It’s a Wrap!

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Where are the days going? Beats me. But, I have some updates to get me through them. :)

Well, it’s nightfall and I think you can actually track the progress of the sun through these photos….but I’m going to give it a go anyway!

We’re back in full swing with Boy Child’s basketball season, so finding time where there is still daylight is going to be a new challenge, I think. But, I do like how Donna’s wrap came out.  Pretty sweet, huh? I usually use two-tones as per The Wrapping Scarf Revolution by Patricia Lee.  But this time, I just kept both sides the same cloth.  Simple, yet stylish.  Like Donna. :)

I’ve been reading some books too. Okay…As I’ve told you before, when I get crafts books, I mostly look at photos, drool and then try to do it. So, technically, I haven’t been reading much. But, we’re talking crafts…things we can touch and feel that are made with our hands….are the words always that important? I mean, it still counts, right? Lol! Well, it counts in my book. That said, I’ve been gawking over some old Spin Off issues that are downloadable as well as Spin Control by Amy King and Spin Art by Jacey Boggs (also downloadable from the interweave store in the spinning section). Now, I really don’t use art yarns much. But they’re so nice to look at! And I do believe that it’s a good thing to know how to spin anything so you can always get what you want whether that is a basic yarn or a funky one. Not sure that I’m ready to go beyond learning how to spin a structurally sound thick and thin or something else fairly simple. But, it’s good to see the variety for now. Maybe when I’m ready to get my hands dirty, these will come in handy. What I have been picking up on is this fractal spinning thing I found in the Winter 2011 edition of Knittyspin, which led me to track down the summer 2007 issue of Spin Off. For now, that’s next on the to-do list. It’s simply a must try!

By the way, I plied that yarn.

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Now, I’m thinking this could have been a lot more consistent of a spin.  But, it is SO springy and the yarn is so much loftier than what I have been spinning so far that I am completely in love with it!! It’s just so plump!

Here’s a close-up.

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And the only changes were (1) I was drafting back and not allowing the fiber to be taken up onto the bobbin until I was ready, and then (2) “shoving it up the orifice”.  Now, I’ve drafted back before in woolen mode (although only with top).  But for some reason, it has never produced a yarn like this before.  I have two master spinners to thank for this.  This drafting back was inspired by the How I Spin video by Rita Buchanan.  The  “shoving it up the orifice” was inspired by Maggie Casey’s video Big and Lofty Yarns.  (Many of the spinning downloadables are currently on sale so, if you’re interested, browse through and stock up! But I digress…) I think the idea is to spin it on the semi-woolen/woolen side and get it on the bobbin before there is entirely too much twist in it so that there’s some loft left.  So, I would treadle, draft back, treadle, draft back, treadle, draft back all without allowing the take up yet, and then “shove it up the orifice”! It’s a pretty fast way to go through some fiber, that’s for sure.  But the yarn is so…bouncy!! I’m really pleased with that method.  More please!!

And won’t I just have plenty opportunity to do it? Look at this mouth-watering, fluffy goodness!

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Yes. It’s on.

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