Spinning Mojo

I have been gazing dreamily over the roving I’ve dyed a few weeks ago. It has been calling to me. Sooo… I dug out my spinning wheel from the dusty closet. My husband nearly fainted when he saw me do this. Has it really been so long since I’ve spun? Perhaps it has. I’ve been a little (mwahahaha) “ knitting” obsessed.

I decided to start with the Lavendar and yellow Churro roving since it is a hardy fiber and I didn’t think I was up to tackleing the fine merino yet.

So I set up my spinning wheel, dust it off, and made sure it is working smoothly. Oh no! I’ve forgotten which direction to spin the yarn. It HAS been a long time! Do I spin to the right or left? With my style of knitting, the opposite from the mainstream is better because the yarn usually untwists as I knit. I was too shook up to figure it out, so I guessed………..wrong. I spun to the right, but midway I decided it didn’t feel right. Well, no turning back now. I struggled to finish it. It ended up with thick and thin parts and was very hard to control because of the long staple length. Churro wool is a somewhat rough wool, more suited for rugs or purses. Well perhaps this would make a small bag. It ended up about 107 yds of bulky thick and thin yarn when plied. By the time I finished it, I felt I had better control. My spinning mojo was back.

Now it was time to tackle the merino. This merino was very fine. I was so glad it did not “felt” as I dyed it. I really made an effort to treat it gently and I think the cold batch dyeing worked well on it. This lovely soft pastel-colored ball of yarn would make a nice soft baby item, provided it was washed in cold water. It has been spinning up very nicely and the colors are intensifying as I spin. My spinning in not very consistent as I’m not counting my treddling but it seems like it will make a nice yarn. Here’s my effort so far. Perhaps I’ll 3-ply it. I’m trying to make a fingering to sport wt single to ply. Any ideas on what I can make with it? I wonder how much I will need for a sweater? Or booties? Or a Hat?! Hmmmm, a hat! Sounds like a great idea! Stay tuned………