grafton Fibers, Ellen’s 1/2 Pint Farm, Twin Springs Farm, The Merlin Tree, dozens of local shepherds. And alpacas – but don’t get me started on alpacas. What a Ponzi scheme, and it hasn’t burned itself out yet. I don’t much care for knitted alpaca, though I bet it weaves beautifully. Hmm – a twill alpaca blanket …

But no, I won’t go back today. The Bills kick off at 1 pm, and I’ve got a date with the Mermaid.

She arrived in yesterday’s mail, from June.

I will never, ever post another picture of my poor excuse for handspun yarn. This yarn is incredible – evenly spun, soft, scrunchy, delicious and even sparkly! And it came all wrapped in lime green tissue, with a curly hot-pink bow, just like a present. Mmmm, great yarn. And for a great cause, too.

Easily distracted here today – I’ve been reading, dyeing, knitting, watching TV, and eating, each in 15-minute spurts. Mostly I just wander around, it’s hot (again) and I want it to be fall-cool. Sigh.

I just figured out why I can’t finish this sock. It’s been started three times now, and it keeps getting frogged.

Why? I hate the pattern in the yarn. The colors are good – pink, blue, brown, tan – but the black-and-white areas in between just come out so muddy. It’s Opal, don’t remember the color name, but I hate it.

Now go see what Julie and Theresa have been doing. I’ve been watching all week, from the bottles-lined-up-on-the-counter through the finished yarn, and turning green with envy.

But it was the link to Dharma Trading that finally did me in. All I need now are syringes (Lisa – hint hint!). Vacation is coming up in a couple weeks. Now I know what I’ll be doing! I’ve got some white roving, and a whole lot of white merino sock yarn on the way from KnitPicks. Mmm.