Top Reconstruction-Part 4 (The one where it’s actually spun!)

Never thought I’d get to actually spinning this, did you?  Well, here it goes.

Drafting

I discovered that my diz made this huge honking roving that was just way too huge to spin from directly (at least for me, and for trying to get the two color layers to be taken up somewhat evenly), so I drafted this down a bit.

Not sure what I'm doing....taking a picture?

I’m doing a sort of supported long draw.  Or a kind of short backwards draw that I let get long.  Whatever, it is working for this particular fiber and prep.  I’m putting an extra couple of treadles of spin into each draw, trying to have plenty of spin to offset the plenty of ply I want to put in.

Spinning

I didn’t picture the original bobbins……they were frightfully full of coiled up bits.  I had the takeup WAY down so I could do the draw, but then it wouldn’t take up as fast as I wanted to feed it on.  More learning curves.

So to even out my twist some, I put them across the room and rewound onto these shuttle bobbins.  (Hey, I had them, and a bobbin winder, so why not!!)

Singles

The leftish bobbin is the first ply I did with the roving that came off in several pieces.  I tried to do true long draw with all of it, and ended up with lots of odd thick and thin.  The rightish bobbin I did the supported and got a much more consistant size yarn, and I’m very happy with it.  It should be fun plying these together.

Singles close up

Posted in drum carding, spinning | Tagged , | 2 Comments

What personality is your blog?

Ok, fiber folks, play along here!!

Go here: Typealyzer  and type in the URL of your blog.  Report back with your results!!!  It’s based on the Myers-Briggs personality test.  Depending if you care for how that test works (and how much of your life you blog), you may or may not care for the results.

Mine was this:

ESFP – The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead – they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation – qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

 

 

Despite cracks that ESFP could be ‘Extra Special Fiber Person’ (thanks Velma!), this assessment is pretty accurate.  I tend to straddle all the personality types, though…..I’m a jack of all trades, and some I’ve mastered.  The not-planning-ahead thing is bunk, though.  I spend WAY too much time planning and researching.  It’s the thinker in me!

If you want extra credit, back up to the homepage and click the Archetype thing.  Here’s mine:

Motivation: Stability

Desire to feel safe and in control

Archetypes:
Caregiver – “Love your neighbor as yourself”
Creator – “If it can be imagined, it can be created”
Ruler – “Power isnt everything. It´s the only thing”
Now, I’ll admit that Stability is something I’m very much in favor of.  And I’m a bit of a control freak.  (This is why I homeschool and own my own business, right?)  On the other hand, I’m perfectly fine with someone else being in charge…..as long as things are being done the way I like them (LOL!).  Being the daughter of a man who can make anything…..yes, I’m a creator.  Give me an idea, and I’ll try to make it, MacGyver it, or somehow fulfill it.  Which can indeed be problematic….as I get too many projects on my plate.
Ok, so what did you get?  If you want to do a full discussion like I did on your own blog, just link me up, I’ll be happy to stop by and read it!
Posted in Interesting stuff | Comments Off on What personality is your blog?

Transitions Club – March Spoiler

Time to share what the March Transitions Club yarn looks like knit up. If you don’t wanna know, don’t click more!

Here’s an example of how members received the yarn. Each Fillet was hand painted, and are different. (BTW, all these pictures are HUGE on my Flickr, so if you’d like to see more detail, click and choose more sizes.)
Mississippi Mud

This yarn is called Mississippi Mud, inspired by the river I can see from my window if I look through the right tree and squint just so! It is on my Panda base, which is a merino/bamboo/nylon yarn blend. I’ll be stocking this yarn in my shop once the club is finished.

Continue reading

Posted in Fresh From the Dyepot | Tagged | 2 Comments

Roving Reconstruction – Part 3

Here’s the part where I actually end up with roving!!!

To catch you up….here’s where I left off. One batt of pale green, and another batt of pale blue, carded up on my Fancy Kitty Kitten drum carder.
Blue and green, together!

I ripped these both in half and set one half of each aside. Then I slowly fed on the green…trying to get it all even, then fed on the blue.
That will give me bi-color roving, that I hope will barber-pole some, and alternate between the colors some.

Next, I needed to diz off the wool to make it roving (I’m not all into the zig zag batt ripping thing). I don’t own an actual diz, but anything with a hole will do, so I grabbed the first toy I found on the floor.

Dizzing roving

Dizzing roving

And this is how I did with the first batt. Hmmmm……
Finished roving

So I went back to my second half of the batts and carded them in. This time my dizzing was more successful….I was able to get all of it in one long roving. So pretty and fluffy!!!!

Finished roving

Posted in drum carding | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fresh from the Dyepot – Tiger Twist

New hand dyed Superwash Merino Sock Yarn for you….in Tiger Twist, my smooshy bouncy shiny soft yet twisty and durable sock yarn!!!

Purple Passion
Purple Passion

Blueberry Hill
Blueberry Hill

Rosie
Rosie

Nessie
Nessie

Posted in Fresh From the Dyepot | Tagged , | Comments Off on Fresh from the Dyepot – Tiger Twist

Fiber – Fresh from the Dyepot

New in the shop today!

Princess Cake

Princess Cake

Blue Lagoon  (a nice gradient from turquoise to stormy blues)

Blue Lagoon

Lavender Fields

Lavender Fields

Posted in Fresh From the Dyepot | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Fiber – Fresh from the Dyepot

Cranford Mitts

Originally uploaded by probablyjane
 

 

Gotta love the internet age….now fundraising goes international!  Europe based MSF  (Doctors Without Borders)   is a great cause being supported by the UK based site P/HoP, which stands for Pennies per Hour of Pleasure.   You may have heard of Doctors Without Borders and the tragedies of Darfur if you have watched E.R. 

How do you fit in?  Designers are donating patterns to this cause.  You can download them for free, and even enjoy knit-a-longs on Ravelry.  The hope is that you will donate something for your enjoyment of the patterns.  Knitters are such a great bunch….I know this will be a fantastic fundraiser that will do lots of good.  There are two patterns up right now, Flowers in the Rain shawl by Jacqui Walker, and Cranford Mitts, by Jane Lithgow.  More patterns are to come.

I managed to catch the showing of Cranford on Masterpiece Theater last spring, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Yay for the BBC! 

Jane (the designer) says, ‘This gentle drama, both humorous and touching took us into the lives of gentlewomen of certain age living in reduced circumstances. I noticed that many of their costumes included delicate mitts which they wore to ensure warm fingers in their draughty houses. I have adapted this idea to create some warm but delicately lacy mitts to take the edge off chilly spring mornings.’ 

Jane was originally selling this pattern for about $4 when she decided to donate it to p/hop. 

Go forth and knit the world a better place!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Oh Danny Boy!

Ok, so I’m a little early on the St. Patrick’s thing, but this was too funny not to post right away!! This is NOT one of the ‘Greatest Hits’ that RiverChor is going to sing on Sunday (our version was very pretty, though!).

Posted in humor | Tagged , | Comments Off on Oh Danny Boy!

Top Reconstruction – Part Blue (um, Two)

Here’s the second half of that top I am working on.  This time, the blue pile.  This first picture is fairly accurate on color.  You can see the ribbon of mohair being kinda shiny running down the top.

Top Reconstruction-blue

One benefit to carding…..it gives you a chance to find and pick out the occasional sheep hair.

Top Reconstruction-blue

Once the carder stops taking fiber evenly, I run it around while holding a slicker brush to burnish the fibers on there.  I want the whole 2 ounces in one batt.

Top Reconstruction-blue

Once the batt is formed, I ran a knitting needle through the opening in the teeth, and rolled the batt off using a piece of paper for added pulling power.

Top Reconstruction-blue

Tada…..side shot…..

Top Reconstruction-blue

Full on shot….blue fluffy clouds!!

Top Reconstruction-blue

Posted in drum carding | Tagged , | Comments Off on Top Reconstruction – Part Blue (um, Two)

Tiger Find!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Tiger Find, but this came across Twitter today and I absolutely had to share. 

This new Etsy shop, FBNPlastics, has a cup holder suitable for many spinning wheels, and all are cleverly designed to attach without damaging your wheel.  Drink and spin with abandon!!

Posted in spinning, Tiger Finds | 3 Comments