alpaca samples

Last summer I realized that, when conducting a demo at an alpaca farm, it is a good idea to have samples made from alpaca fiber. Otherwise you are continually correcting people and saying, “no, actually this is all sheep’s wool.”

The plan to create more alpaca samples got under way… this week!! When is the demo?? In three weeks!! Am I awesome at getting things done ahead of time? NO. Did I do this last-minute scramble all through high school and college? YES.

After scouring my stash, I discovered many more bunches and balls of alpaca fiber than I thought I had. I also found one ball of spun yarn to get some knitting going too. That was turned into a pair of fingerless mitts (I can sell them in December too! Even I’m impressed!) and the remains I’m hoping to be able to make into a tiny beret.

These three skeins are brand new this week. From left, we have a very heavy skein of grey alpaca spun and navajo-plied. It’s actually rather scratchy and unpleasant. I purchased it as combed top. Next to that is a cream-colored skein that I spun from locks, which may have been unwashed. The floor was quite dusty afterward. I like to spin alpaca messy since I don’t think people do that very often. And finally is a pinkish-grey bulky weight skein. This one is very soft, spun from a mound of fluff. Not exactly sure how it was processed. The locks were not distinguishable, so maybe something like a batt?

Must keep going! What else is good to make for samples?

lone bobbin

Hasn’t been a fiber-filled summer, that’s for sure. I think I’ve been spinning once a month for the past 2-3 months. Rather shameful, I’d say. In fact, I’ve actually been spinning on my Ashford more than the Kromski since the latter was packed in its backpack since the beginning of July and the Ashford is sitting at Rich’s apartment.

I’ve finally unpacked the Sonata even though I’ll probably have to pack it up again pretty soon. It is a traveler after all. Anyway, I had purchased some funky wool at Pennsic – left overs from a yarn machine. Dyed it (also something I haven’t been doing much lately) and carded it. It ended up extremely lumpy, so I’m curious to see how it plies.

These are also my wedding colors. In fact, I have several skeins around the house that are blues and greens. hm.

mission accomplished!

This weekend Rich and I went to the Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster. Initially it didn’t start off too great, and I thought I would miss the deadline to enter the skein competition, but he got me there in time!

I ended up entering 5 skeins. There weren’t a lot of entries this year. In fact, in my group (A), there were only two participants – me and one other woman who entered 12 skeins. Overall I did pretty well. I got 2 first place ribbons, 2 second place, and one third. The most exciting thing though was that my bulky singles got BEST OF SHOW for my group! I was so excited, especially after the trouble I had last year with my singles. An amazing turn-around.

that’s settled…?

How is that just yesterday it was January, 20 degrees, snowing, and I had plenty of time before the Great Lakes Fiber Show? Today is Thursday, May 21, and the show is this weekend! I’m still waffling on which skeins to enter for a few reasons.

1) I’m not sure I could handle the judge telling me my singles should be in the novelty category (again). And maybe that’s just the best I can do, ok?

2) I tend to spin heavy-worsted exclusively, so is that bulky or medium? This means that since all plied yarns, regardless of number, are in the same category, I can’t put two 2-ply and a 3-ply. Although I might try to squeeze one of the 2-ply into medium.

3) How masochistic am I feeling? How many times do I want to be put down and rejected? Or, conversely, how ambitious am I feeling? The more skeins I enter the more chances of a better score (or worse).

FYI – I’m a glass-half-empty kinda gal.

Here’s the breakdown thus far…

Bulky single (1)
Medium ply (1)
Bulky ply (2)
Spinner’s choice (1)
Novelty (1)

In addition to the three 2-plies and the yellow/green novelty from my last post regarding the skein competition, I am also including these two yarns. Both will be placed in the bulky category, even though by my eye, the 3-ply is medium.

This is not a novelty yarn, right?

who’s it gonna be?

Sorting through my yarn stash, trying to choose which yarns will participate in the skein competition this year.

Categories according to the Show’s website include:

class 1	Fine singles
class 2	Medium singles
class 3	Bulky singles
class 4	Fine plied
class 5	Medium plied
class 6	Bulky plied
class 7	Spinner’s choice of fiber & ply
class 8	Novice spinner, 2 ply yarn (spinning one year or less)
class 9	Novelty yarn (ie, boucle, knot, spiral, slub, cable)

Obviously I won’t be in Class 8, but everything else is a possibility. However, anything in the fine department is highly unlikely. And I tend to spin “bulky” almost exclusively… at least by their standards. Yarns I would call medium have shown up in the bulky section at the end of judging, so I’m measuring everything ahead of time.

Previously I’ve only entered two skeins total, but this year I’d like to have a stronger showing. I have singles, 2-plies and 3-plies to pick from, along with a few novelty yarns.

I’m deciding between these three 2-ply yarns.The front two are about 10 wraps per inch, “heavy worsted” and the blue-green skein just squeaks in as a worsted weight.

I also wanted to include a novelty yarn this year and I’ve decided on the green/yellow skein on the right.

seed stitch mug cozy

Even though I vowed not to knit for my dad again, let’s face it – he’s my dad. And I love him regardless of the fact that he won’t wear his socks!! Anyway, after watching me create weird little teapot cozies, he asked if I’d make one for a mug he uses at work. His requirements were simply that it couldn’t be a fun candy color and that it should have a bottom.

I chose this natural grey Romney – the first fleece I had processed by Zeilinger’s – which was already being spun. This particular skein was the first 3-ply I spun from three separate bobbins, not navajo-plied. I love the way it came out! I’m continually amazed at the true differences in plies, fibers, spinning methods, etc.

He picked out this cute little orange button to secure the handle strap. When I pulled out some possible buttons, I first thought of orange because that’s his favorite color. But then I decided against it since his tea cozy is grey and orange. However, after looking through all my buttons, he chose an orange one himself!

I’m pleased with how it came out. It isn’t spectacularly inspiring or intricate. Just a simple seed stitch. But I’m sure it will serve his purposes.

weekly update

Wednesday weekly Shop Update! Blue-faced Leicester and Corriedale have made a come-back! I hadn’t had any of those breeds for quite some time and I don’t know about you, but I missed them!

Here is a sample of what is currently for sale:

stack o’ skeins

There is a round basket sitting on top of a speaker in the living room. It is where skeins of yarn go to await their bath. It is not a deep basket, therefore the skeins are stacked, like a log cabin, to prevent yarn from tumbling all over the floor. Over the course of a week or two, I pile up the skeins, waiting for a large batch to wash all together. I find it much more satisfying to have 10 skeins hanging to dry rather than one or two. Last week I emptied the basket and had many skeins to be proud of.  Yesterday I washed five more.

My yarns lately look different to me – different than what I was spinning in the past. It could be several things. Maybe it has something to do with my focus on worsted spinning, and my yarns have become smoother and more even. Or it may be that the each skein have more variety of color. Either way, things are a-changin’. The following skeins will be for sale in the Etsy shop either this Wednesday or next.

“Wolverine”. Columbia wool, bulky weight

“Crustacean”. Falklands wool, bulky weight.

“Outward”. Romney wool, heavy-worsted weight.

on your behalf

I want to share this hand-bound leather book that Rich made because – a) it is my 2009 journal; b) Rich doesn’t have a blog of his own; c) I took the photos (and posted them to Flickr, ).

For the past 10+ years I’ve been writing everyday in a journal. Finding one for the new year is an enjoyable activity (though occasionally frustrating), and one that is usually put off until December. Rich has been giving me books as gifts the past few years, making my job easier. This year he gave me a lovely handmade leather journal. I told him how many pages I needed and he took it from there. Lately he’s been doing more leatherwork, binding books and stamping. Such a busy fellow!

I’ve been getting a lot of spinning done. It’s starting to pile up and up and up! Since I am literally stacking it in a too-small basket on top of the speaker. Various wools including Romney, Columbia, Falklands, and CVM (dyed by Cosy). Check out my Flickr photostream for more picutres.

what to do?

Blog Give Away winner will be chosen February 23, 2009, allowing any of you who have not participated yet to do so throughout the weekend. Refer to previous post, dating 02/16/09.

What should I do with this? I have a general rule not to knit with anything lighter than DK/sport weight unless I’m doing socks, but now THIS skein exists in my handspun stash…

It is about 270 yards and should be self-striping due to the way it was spun, which makes me really interested in knitting it. The wool is a Blue-Faced Leicester/Border Leicester cross and is quite lustrous and wavy. I need suggestions on projects to best utilize this yarn. Currently I have no preferences, probably not socks though as they may not hold up to the stress and wear. Help!