Handspun Friday - Back to the Wheel

> Well, I've finally gotten back to the spinning wheel and last weekend I spun up this beautiful Corriedale roving from Traveling Rhinos. It has actually been several weeks since I've sat down at the wheel and I wanted to start with a small project. I can spin a 4 ounce braid of fiber into the singles needed for a 2-ply yarn in an evening.


This spin went well but it was a little choppy at first. My goal was to end up with a nice dk weight yarn to use for a scarf. In some spots I was right on target and in others I was a lot thinner. The past couple times I spun anything, I was trying to spin thin to get a nice sock yarn. That made this a little challenging to actually spin a the thicker singles.

I had heard that it was sometimes hard to get a nice even thick yarn once you got used to spinning thin thread-like strands. When I started spinning it was hard to imaging being able to spin such a thin single that this would be an issue. I guess it is all about control. I've signed up for a spinning workshop that will last one afternoon and will focus on spinning for a specific project. I think that will help give me some ideas on controlling my spinning better.

I think this is about the second time I've spun any Corriedale fiber. It's nice and has a long fiber/staple length that makes it great for a beginning spinner. This fiber specifically had been prepped and dyed really well too. The finished yarn didn't bleed at all in the warm water soak I used to help set the twist. I'd definitely buy more fiber from Traveling Rhinos.

Geddesburg Handspun Yarn

Fiber Content: Corriedale
Fiber Source: Traveling Rhinos
Color: Cancun I
Weight: 4.4 ounces
Yardage: 320 yards
WPI: 14 -15 wraps per inch (average)
Spinning Style: worsted
Spinning Ratio: 8 to 1
Plying Ratio: 8 to 1
Notes: 2-ply