Spinning Wheel Got to Go Round

I'm a spinner, but one could hardly tell from the blog, except for the circumstantial evidence that I am seen at "spinning" events and that I apparently own a couple of spinning wheels and am known to buy and peddle fleece.

So where's the beef, er, sheep, er I mean, dude, what are you spinning?

I borrowed what I thought would be a smidge of time from the Jensen Tina a few months ago to just throw on 12 ounces of Cloverleaf Farms Wensleydale (colour: Brown Fox).  I thought it would take me a few weeks of my erratic spinning time, but lo and be vexed, it's taken months. It's my own slovenly practice that's to blame.  I am guilty of spinning mostly in the company of other spinners, so in spite of my regular visits to the Island Pond group and the monthly meeting of the local Spinning group I run myself, nine hours a month doesn't amount to much yarn. So the Wensleydale has taken me a lot of time, even though it spins up quickly into a fingering weight single I plan to use for a Shoalwater Shawl to take advantage of the simple variegation in the yarn.

 

On the Vermont Wheel, I am making (again) a fingering weight single out of polworth from The Spinning Bunny in the colour Black Magic. It's a roving with long colour runs of fuschia, turquoise, amber, midnight, amethyst, and emerald. It's been on the wheel since October when Alpaca Kathy gave it to me.  This was the original yarn I had planned to use for a Shoalwater, but I don't think I have nearly enough of it for much more than a small scarf.  So perhaps it is destined to be a Caryl's Kerchief, complete with beads to match all the splendid jewl-tone colours.

I like using singles for lace, mostly because I am lazy (see above: minimum dedication to the spinning), but also because it's a maximum impact for minimum effort.  Okay, maybe that lands me right back at lazy.  But we all know that singles left to their own devices would bias because of their unbalanced nature as only one twist.  Spinners ply both to balance twist and get a neutral yarn, and also to hide the little flaws in the single. But both of these fibers have come through the spinning pretty consistent, and have little to hide.   And knitted lace is blocked, which eliminates the biasing singles are guilty of. In addition to all of that, Seedstitch Cheryl has several lovely lace things she knit out of singles and I wish I were more like her.  When a roving has long colour runs like the Polworth, or colours that would be muddied by the double whammy of plying and knitting, I have no prejudice against leaving them as singles. I could chain-ply the Polworth I suppose, but chain-plied laceweight just seems so ambitious, and unnecessary.

Sue me.  I'm a lazy spinner.

Comments

[Adrian]

You have to block lace when you wash it, so why not take advantage and use singles? It sounds perfectly reasonable. Also, I might be lazy, as well.

[Beth S.]

Not lazy. Sensible.

That Wensleydale is really speaking to me. Magnificent colors! I think it'll be just perfect for Shoalwater.

[kmkat]

"lo and be vexed" -- I must remember that.

[Kathy]

I like to think of it as efficient, not lazy :-) Looking good!

[Wanda]

I agree the singles seem to be perfect for knitting lace, why not take advantage of that and skip plying. The colors for the Shoalwater Shawl are gorgeous. Great minds and all of that! I picked up that pattern while in Boston.

[Sulafaye]

That Brown Fox is my kind of fiber! Beautiful, and I can't wait to see it finished...

[naomi]

Oh, that Brown Fox wensleydale is lovely.

[mamacate]

Tell me of this singles for lace notion, would you? The lazy factor is very much my style, but how do you deal with the thin=high twist=bias factor? Garter stitch lace would help, but I fear it would still be a mess, particularly while knitting. Could wet-blocking really be enough? Is there steaming of yarn on niddy noddies? Aging of singles on bobbins or otherwise under tension? How is this accomplished? I'm trying to figure out if I can cope with randomly plying the foxfire camel/silk I got at NH, since I can't seem to navajo ply worth a damn despite a fair amount of trying, and this would solve my dilemma.

[Jen da Purse Ho]

what kind of wheels do you have? :D

[DebbieB]

The Wensleydale looks delicious - chocolate & caramel, an excellent combination!

[Cheryl]

Ooh, all my bobbins are empty. I just may pull out my Wensleydale and start in on it.

[Romi]

It's *totally* gorgeous!

[Manise]

That Wensleydale is postively gorgeous! Singles as you've seen over at Cheryl's are lovely in shawls. Go for it. What do you think of the Pollwarth? My Pollwarth fleece came back processed today and I have started to spin a bit up. It's an interesting learning curve- does your have downy bits in it too?

[susan]

Even better is to knit your lace in garter stitch. Even singles don't bias in garter stitch.

[Marcy]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Wensleydale!

[elizabeth]

If you answer mamcate's questions, please copy me on the email! I have a full bobbin of Wensleydale singles and 4 oz. more to spin. I originally thought lace but wasn't sure that was a good idea; now I'm going back to thinking it'll be okay. Thanks!

[Laurie]

The problem with chain plying is also that you get 1/3 the yardage. I like that Foxy roving. I think that letting the singles rest on storage bobbins works to tame some of the twist. And a bit less overspinning if planning to use the singles as singles probaby would help.

[Pat K]

Delurking to say that I am also quite interested in the how-to of using the singles for lace. Those are beautiful colors in those singles.

[carrie]

You're spinning is beautiful! I love the maximum impact for the minimum effort. And why spin doubles if singles will work? Silly people adding extra work to their day. =)

[Tonia]

It is our right as spinners to spin it the way that we want it. If we had to spin the roving the same way every time where would the fun be?

They are both so lovely.

Singles, plyed, who cares?. It is your yarn so do with it as you please. :)

[anne]

wow, that's some beautiful roving, and really good colors for you!

[Julia]

I'm with mamacate on this one - lazy, fascinated, and wondering how the heck it will really work. Keep us posted, as your fellow lazites need instruction!