Friday, May 16, 2008

Handspun Friday - Hannah

I finally got a lot of yardage out of one braid of fiber and I think it is finally thin enough to count as sock yarn. The key for me was slowing down the whole process. I usually just speed right along and still end up with a pretty nice yarn. This time I took my time and tried for something thinner than I usually do and it worked!

The color did end up a lot lighter in the finished yarn than it looked in the fiber. I think that has to do with the white portions of the fiber and how it mixed with the colors as I drafted the fiber. I like the results, but I liked the deep colors that were in the fiber too.

My understanding is that Colonial wool is actually a blend made of wool from unspecified English sheep breeds, raised in South America. The nice thing is that this fiber is washable, so I think I'll be knitting a pair of socks with this skein.

Geddesburg Handspun Yarn
Content: Colonial Wool
Fiber Source: Fat Cat Knits
Weight: 4 ounces
Fiber Preparation: combed top
Yardage: 440 yards
WPI: 18 wraps per inch
Spinning Style: worsted
Spinning Ratio: 10 to 1
Plying Ratio: 9 to 1
Details: 2-ply, superwash

12 comments:

bockstark.knits said...

Wow, that is really different from how I think it would spin up! It's gorgeous though! That's what I love about handspun, you never know what cha gonna git! But you can guarantee that it's going to be a whole lot of pretty, especially yours!

Monika said...

It's always surprising how it turns out, at least to me. I like both, fiber, and finished yarn. Can't wait to see the socks! :o)

Lazuli said...

Wow, that's gorgeous!! As always! And you are right, the fiber is definitely very different in tones from the finished yarn!

gilraen said...

Oh my how different indeed!! Wonderful spinning result :)

You keep making them nicer and nicer and better and better :)

Well done :)

Zonda said...

Gorgeous! Go you on your own sock yarn now!

Anonymous said...

A wonderful spectrum of color on the yarn. It is suprising how it changes with the spinning process. Do you think it will stripe or pattern or just be individually beautiful?

Bezzie said...

And colonial is supposed to be hard-wearing. Great for socks!

Slowing down helped you get it thinner? Hm, I'm finding the faster I go the thinner I'm getting.

Oh and thanks for using the penny! Ha ha!

turtlegirl76 said...

Dammit I remembered the WPIs but forgot the penny. Monday. I'll remember it monday.

The finished yarn doesn't look at all like it came from that braid! It looks so cool! Love the finished product. Can't wait to see it knit up!

Anonymous said...

It's gorgeous, Shannon! Please, go ahead and knit some socks so we can all see! I think they are going to be really nice:)

Ang

Anonymous said...

Your spinning is amazing, Shannon!

Unknown said...

Holy crap, that's gorgeous! I know there's a big difference between the fiber and the finished yarn, but that's what I love about spinning - the results always seem to be a surprise!

Batty said...

Hey, look, something shiny!

Handspun? What handspun? No idea where it went... must have been those accursed yarn-stealing goblins again.

Seriously, don't leave that stuff unattended! Just looking at it is testing my personal ethics. : )